My son has a 1998 camero 3

These engines were very bad about burning out the intake gasket around the egr valve, this would cause leaks into the egr system and sometimes if really bad would leak into the crankcase. They were also bad about corroding the intake away on these ports. I have replaced several intake maifolds because of this problem. The only way you will know for sure is to pull the intake manifold, be careful as the valve covers and push rods will also have to be removed, The push rods on this engine are different lengths. This is not a job for a novice to take on. Thanks for using 2CarPros

Hi thank you taking the time to answer my question on the weekend. I will donate when I get paid. So I pulled the dipstick and it was whitish colored obvious water in the oil. He over heated the car driving it home like a dummy. Do you think its the intake or a gead gasket his buddy is telling him to get another engine. Thank you again

I would put an intake gasket on it first, the engine will have to be flushed to get all water out of crankcase before, it is restarted, hopefully you got to it before it damaged the engine. Honestly the only way you will know if it has blown the headgaskets is to replace the intake gasket first. With it leaking their is no way to pressurize the engine. As I said before, the intake leaking can also leak water into the crank case and cause the same type of problem as a blown head gasket. Glad I could help, I know how kids are I have 4 of my own. Good luck, if I can help give me a shout. Thanks for using 2CarPros

Thank you. I will follow your advice you guys are always right it seems. I really do appreciate it Mekanic4755

Thank you, Glad I could help, and thanks for using2CarPros

Hi one more time lol. I forgot to say after I finished installing the elbow I added anti-freeze I topped of the radiator and left the cap off thinking it might go down a little but when I started it anti-freeze gushed out of the radiator. I turned the car off put the cap on and started it again. Thats when I noticede anti-freeze coming out of the egr tube at the manifold. My friend say that the gushing anti- freeze is a sign of a blown head gasket. Do you agree? I value your opinion. He says I should look for another motor that the head could be cracked or its a blown head gasket. I told him I did not inform you of the rediator gushing over. Do you still think I should try and change the manifold gasket? One more thing the check engine light was on but not now I drove the car about 2000 feet no light on. Would not a blown head gasket send a code. Thanks You. Tim Andrews

Yes this is usually an indication of a blown head gasket, how ever I have had several of these cars because of the water leak in the egr, blow exhaust gasses back up and into the cooling system, and out the radiator. I would put an intake gasket on it first to see. Thats a lot cheaper than an engine, and the gasket may very well fix the problem. I can't say for sure, all I can tell you the intake gasket has repaired and saved a lot of engines. Honestly you won't know for sure till you try it, but like I said, I would rather error on the cheaper side than replace an engine that was not that bad. Thanks for keeping us abreast of your situation, and thank you for using2CarPros

Thank you once again. I will give it a shot it might take a couple of days before I get to it but I will let you know. I just wish the engine was not stuffed under the dash lol. It does not run like a blown head gasket by the way so maybe the intake gasket will fix it. Have a great night. Tim Andrews

Good luck, if I can help give me a shout. Thanks for using2CarPros

Hello I finally had time to work on the camero. !998 3.8 V6 What a pain in the butt. The upper Manifold came off easy after all the stuff was out of the way lol. Ok I just pulled the upper off its plain to see its been off before by the swirls mad from the air tool with the abrasive wheel. The bolts where not that tight one towards the back was barely tighy. No gasket sealent was used. Toward the front front in the area the egr tube goes into the manifold the gasket was wet about a 4 square inch area right at the front on the drivers side. Is this a indication the gasket was leaking? Should I still remove the lower manifold. They are not the plastic ones they are both aluminum. Where you talking about a head gasket in the previous post. I did not have to remove any push rods or valve cover as of yet lol. The lower intake looks like it will come off without removing the valve covers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. He just bought the car had it a couple days before the serpintine belt broke, I think it was leaking before he bought it, I was not there I don't think he even pulled the dip stick out. Thanks Tim Andrews

Yes that sounds like it was leaking, you need to replace the lower intake gasket also, check all the surface carefully, you are looking any serious pitting or a spot around the egr that burned out or corroded out the manifolds. If all this is clean use a sharp putty knife or razor blade to clean all gasket surfaces, no grinders, they will cut in to deep, Check all you surfaces for being flat, whoever pulled it down may have damaget it by grinding on it. It will be a pain I know but useing these things clean the gaskets do not hurt the metal unless you dig in. Be sure to use a good sealer on the water outlets. The valve covers will have to come off to get the lower intake out, then to remove the gaskets you will have to remove the push rod tubes. Be sure when before you set the lower intake back in place everything is out of your way, these gaskets are usually plastic with little rubber runners that crush and do the sealing if it slips it will leak. Also pull one set of push rods first to find which is the longer one this will be the same all through the engine, be careful when you put the lower intake back on and go straight down, and do not shift it much, I always used 2 long phillips screwdrivers to help line it up to go straight down. Lightly oil the bolts and tighten in an x pattern just like you would head bolts, center to the out side. Be care to get the push rod tubes back in the correct order, if they are wrong they will bend or ruin the lifters. Hope this helps, tryed to get it all in for you, good luck, Thanks for using2CarPros

Hi I will do exactly as you say tomorrow and will let you know. Thanks so much. Tim Andrews

Hi Happy Thanksgiving. I know I said the Camero is a 1998 but the motor has been changed. I don't know what year it is but I did not have to take the valve covers off to remove the lower intake although I did anyway. I dont't know if that motor is supposed to have a windage tray but it does not. There was anti freeze in the number 1 cylinder. I took the shrader valve out and turned the motor by hand I got about 3 good squirts. The uper manifold gasket was wet on both sides and the hole that goes to the number 1 cylinder was clean indicating water was going down. After I got the water out I did a compression check of number 1 and got a 170 pound reading. Remember someone had this off and took the air grinder to it. The top and bottom gaskets did not have any gasket sealer. The old gasket on the lower was plastic. I did not install the lower yet but the new gasket I got for the lower is metal. Do you still think its the manifold gaskets or maybe the o rings not seated right when they put it on last. I did stick a mirror in the head and went in every intake hole and seen no evidence of anti-freeze. I already drained the oil when you say fluxh the motor do you mean drain it add oil run it and change it again? The number 3 shark plug is right behind the exhaust manifold it look like impossibe to get at. I also tried to get the intake and exhaust closed and put about a 100 pounds of air in and it sounded like it was going into the bottom of the motor. My friend is still concerned that when I started it anti freeze bubbled over because I had the cap off he is still saying its a blown head Gasket. The egr tube is right next to cylinder 1 so that I guess explains why it was slowly leaking there. Thank you. Tim Andrews

All spark plugs can be changed with out removing any major components, some can be a real pain, but with a little time and concentration, you can get them. I always used a 6 inch piece of vac. Hose to start tem back in the holes to prevent cross threading them. They went to the metal gaskets because of this problem, I can not be sure about a head gasket leak I wish I could but on the majority of the one I have done they looked just like a head gasket leaking, would bubble out the radiator cap and everything, but I always went with my gut feeling about the intake gasket leaking and more times than not that was exactly what it was. As I said before if it is the gasket you have just saved a good motor, if not you tried, even used engines do not come with out risks, they may run fine but when filled with water leak bad, Usually the only guarantee you get is they will give you another motor if it is no good, but they do not have to r&r that bad one for you. Thats on you. I always flushed water filled engines, by letting them drain overnight and getting as much as possible out. Add 1 quart of trans fluid and fill with oil, and a (new oil filter each time) It sometimes it will take 2 or 3 times to get the most of it out. Be sure to listen for any rattling that does not stop or oil pressure light staying on. If it does it has stopped up the sump screen and the oil pan will have to come off to clean it. This is something that can happen on any engine that has gotten water in the oil, so watch it, listen to it closely. I wish you luck my friend, I have been their and done that many times, with my kids cars trying to save money and hoping for the best. Sometimes you get lucky sometimes you don't. Also I have caught my kids several times in a lie they have told me about what actually happened to there car and how far it had been driven. My oldest son once drove his car low of oil to the point of it throwing a rod, walked to a gas station got 3 quarts of oil and then put it in it, thinking I wouldn't know the differance. I asked him how the oil had stayed so clean while this motor had beat itself to death, he says I don't know, you are the mechanic. So yeah it happens. Thanks for using 2CarPros

Lol your kids are like mine. Its just easier to fix if you know what happened just like telling a doctor a fib. Thanks for taking the time once again to answer my questions. I understand taking a chance but my kid does not. But hey thats life right. I told him already a used motor could do the same thing in fact new ones to. I will put the new gaskets on saturday and keep you posted. Thanks again. Tim Andrews. PS it was really nice of you to answer on thanksgiving.

Tim be sure to put a good sealant around the water ports on the intake gaskets, this will help compensate for any little imperfections on the surfaces. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, if I can help give me a shout. Thanks for using2CarPros