'BAD' GM 3800 L26 V6 Engine Teardown. Why Are These Engines SO GOOD?
593,301
Published 2024-01-20
Here's weekly dose of your catastrophic engine forensics! Every week you can find a new teardown of some abused, misused and/or poorly designed engine. I've got over 160 videos of failed engine teardowns on this channel.
Today's teardown is an engine that has been suggested over and over again, but they're generally too reliable to wind up on my stand. The GM 3800! Easily one of my favorite engines GM has ever produced. This particular engine is a series III NA engine, the L26. This 200hp engine could be found in most full size GM Sedans in the mid 2000's. This engine is from a 2006 Grand Prix GT with 126K miles. A very premature death for one of these engines as they typically last 250-300K with relative ease. Huge thank you to Premier Automotive in Godfrey IL for supplying this weeks teardown!
The series 1-3 3.8L V6 is one of the most robust, fuel efficient, cheap to repair, and neglect tolerant engines of its day. They are incredibly thrifty on fuel for their size, propelling full size cars down the highway getting 30+ MPG. They make great torque, and supercharged version are quite peppy even in stock form. Its a real shame they discontinued this engine in favor of the wretched early 3.6L V6, quite the polar opposite experience for most owners.
Why am I doing this? I own and operate a full service auto salvage facility called Importapart and part of our model includes dismantling core and blown engines to salvage the good parts to resell. We do not rebuild or repair engines, we merely supply parts to those who do!
I really hope you enjoyed this teardown, as always I love all of the comments, feedback and even the criticism. Catch you on the next one!
-Eric
All Comments (21)
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You’re welcome Eric. You will get all of Premiers core engines you want. 😂love watching the tear downs. I did find out an update yesterday from the customer. This car had sat since 2015 when they bought a new Camaro. Thats almost 9 years of contaminated oil sitting in the crankcase. Lol. I did drive it in the shop and it ran remarkably well. This grand prix got a very clean used 3800 with 101,000 miles. It had no signs of dexcool destruction like this one did. Keep up the awesome content. 👍
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My old shop foreman said “The 3800 will run badly longer than most engines will run, period” lol
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I have been a GM technician since the mid eighties. Those engines where a actual joy to work on. One of the best engines GM ever made
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These engines are undoubtedly, the very best engine that General Motors ever made. I have worked on lots and lots of them over the years. This one here appears that it was probably a one owner that was short-tripped most of its life and probably neglected. When it started losing water, uncle Rico started cramming Stop leak in it every week until it finally shit the bed. I wouldn't have even torn down the short block, I would've rolled it out on the driveway and pressure washed it clean and threw a gasket set at it and headed out down the road with it.
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my 94 Bonneville has 310,000 miles, and still still runs clean, and strong. Only changed the water pump, upper intake , and lower intake gaskets. New trans at 140.000 miles.
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The good ole 3800 GM should definitely study this engine cause they haven't made anything more reliable than this motor
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We had three 2004 VY Commodores series II in the family and my grandaughter is still driving one. I did all the servicing and never had any engine problems other than oil in the coolant and vice versa. Yes those mongrel intake manifold gaskets failed on all three after 10 to 12 years and 160k kms approx. All were using specified GMH (green) coolant when gaskets failed. Apart from that the 3800 LN3 engine as it was known in Australia was bullet proof with good power and economy. Cheers from Western Australia.
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These friggin engines were EXCELLENT!! Velvety smoooooth that felt like a small V8 in my Delta 88 front wheel drive. Probably one of the best "feeling" engines under my foot.
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Had a 97 LaSabre with a 3800.My Mom bought it new and gave it to us at 22K miles. There was a recall on the plastic manifolds due to Dexcool eroding them. I replaced that and a couple of water pumps and a set of spark plugs in 240K miles of use. Ended up giving the car to a newly single mom I worked with who needed a driver. She drove it 3 more years until it went into a winter ditch. I bet that would have easily made 400K miles.
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for an engine that looks like it was lubricated with drilling mud, I am impressed. I think you could swap all the gaskets, throw it back together with a new water pump, and run it another 200k.
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Great video. My 3800 has 230k miles in a camaro 2002. Love this engine and glad you were able to record this teardown!
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I've owned 3 of these. A 2000 GP GTP, and 2004 GP GTP, and currently my daughters 2008 GP. Her car has "only" 200,000km on it. It is the most mechanically silent engine I've ever heard. So smooth, so good and cold winter starts, relatively good on fuel for a big car, even a decent unique sound. They are truly excellent engines.
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I wouldn't be surprised if you cleaned the water jackets and replaced the gaskets that engine would do another 100k. The bearings looked very good consider it was lubricated with antifreeze.
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The build up in the coolant system is from mixing non dexcool compatible coolant with dexcool. Have been through that mess several times back when GM first used dexcool. It usually doesn't get that hardened up but it plug up the coolant system. There are also signs of low coolant mixture giving me the assumption that the car was poorly maintained or at least not properly. What did amaze me was that with all the coolant system blockage; the head gaskets weren't blown. As for cracked heads, the 3800 was known to crack between the valves especially when under extreme heat. Also the mixed coolant is what ate up the intake gaskets and caused the water into oil. Have seen this catastrophe several times in my 50 years working on cars and trucks
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I have 3 cars with the previous version in my Holdens. I love them ALOT. My Holden VX Calais 3800, my Holden VS Wagon 3800 and a Holden WH Statesman 3800 I have owned 7 all together. Nothing is easier then keeping these engines alive. And they take our Aussie burnouts like a charm. 😂
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I've been waiting on a 3.8 teardown! Another excellent video and congrats on nearing 300K!
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Holy cow, you found a bad one! What a treat! Ohhhhh... Diagnosis: Dexcool.
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I've got the L36 Ecotec V6 in my 2003 GM-Holden VY ute & these were the best engines going around. They take such a beating. Plenty of parts available over the counter at the auto shops. I've seen These engines in worse condition but the best part is that they powered so many Holden Commodores & only owners stupidity will lead to failure. Loved the teardown. I wish GM-Holden never got rid of it. The LY7 & LE0 V6 that replaced the L36 are a dog of an engine but after learning on those, I've got everything down pat. Excellent video. Cheers from Australia.
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This guy is so pleasant to watch and listen to. I subscribed just to have him playing in the background while I work in the office. Wonderful voice and perfect personality. Thanks buddy!
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I wonder if all the coolant blockages were from massive amounts of stop leak
