:::RHMT::: Real Home Made Turbo

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: RotaryGeek on December 17, 2009, 10:05:19 PM

Title: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 17, 2009, 10:05:19 PM
Any body got one? My neighbor is this dumbass  O0 who doesn't know shit about cars. He has a 95 buick lesabre deluxe edition or whatever. It has a loud clank in the top end. I told him that it will need a new motor. He is like 19 and has a newborn with his girl and doesn't have any money, so he said $200 for the car and if i don't buy it, it will just end up in a junkyard. I got the car to my house and pulled the valve covers off and it looks and sounds like it has collapsed lifters. It needs a new battery, stereo, headliner, and put the a/c compresser back on, but other than that, its mint. 44k miles on it. Its a pretty smooth car considering my dd is a 94 civic fo do, and my girl drives a yoda echo. Is it worth dumping money into? My dad will be helping me out with the money part, ill pretty much just have to do the work. Im not 100% sure its collapsed lifters, but all the cylinders were opening and it does run. Just has this loud clanking in the top end. So what do you all think?
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: snm95ls on December 17, 2009, 10:17:36 PM
They are good cars, but with only 44k miles on the clock, it has obviously spent a large portion of its life sitting.  That shit is almost as bad as not maintaining a car.

For little to no money, you could have a damn good car.  The 3800 is a solid fucking engine, and I can't think of any major issues with the H body cars.



Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 17, 2009, 10:27:58 PM
Well i have never touched a buick before, so i don't know. I do see that the oil pressure light is on, and the pressure gauge says 0, so im thinking a failed oil pump. Almost no oil is coming out of the lifters at all. I am thinking collapsed lifter/ maybe an oil pump. But for $200, it has got to be worth it. It gives me an excuse to hang out with my dad some more, and i haven't really gotten to work on a car since i moved out almost a two years ago.... so it will be nice getting dirty again.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: snm95ls on December 17, 2009, 10:43:19 PM
If it is clattering and there is no oil pressure, that engine is fucked.  That is a shame since it did have low mileage.

GM made millions of those engines, so finding one should be easy as long as Cash for Clunkers didn't kill off a bunch of them.  i kind of doubt C4C did though.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Ravage70 on December 17, 2009, 10:45:26 PM
recycle it and make an extra $100
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: turbostd on December 17, 2009, 10:55:49 PM
Those are pretty nice cars. watch out for the plastic intakes though if its a series 2 motor they like to let coolant into the cylinders. Had to replace the intake on my dads 95 park ave twice now and the car only has 125k. Ours is now low on oil pressure at idle for some reason. we think its all the coolant i has ingested ate the bearings :/ 95 was an oddball year for those too so some stuff is 95 only.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 17, 2009, 10:57:40 PM
I don't like single year only things..... But it does have the plastic intake manifold. Ill make damn sure i won't over tighten those bolts though. So far, the general concensus is good about the car though.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Sinister on December 17, 2009, 11:06:53 PM
I beat the piss out of mine to 180k miles before shit started to fall apart. Solid car  :yes:
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 17, 2009, 11:08:39 PM
I beat the piss out of mine to 180k miles before shit started to fall apart. Solid car  :yes:

Thats the kind of stuff i want to hear. My real only problem with it is i think i might be too white to drive it. Its kinda gangsta.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: arsenio on December 17, 2009, 11:13:52 PM
twankies.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: snm95ls on December 17, 2009, 11:17:59 PM
I beat the piss out of mine to 180k miles before shit started to fall apart. Solid car  :yes:

Thats the kind of stuff i want to hear. My real only problem with it is i think i might be too white to drive it. Its kinda gangsta.

They were predominately old white folks cars.

Intake manifold leaks are nothing out of the ordinary for GM vehicles.  Luckily they are pretty cake to take care of on most.  3800s are super easy to work on in a big chassis such as an H car.

If you pick up another engine, do yourself a favor and do a complete intake reseal on it.  This includes lower intake gaskets, upper intake gaskets, and possibly a new intake manifold, as well as the coolant bypass elbow.

Follow the torquing procedure for all of the intake bolts, and use a damn torque wrench on them.  

Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: arsenio on December 17, 2009, 11:20:11 PM
I beat the piss out of mine to 180k miles before shit started to fall apart. Solid car  :yes:

Thats the kind of stuff i want to hear. My real only problem with it is i think i might be too white to drive it. Its kinda gangsta.

They were predominately old white folks cars.

Intake manifold leaks are nothing out of the ordinary for GM vehicles.  Luckily they are pretty cake to take care of on most.  3800s are super easy to work on in a big chassis such as an H car.

If you pick up another engine, do yourself a favor and do a complete intake reseal on it.  This includes lower intake gaskets, upper intake gaskets, and possibly a new intake manifold, as well as the coolant bypass elbow.

Follow the torquing procedure for all of the intake bolts, and use a damn torque wrench on them.  



if it has the plastic manifold, i think replacing it is the only way to get it to seal.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: 97Econobox on December 17, 2009, 11:38:42 PM
Why don't you help him fix it instead of buying it from him since hes 19 and has a baby.

Help him out, not everyone makes great decisions but its not to say that makes him a bad dude.  you never know someones story.  I just cant imagine 200 bucks helping a guy that has a newborn if it means he now has no car.

granted i dont know the back story.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: snm95ls on December 17, 2009, 11:45:49 PM
if it has the plastic manifold, i think replacing it is the only way to get it to seal.

Not exactly.  The main failure is the gaskets themselves.  The plastic carrier likes to crumble after a billion heat cycles, and the neoprene seals turn to mush over time.  I think the issue with the neoprene seals is the general lack of coolant maintenance which probably leads to a nice fat pH imbalance.


Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: arsenio on December 18, 2009, 12:11:31 AM
if it has the plastic manifold, i think replacing it is the only way to get it to seal.

Not exactly.  The main failure is the gaskets themselves.  The plastic carrier likes to crumble after a billion heat cycles, and the neoprene seals turn to mush over time.  I think the issue with the neoprene seals is the general lack of coolant maintenance which probably leads to a nice fat pH imbalance.




no, im right.

wile you are in there, that the "runner" sleeve out and manke it just one huge plenum. it makes power.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Doug on December 18, 2009, 12:29:32 AM
Fix it and flip it. Almost everything has a price in my book. If I'm going to make a profit it's going to get sold.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 18, 2009, 12:31:00 AM
Why don't you help him fix it instead of buying it from him since hes 19 and has a baby.

Help him out, not everyone makes great decisions but its not to say that makes him a bad dude.  you never know someones story.  I just cant imagine 200 bucks helping a guy that has a newborn if it means he now has no car.

granted i dont know the back story.


Lol he drives a nice new honda element, so im not feeling bad for him. This all sounds pretty good though. Plentifull motors, not a whole lot of problems, and a decent platform to start off with.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: onlyflash944 on December 18, 2009, 12:32:11 AM
I had a 96 corsica with the v-6 and it did the dissapearing coolant trick.  was on my way to work, about 40 miles, and before i even got out of town, the temp gauge was pegged.  pulled over, threw some water in it and drove to work.  went to leave from work, checked the reservior and it was empty again with no signs of leaks.  checked dipstick and it was about 3 inches higher than it should have been.  towed it home and drained about a gallon and a half of water out of it, then the rest of the motor oil.  i was really suprised that it didn't hurt the bottom end but i guess i got lucky.  put some new 'upgraded' uper intake gaskets on it and sold that shit first chance i got.  drove the car for about 15k miles and still made 300 bucks on the deal  


btw, new lifters aren't that expensive if you really want to fix the car
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: snm95ls on December 18, 2009, 01:05:00 AM
no, im right.

wile you are in there, that the "runner" sleeve out and manke it just one huge plenum. it makes power.

Ok.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Sinister on December 18, 2009, 02:34:14 AM
I had the palstic intake mani, since mine was one of the recalled ones it had a new plastic IM on it that never had issues.

You could swipe an old metal 3.8 intake from an 80's gm if you really felt the need, but you'd have to relocate the maf/filter/etc since it'd be pointing the opposite direction  :P
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: nock on December 18, 2009, 03:37:46 AM
we found a lesabre in the pits by donas truck stop in marysville when i was a kid (like 15) i think it was older than '95. we got all the field mice out of it, got it running, jumped it, tryed to roll it, crashed it, drove it around with a 35 foot long tree in back seat, tryed to jump it with the tree in the back (bad idea) finally ben crashed it into this big fucking rock it didnt start again. so we dropped the tank and torched it. awhile after that we stuffed the trunk full of wood and made a BBQ  O0 now everytime i see one of those piles of shit thats all i think about, a big ghetto ass fuckin tale gate party.


Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Robb on December 18, 2009, 11:36:58 AM
They give us those 3.8 buicks to drive to school in atlanta.  Keeps my white ass safe in the ghetto.  Nobody looks twice. 

The s2's have pretty decent power imo.  I would have one as a daily.  Intakes arent that expensive anymore. I remember when they were $200, I think they are below $150 if you buy one from GM (fuck that).
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: arsenio on December 18, 2009, 11:46:04 AM
there is a newer buick running around jacksonville that someone turbo'd, i will look for the videos
.
ok, so its a regal from stage6, and its a little newer. But it has basically the same motor.


http://videos.streetfire.net/vidiac.swf?video=81afdebc-c5cb-44c7-9782-9a6f00479638 (http://videos.streetfire.net/vidiac.swf?video=81afdebc-c5cb-44c7-9782-9a6f00479638)
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Joseph Davis on December 18, 2009, 11:56:15 AM
Why don't you help him fix it instead of buying it from him since hes 19 and has a baby.

Help him out, not everyone makes great decisions but its not to say that makes him a bad dude.  you never know someones story.  I just cant imagine 200 bucks helping a guy that has a newborn if it means he now has no car.

granted i dont know the back story.


Lol he drives a nice new honda element, so im not feeling bad for him.

So he's 19 with no education or real income, and now he's not only saddled with th kid and a new car payment he can barely afford, but the family is down to one car.  Class act, justifying it because he's

this dumbass  O0


Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 18, 2009, 12:01:40 PM
Oh quit bitching jd, this guys mom pays for everything. And they live at his girls moms house and she pays for everything that his mom doesn't cover. I don't even feel a little bad about getting the car off of him cuz they are well taken care of. I on the other hand, could really use a better 4 door car for my son too, becuase the civic is unreliable and the echo is 2 door.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Joseph Davis on December 18, 2009, 12:05:34 PM
In that light I'd have told him the car's worth $100 tops and beaten him down on the price.  You should have stated that and left the O0 stuff out.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 18, 2009, 12:20:27 PM
In that light I'd have told him the car's worth $100 tops and beaten him down on the price.  You should have stated that and left the O0 stuff out.


But its true. He is  O0 O0 as hell. He is a gangsta. Seems like everytime i get drunk around him im trying to fight him for some reason too.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Joseph Davis on December 18, 2009, 12:43:04 PM
In that light I'd have told him the car's worth $100 tops and beaten him down on the price.  You should have stated that and left the O0 stuff out.


But its true. He is  O0 O0 as hell. He is a gangsta. Seems like everytime i get drunk around him im trying to fight him for some reason too.

Because you're racist?
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: onlyflash944 on December 18, 2009, 01:02:39 PM
In that light I'd have told him the car's worth $100 tops and beaten him down on the price.  You should have stated that and left the O0 stuff out.


But its true. He is  O0 O0 as hell. He is a gangsta. Seems like everytime i get drunk around him im trying to fight him for some reason too.

Because you're racist?

i'm not racist, my best friend was african american until my dad sold him
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: HiProfile on December 18, 2009, 05:54:20 PM
Those are hydro lifters right? No oil pressure gets you tons of valve lash.

The good thing is 3800's aren't gold like hype-r's, the bad is it may not be worth the time.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Whitey on December 18, 2009, 06:15:06 PM
My 93' Oldsmobile has 278,000 miles on it still original motor.  The only major issue was it got a new trans around 150,000 but thats it.  Everytime I get the thing inspected I say "well hopefully itll last another year"  and I've been saying that for 5 years now.  The car will definitely destroy the 300,000 mark on a 100% original motor
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: onlyflash944 on December 19, 2009, 02:06:12 AM
My 93' Oldsmobile has 278,000 miles on it still original motor.  The only major issue was it got a new trans around 150,000 but thats it.  Everytime I get the thing inspected I say "well hopefully itll last another year"  and I've been saying that for 5 years now.  The car will definitely destroy the 300,000 mark on a 100% original motor

for most engines, not a major feat with regular oil changes and proper maintenance but quite cool none the less
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: N1 Andy on December 19, 2009, 04:27:33 PM
I'd be willing to bet its not the top end making noise if it has no oil pressure  :o 
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: NoPistons! on December 20, 2009, 01:07:41 AM
Those are pretty nice cars. watch out for the plastic intakes though if its a series 2 motor they like to let coolant into the cylinders. Had to replace the intake on my dads 95 park ave twice now and the car only has 125k. Ours is now low on oil pressure at idle for some reason. we think its all the coolant i has ingested ate the bearings :/ 95 was an oddball year for those too so some stuff is 95 only.


Yes i hate them.

I hate banging my hands up working on the  motor.  There's NO fucking room to do shit.   I had the whole plastic intake/egr/coolant fail thing happen.  I had to rip all that shit out and replace it.   The thing leaks oil but i'm too lazy to give a shit.   It's still leaking coolant into somewheres.....

It's a goddamn curse is what it is and i want to drive it off a cliff (YES WITH ME IN IT) sometimes.


Oh, yeah.  And $80 door handles ftl.  That's exterior, ONE HANDLE.  FUCK.

GET RID OF THE THING.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: snm95ls on December 20, 2009, 01:22:16 AM
Those are pretty nice cars. watch out for the plastic intakes though if its a series 2 motor they like to let coolant into the cylinders. Had to replace the intake on my dads 95 park ave twice now and the car only has 125k. Ours is now low on oil pressure at idle for some reason. we think its all the coolant i has ingested ate the bearings :/ 95 was an oddball year for those too so some stuff is 95 only.


Yes i hate them.

I hate banging my hands up working on the  motor.  There's NO fucking room to do shit.   I had the whole plastic intake/egr/coolant fail thing happen.  I had to rip all that shit out and replace it.   The thing leaks oil but i'm too lazy to give a shit.   It's still leaking coolant into somewheres.....

It's a goddamn curse is what it is and i want to drive it off a cliff (YES WITH ME IN IT) sometimes.


Oh, yeah.  And $80 door handles ftl.  That's exterior, ONE HANDLE.  FUCK.

GET RID OF THE THING.

 :?

What a pussy.  There are far more cramped engine bays than any FWD 3800 powered GM vehicle.

Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: arsenio on December 20, 2009, 01:33:32 AM
Those are pretty nice cars. watch out for the plastic intakes though if its a series 2 motor they like to let coolant into the cylinders. Had to replace the intake on my dads 95 park ave twice now and the car only has 125k. Ours is now low on oil pressure at idle for some reason. we think its all the coolant i has ingested ate the bearings :/ 95 was an oddball year for those too so some stuff is 95 only.


Yes i hate them.

I hate banging my hands up working on the  motor.  There's NO fucking room to do shit.   I had the whole plastic intake/egr/coolant fail thing happen.  I had to rip all that shit out and replace it.   The thing leaks oil but i'm too lazy to give a shit.   It's still leaking coolant into somewheres.....

It's a goddamn curse is what it is and i want to drive it off a cliff (YES WITH ME IN IT) sometimes.


Oh, yeah.  And $80 door handles ftl.  That's exterior, ONE HANDLE.  FUCK.

GET RID OF THE THING.

 :?

What a pussy.  There are far more cramped engine bays than any FWD 3800 powered GM vehicle.



and far less... he is just spoiled by the rx7 having so much engine bay room.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Joseph Davis on December 20, 2009, 03:44:28 AM
I'm spoiled by reliable machines whose engine bays I don't worry about because I don't need to work on them.  Fuck a rotory, and fuck a decent GM product that the owner's too stupid to replace the IM correctly so he blames lingering coolant leaks on the design.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: arsenio on December 20, 2009, 04:36:49 AM
I'm spoiled by reliable machines whose engine bays I don't worry about because I don't need to work on them.  Fuck a rotory, and fuck a decent GM product that the owner's too stupid to replace the IM correctly so he blames lingering coolant leaks on the design.

then do do you put the turbo on? magic?
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Joseph Davis on December 20, 2009, 05:14:16 AM
I'm spoiled by reliable machines whose engine bays I don't worry about because I don't need to work on them.  Fuck a rotory, and fuck a decent GM product that the owner's too stupid to replace the IM correctly so he blames lingering coolant leaks on the design.

then do do you put the turbo on? magic?

Like there are any turbo LeSabres on this forum.   ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: arsenio on December 20, 2009, 05:42:00 AM
I'm spoiled by reliable machines whose engine bays I don't worry about because I don't need to work on them.  Fuck a rotory, and fuck a decent GM product that the owner's too stupid to replace the IM correctly so he blames lingering coolant leaks on the design.

then do do you put the turbo on? magic?

Like there are any turbo LeSabres on this forum.   ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

i was talking about your car, not lesabers. seems you were too. now your trying to flip-flop...


p.s. i just saw that i said "do do" and not "how do"  WTF?
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Joseph Davis on December 20, 2009, 07:11:08 AM
I'm spoiled by reliable machines whose engine bays I don't worry about because I don't need to work on them.  Fuck a rotory, and fuck a decent GM product that the owner's too stupid to replace the IM correctly so he blames lingering coolant leaks on the design.

then do do you put the turbo on? magic?

Like there are any turbo LeSabres on this forum.   ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

i was talking about your car, not lesabers. seems you were too. now your trying to flip-flop...

Let's not confuse the first step to a successful turbo build - a reliable beater - with where I put the turbo on my toy car.

 

p.s. i just saw that i said "do do" and not "how do"  WTF?

I noticed that.  Freudian?
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: chris on December 20, 2009, 07:16:03 AM
Get daytons for it
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: RotaryGeek on December 20, 2009, 11:06:27 AM
Those are pretty nice cars. watch out for the plastic intakes though if its a series 2 motor they like to let coolant into the cylinders. Had to replace the intake on my dads 95 park ave twice now and the car only has 125k. Ours is now low on oil pressure at idle for some reason. we think its all the coolant i has ingested ate the bearings :/ 95 was an oddball year for those too so some stuff is 95 only.


Yes i hate them.

I hate banging my hands up working on the  motor.  There's NO fucking room to do shit.   I had the whole plastic intake/egr/coolant fail thing happen.  I had to rip all that shit out and replace it.   The thing leaks oil but i'm too lazy to give a shit.   It's still leaking coolant into somewheres.....

It's a goddamn curse is what it is and i want to drive it off a cliff (YES WITH ME IN IT) sometimes.


Oh, yeah.  And $80 door handles ftl.  That's exterior, ONE HANDLE.  FUCK.

GET RID OF THE THING.

Dude what are you talking about. Besides my old 85 f250, this thing has the biggest engine bay of any car I have owned.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Minor Threat on December 20, 2009, 01:35:14 PM
Like there are any turbo LeSabres on this forum.   ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Local kid has a turbo Regal that can't keep a transmission/clutch pack/torque converter in one piece to save his life. The car breaks EVERY time he drives it.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Ntrain2k on December 20, 2009, 01:39:43 PM
Like there are any turbo LeSabres on this forum.   ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Local kid has a turbo Regal that can't keep a transmission/clutch pack/torque converter in one piece to save his life. The car breaks EVERY time he drives it.

Sounds to me like he needs to either learn how to drive, or get a real tranny built for it.
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Robb on December 20, 2009, 02:15:00 PM
Those are pretty nice cars. watch out for the plastic intakes though if its a series 2 motor they like to let coolant into the cylinders. Had to replace the intake on my dads 95 park ave twice now and the car only has 125k. Ours is now low on oil pressure at idle for some reason. we think its all the coolant i has ingested ate the bearings :/ 95 was an oddball year for those too so some stuff is 95 only.


Yes i hate them.

I hate banging my hands up working on the  motor.  There's NO fucking room to do shit.   I had the whole plastic intake/egr/coolant fail thing happen.  I had to rip all that shit out and replace it.   The thing leaks oil but i'm too lazy to give a shit.   It's still leaking coolant into somewheres.....

It's a goddamn curse is what it is and i want to drive it off a cliff (YES WITH ME IN IT) sometimes.


Oh, yeah.  And $80 door handles ftl.  That's exterior, ONE HANDLE.  FUCK.

GET RID OF THE THING.

If you have issues with working in the engine bay of a buick lasabre, you have no business working on cars. 

Why the fuck arent you banned yet? 
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Minor Threat on December 20, 2009, 02:30:52 PM
Like there are any turbo LeSabres on this forum.   ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Local kid has a turbo Regal that can't keep a transmission/clutch pack/torque converter in one piece to save his life. The car breaks EVERY time he drives it.

Sounds to me like he needs to either learn how to drive, or get a real tranny built for it.


And this is how we know you have no knowledge at all of FWD GM 3800 trans.

Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: Ntrain2k on December 20, 2009, 03:41:05 PM
Like there are any turbo LeSabres on this forum.   ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Local kid has a turbo Regal that can't keep a transmission/clutch pack/torque converter in one piece to save his life. The car breaks EVERY time he drives it.

Sounds to me like he needs to either learn how to drive, or get a real tranny built for it.


And this is how we know you have no knowledge at all of FWD GM 3800 trans.



Interesting, as they can be built to handle well over 450 ft/lb of torque.

He needs to fund a real tranny guy, or man up and swap in a 4t80E.

No, I don't know shit about them.

 O0
Title: Re: buick lesabre?
Post by: snm95ls on December 20, 2009, 04:20:11 PM
4T80E FTW. 

4T65E is marginally better than the 60E, but an 80E is just plain stronger all around.