Got a 99 Grand Prix with a 3800 "K" motor in my shop that ran hot. It was low on coolant so I topped it of and pressure tested the cooling system, has LIM leak. For ***** and giggles I ran it with the pressure tester on, the pressure rose pretty quick, probably has bad head gasket or head damage. To confirm this I tested it with a block tester. Sure enough, the tester fluid turned yellow, indicating exhaust gasses in the coolant. My thought is that he must have ran it pretty hot to damage something. There is no coolant/oil mixing, and when I tore the heads off the head gaskets looked OK. Im sending the heads off to be tested today. Ill post pics when I get home tonight.

WOW! He must have ran it hot all the time! It'* actually pretty hard to crack the heads on a 3800, since my aunt ran hers almost dry for 5 miles, and she didn't know it!

It would be the first for me to see that, also. But the block tester and the pressure tester dont lie!

i have seen a S1 with Warped heads....

Ya gotta run them hot to warp cast iron!!

Out the 5bazzilion 3800S2 heads heads I've seen most have hairline cracks between the valaves. This is more commmon with the 96-early 98 heads tho.

To crack the heads anywhere else I would agree that its next to imposible..

Here'* pics of the teardown:





Heads should be sent hopefully out on Wed(our delivery/shuttle driver has been sick)

wow the gaskets are bad

Yeah, the LIM gaskets were definatly leaking. They look like the original ones.