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2008 Impala fun

BillBoost37

BillBoost37

New member
Hey guys.. most know that a buddy and I will occasionally flip a car or two and W bodies are on the list of stuff we look for usually. 2008 Impala with 3.5L.

CL listed this one as needing a power steering pump and it should be good. Yeah, right lol Looked the car over, it needed tires, brakes, ps pump likely, hood, trunk and bumper cover. Right price was negotiated and it followed me home. Then the list of parts started coming together.

The power steering leak was from the cooling loop on the frame having a hole rubbed through it , and pump ran dry so long it seems toasted. Both front wheel bearings, one trans line, oil filter adapter gasket (seems every 3.5 needs one). After getting the ps line on it along with brakes and wheel bearings we degreased the motor to find that it's leaking so bad it's all oiled up still.

Found the rear valve cover gasket to be pouring oil. Front was in need of a swap as well. The way to the rear valve cover is to pull the alternator, coolant crossover piece (front to back head), coolant tubes (in front of front VC going into crossover), removing ICM and bracket. Now you can do a gasket.

Oh the joys of the 3.1/3.4 replacement engine.
 


BillBoost37 said:
Oh the joys of the 3.1/3.4 replacement engine.
Click to expand...

I know your struggle! Just finished doing a "simple" lower intake gasket leak on my wife's Aztek, that ended up being full head gasket, oil pan and the works. Now the power steering pump is leaking...

In hind sight, pulling the engine would have made things easier. . Especially because several exhaust manifold bolts were broke off in the heads...

Keep at it though! If anyone can do it, it's you Bill!
 
It's back together, only thing I haven't picked up and installed is the new pump. Noticed on Rockauto that there's something with the install of a pump. Read more and found out it has to be vacuum pumped or it'll be noisy. Snagged a vac from my buddy.
 
BillBoost37 said:
It's back together, only thing I haven't picked up and installed is the new pump. Noticed on Rockauto that there's something with the install of a pump. Read more and found out it has to be vacuum pumped or it'll be noisy. Snagged a vac from my buddy.
Click to expand...

Strange! Haven't heard of that before on gm cars, but I wouldn't be surprised. Hopefully my leak won't need replacing the pump...

And don't feel bad. I got the heads back on and realized two bolts were snapped off in the manifold! Don't know how I missed that when I was replacing the valve seals and lapping the valves... Oh, and when I put everything back together and started, the radiator blew! :th_shakinghead2: these cars are really something.
 
Oh geez.. that's a good time.

I found it when I looked online for a pump. Nearly each pump said no warranty unless procedure was followed x y z. So I dug further. Seems these pumps won't bleed the air as well w/o being vacuumed.
 
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