I joined last week after finding this site as a search for help on my adult daughter's '08 Grand Prix, which was leaking coolant. I'm a retired Ironworker from southeast Missouri, and my daughter and her three kids are going through a divorce, so I'm trying to make sure she stays on the road (she works long shifts as a nurse), and keep them all safe. My problem started with a shop radiator/engine flush that produced a leak and they said it was probably the timing cover, so I elected to try the pump and elbows first, and crank the timing bolts while I was at it. With the help of a lot of guys on this forum, I navigated my way through this job. It went quick and easy, until I sheared a short bolt while torqueing it to spec. Took it off a second time and backed the bolt out, then ruined the paper gasket putting it back in. Didn't catch that till I was done (again) and topping off the coolant. Third time was a charm with a new metal gasket. Now I think I have brakes to replace. Thanks for a great forum with great members who helped me out fast and without commenting on my ignorance of this engine's quirks. My daily driver is a '51 Chevy 3100 pickup, which is a whole other wrenching experience from these 3.8's. I just hope I can help somebody else on here at least once. Lee Butcher, Park Hills, Missouri
wnna trade an 08 grand prix for your daily driver???
going from bending into the engine bay to kneeling down for brakes- being a retired iron worker, that has to feel pretty good,eh?
forced into retirement carpenter here- mainly framing houses. doing the water pump and all that made my back feel real good. doing the brakes on all 4 corners made my knees feel real good.
doing the LCA's,struts, and tie rod ends- back AND knees were loving me!
ive only been a member here a couple months (bought my 08 in january) but have been helped tremendously with the wealth of knowledge and the write ups here.
Thanks, scottydogs, and thank YOU again for the help you gave.
tomsteve- yep, I've been hurting for days, but I'm in the same boat as you as far as "forced retirement", sort of. I had a 35# block fall off a structure we were building and it acted like a pile driver, ramming my head into my neck and back, and causing a different surgery when it bounced off my shoulder. I couldn't work, so I had to retire at 50 on disability ("But, I can't retire! I've only got 5 years before I can retire the RIGHT way!!) I spent 10 years dealing with lawyers, workman's comp, social security and the state's 2nd injury fund legal battles. Just recently found a good natural substitute for the Norco painkillers I was forced to take to deal with 24/7 pain and headaches, which is a combination of Kratom (it actually works for chronic pain) and medicinal cannabis from SF, CA. Plus, I still work out and run every other day, which really helps to keep the pain in check. Anyway, thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one out there. And, yes, there's nothing quite like bending over in a 45* or 90* angle to really bring on the pain these days. But as I said, it's for one of my kids, and she doesn't ask me to do it, I have to insist. So it's not so bad and there's nobody to blame for my aches but me.
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
damn thats crappy luck. i pulled my engine out the regal yesterday. it kicked my ass. im also in the 50 range of age. even with out dead weight hitting me on them head, im pretty torn up from the years of commercial roofing, 25 years that crap, then tried truck driving out for like 8 years or so, now im landscaping.
i had fallen a few times and walked away pretty much tho, had a ladder kick out from under me at like 25 foot, landed on the ladder of course, whole side of my body was bruised up and i got knocked out for a few minutes, i hit my head, i saw a bright orange flash and woke up to my brother asking if im dead or not lol
then i fell through a roof and ended up in some ladys kitchen hanging from the rafters, that drop fuked my knee up pretty good, as my foot was on the roof via the hole i made as the rest of me was inside the house, it made a nasty pop sound when it pulled through and it just swelled up like melon in minutes, right to the er on that one lol pulled some ligaments, wore a leg immobilizer for a few months, no surgery but its not 100% any more for sure. iirc the dr told me id need surgery with in 10 years, that was ohhh 20 years ago or more lol
98 Buick Regal GS, F body brakes, Caddy STS wheels, tinted tails L36 bottom end, lightly ported heads, 1.95 roller rockers, headers, gen 5 N* 3.0 pulley, FSIC, 42 lb injectors, a BrandonHall rebuilt trans, DHP tuned and AEM water/Meth injection https://goo.gl/gpV5kW
dam show, thats some seriously ****ty crap that happened!
i didnt have a work injury. stage 3 melanoma diagnosis in '06.well,that COULD be considered work related beings how i worked outside for 20 years. but i also spent as much time outside my entire life. the surgeries,chemo(s),clinical trials all over 2 1/2 years messed up my immune system, gave me a limit on my back. had a chunk of the t6 vert carved out as the cancer with stage 4. fortuntaley it was a T vert- the l's are rottin away and theres arthritis up in the c's. had the lymph nodes carved out from under my left arm. im left handed and gotta watch how much i use it or lymphedema sets in. migraines i never had before going through the chemo hit. a bunch of other fun stuff that knocks me down from time to time. so when i have a dam good day- i get a dam good amount done!LOLOLOL
then hurt.
