07 lucerne 3.8L water pump

[spellman1989]

In a related issue lol can anyone tell me if the power steering pump bolts (13mm) are the same as the 13 mm bolts for the water pump? Somehow I misplaced one of the bolts to the power steering pump. I plan to go to the salvage yard here tomorrow morning and pull the correct bolts but I'm just wondering in case the salvage yard doesn't have a lucerne in stock does anyone know the actual size of the bolts so I can go buy them?

 

[Mad_Coachman]

Take the bolt that you DO have and go to an Auto Parts store or hardware store and match it up.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Any 3.8L series 3 will have the same bolts, would probably say the series 2 but don't know all the years options.

 

[spellman1989]

Any 3.8L series 3 will have the same bolts, would probably say the series 2 but don't know all the years options.

So water pump bolts and power steering bolts are the same on series 3s?

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

No I was referring to getting junkyard parts as you don't need to find a Lucerne.

 

[spellman1989]

No I was referring to getting junkyard parts as you don't need to find a Lucerne.

Oh OK cool good to know thank you

 

[Mad_Coachman]

I don't know how close you are to a junkyard but I was trying to give you another alternative. It always is a good idea to match the bolt if you have one. That's just good sense. If your junkyard is closer than a parts store then by all means go that route. If it's a pick and pull type of junkyard they probably won't even charge you for the bolt. Any car with a Series 2 or 3 engine will have the same PS bolts.
Lesabres, Olds 88's, Bonnevilles, Impalas basically anything with a 3800 series 2 will work.

 

[spellman1989]

I don't know how close you are to a junkyard but I was trying to give you another alternative. It always is a good idea to match the bolt if you have one. That's just good sense. If your junkyard is closer than a parts store then by all means go that route. If it's a pick and pull type of junkyard they probably won't even charge you for the bolt. Any car with a Series 2 or 3 engine will have the same PS bolts.
Lesabres, Olds 88's, Bonnevilles, Impalas basically anything with a 3800 series 2 will work.

I ended up pulling bolts from a 2005 Buick Lesabre. I saw the power steering bolts are indeed shorter than the ones on the water pump. So now I'm just trying to figure out the best way to line up the holes to the PS pump. Would it be easier to line up the bottom hole from under the car?

 

[Mad_Coachman]

I do it all from the top.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Using a phillips head screw driver to hold in one bolt side while getting the other to line up works.

 

[Buickguy123]

Ok so my car has started overheating well I noticed my water pump pulley was wobbly. So I am going to replace the entire water pump. My question is I see in all of the videos on youtube people are removing the power steering pump. My question is removing it a necessary step or does that just provide extra space to work? I only went to youtube because I can't find a repair manual for this car at any of the auto parts stores. Any help is greatly appreciated. TYIA

Are you losing coolant?

 

[spellman1989]

So I ended up being able to see the bottom bolt and hole a lot better to line it up

Are you losing coolant?

I believe so. The radiator bubbles as the engine runs. So somewhere air is getting in there I believe. The guy at one of the local shops here said it could be a clogged radiator so should I take a high pressure hose and spray all the gunk out of it first or what steps do I take?

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

If the system wasn't burped properly then there is a good chance that air is still in it. But there seems to be something out of sequence here?

If the system had any type of blockage in the heater core or radiator it needs to be flushed out before putting it back together and filling with coolant. If not there may be additional issues that will show up.

Has the new water pump been installed yet and coolant added?

Was it leaking before the pump was removed?

Is there a leak after everything has been installed?

 

[spellman1989]

If the system wasn't burped properly then there is a good chance that air is still in it. But there seems to be something out of sequence here?

If the system had any type of blockage in the heater core or radiator it needs to be flushed out before putting it back together and filling with coolant. If not there may be additional issues that will show up.

Has the new water pump been installed yet and coolant added?

Was it leaking before the pump was removed?

Is there a leak after everything has been installed?

When I put the new water pump on I haven't added coolant yet. Prior to that when driving or sitting their there were no signs of any leaks just losing coolant the overflow tank still had the same amount of coolant everytime though

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

If you were loosing coolant it had to come out and go somewhere just basic troubleshooting. The radiator should be checked and not be dependent on the overflow so how did you know you were loosing coolant?

Options are water pump was dripping, plastic elbows, radiator or heater core, radiator cap, thermostat housing, hoses. The Series 3 doesn't have the same upper/lower intake issues as the earlier series but can't be excluded along with head gaskets. Just offering items if needed for review.

 

[spellman1989]

If you were loosing coolant it had to come out and go somewhere just basic troubleshooting. The radiator should be checked and not be dependent on the overflow so how did you know you were loosing coolant?

Options are water pump was dripping, plastic elbows, radiator or heater core, radiator cap, thermostat housing, hoses. The Series 3 doesn't have the same upper/lower intake issues as the earlier series but can't be excluded along with head gaskets. Just offering items if needed for review.

Bc I just put antifreeze in it not even 24 hrs to the water pump messing up and when I pulled the bolts from the water pump no coolant came out at all. As if it's bone dry

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

I'll assume that the temp gauge should have been reading hot or been almost pegged if it was that low. Not knowing how long the condition was there it's still something to be mindful of. Has the engine and transmission been checked for coolant contamination?

As I mentioned it has to go some place, of course it could be that a coolant change wasn't done correctly but that's something that should have come up quickly with overheating and the temp gauge.

 

[“Goals”]

If you were loosing coolant it had to come out and go somewhere just basic troubleshooting. The radiator should be checked and not be dependent on the overflow so how did you know you were loosing coolant?

Options are water pump was dripping, plastic elbows, radiator or heater core, radiator cap, thermostat housing, hoses. The Series 3 doesn't have the same upper/lower intake issues as the earlier series but can't be excluded along with head gaskets. Just offering items if needed for review.

Good advice. Say, I’m looking to flush my heater core and I’m at a stand still because I’m uncertain what hose is going in & out... On the 07 Lucerne does it matter? My reason to flush is due to me only getting heat on one side and cold on the other. Any advice

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

The hose that is near the engine is the input to the heater core, not sure if it's required to go the same direction. If not done yet this may be a good time to replace the plastic elbows with metal ones and thermostat if needed.

The other item if the heater core is good and no air in the coolant system is the actuator(s) on the interior may be bad or is hung up for the lack of heat on a side.

 

[spellman1989]

Good advice. Say, I’m looking to flush my heater core and I’m at a stand still because I’m uncertain what hose is going in & out... On the 07 Lucerne does it matter? My reason to flush is due to me only getting heat on one side and cold on the other. Any advice

I just had a new radiator put in last year. I just replaced the thermostat housing when I first noticed it was starting to overheat. The water pump is new so I'm about to start checking the other stuff listed. Where can I find a tutorial for the heater core? The radiator cap seems to be resistant to going on all the way so I will buy a new radiator cap. Would you suggest flushing the heater core or replacing it?

The guy at the shop said I needed to flush my radiator to help clear any clogs. He suggested taking a high-pressure hose and spraying out any gunk until all I see is clear water coming from where I remove the lower radiator hose. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.