Apr 19 2009
Intake Manifold Issue for a 1993 gm 3.8l Engine and 3.4l Engine
There are well-known problems with water leaks from intake manifolds, particularly the 1993 GM 3.8l engine and some later engines. The problem is a intake manifold issue for a 1993 GM 
3.8l engine. The main problem is leakage of coolant – the coolant goes from the cylinder heads through pipes in the intake manifold to the radiator. This is common with V-type engines.
The symptoms of the problem are:
A smell of coolant
The need to add coolant often
Milky colored oil
Milky substance on the dipstick or oil fill cap
These symptoms are telling you that you are suffering from 1993 GM 3800 intake manifold leak. The leak may be the result of a crack in the manifold, or of the gasket leaking. The symptoms give you the clue. For example, if there is a smell of coolant, it is because coolant is getting onto the hot engine, and is then evaporating, leaving that smell. Obviously, if you need to add coolant often, you have a leak somewhere – probably a 1993 GM 3800 intake manifold leak.
Another problem, is that if your engine is leaking coolant, the coolant can get into the engine oil, by leaking from the water passage across to the intake port and then into the engine. When waster and oil mix you get a milky-colored substance forming, which can soon lead to big problems with the engine bearings and crankshaft.
The problem is often associated with the material chosen for the intake manifold. In the old days, there were gm cast iron intake manifolds, which although heavy, were very robust. These did not normally leak, but could do so if the casting was porous. Then, aluminum was used, and the GM intake manifolds were lighter and could be cast more precisely. Porosity could still be a problem, though.
Later, GM and other can makers switched to plastic intake manifolds, because they are very light and can be made very precisely. Therefore, air flow is improved. However, some of the materials used were unable to survive the very high temperatures under the hood – and these temperatures have kept rising owing to the exhaust emission equipment needed on later engines.
As mentioned earlier, the intake manifold issue for a 1993 gm 3.8l engine can also be related to the design of the manifold gasket, which can result in a leak. The problem can also be made worse by the GM 3.4 intake manifold gasket installation method – if you don’t get it right, it will leak. This is usually because during the GM 3.4 intake manifold gasket installation the manifold gasket was crinkled up. So, you need to be careful when installing the gasket and manifold.
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