3.8 vs 3.6 eng.?

[Gearhead99]

Hi: Curious which engine is more reliable?With the 3.6 have they gotten rid of the intake manifold problem?Thanks for the help!

[Blackrider]

The 3800 was alway pretty reliable however is old old old. The 3.6 has been a good engine so far, I think they got the timing chain issue worked out however I'm not familiar with the intake manifold issue.

[Andy@Livernois]

totally different engine family nothing is remotely the same save for its a 3.x displacement and it's a V6. GM fixed the 3.8 intake problems on the series III when they ditched the plastic manifold

[Slizzo]

totally different engine family nothing is remotely the same save for its a 3.x displacement and it's a V6. GM fixed the 3.8 intake problems on the series III when they ditched the plastic manifold

And if you had a supercharged 3.8, you really didn't have to worry about that either way. :nah:

[ChicagoG8GT]

Sometimes I miss my 04GTP.... :(

[GotMyG8V8]

Ditto Andy, very different engines. the 3.8OHV engine couldn't put out as much power as the 3.6 does unless you threw a handy m90 on it :)

[timg8]

And if you had a supercharged 3.8, you really didn't have to worry about that either way. :nah:


Replaced the intake manifold gasket on my 04 GP GTP in April. Thats one of the reasons I wound up with a G8.

[ChicagoG8GT]

Replaced the intake manifold gasket on my 04 GP GTP in April. Thats one of the reasons I wound up with a G8.

Some of the early 04's didnt have the same updates as the late 04's.

[Seattle09GT]

Totally different engines. The 3800 Series III L67 naturally aspirated engine produced 200 horsepower and 230 pound feet of torque. In the Buick Lucerne for reasons I've never understood, GM rated the engine at 197 horsepower. In its supercharged form it produced 260 horsepower and required premium unleaded. I believe the 3800 V6 was around in one flavor or another for 22 or 23 years, and can trace its roots back to the 1950's. REAL old school engine - by the time the Series III came around the engine was very out of date, and solid as a rock (better have been, it was heavier when you strapped a supercharger on it than a LS4 V8).

GM is getting up to 306 HP out of the 3.6L V6 (totally different design) with direct injection and variable valve timing, but the engine doesn't produce the same amount of torque. It is considered a very good engine. In the 256 HP version in the G8, the engine isn't even trying.