L98 1985 engine issues after service
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 41
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver BC
L98 1985 engine issues after service
So I had my car in for service as it overheated on my way home. Coolant rez was actually boiling over. Towed it to a GM dealer. Needed a new thermostat and said they needed to remove intake to re&re. I have no time or place to do the work so said do the job.
Now it's not overheating anymore but after just 10 sec of running from cold start smoke is coming from the engine. So much were it looks like my engine bay is on fire. Burning oil off manifolds. Noticed injectors have oil all around them them too. I had valve covers re&re'd about 1000km before this thermostat service. So new gasket were done at that time and all oil was burnt off during those 1000km.
I noticed my thermostat is now leaking so bringing it back to them. Since the smoke started after there service was done Im looking for opinions on what could make this happen from a thermostat re and re. Taking into consideration they said they removed intake to allow access to thermostat
Thanks!
Last edited by pavich91; Jun 29, 2018 at 12:10 PM. Reason: Added pic
Racer
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 349
Likes: 55
So I had my car in for service as it overheated on my way home. Coolant rez was actually boiling over. Towed it to a GM dealer. Needed a new thermostat and said they needed to remove intake to re&re. I have no time or place to do the work so said do the job.
Now it's not overheating anymore but after just 10 sec of running from cold start smoke is coming from the engine. So much were it looks like my engine bay is on fire. Burning oil off manifolds. Noticed injectors have oil all around them them too. I had valve covers re&re'd about 1000km before this thermostat service. So new gasket were done at that time and all oil was burnt off during those 1000km.
I noticed my thermostat is now leaking so bringing it back to them. Since the smoke started after there service was done Im looking for opinions on what could make this happen from a thermostat re and re. Taking into consideration they said they removed intake to allow access to thermostat
Thanks!
Now it's not overheating anymore but after just 10 sec of running from cold start smoke is coming from the engine. So much were it looks like my engine bay is on fire. Burning oil off manifolds. Noticed injectors have oil all around them them too. I had valve covers re&re'd about 1000km before this thermostat service. So new gasket were done at that time and all oil was burnt off during those 1000km.
I noticed my thermostat is now leaking so bringing it back to them. Since the smoke started after there service was done Im looking for opinions on what could make this happen from a thermostat re and re. Taking into consideration they said they removed intake to allow access to thermostat
Thanks!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 41
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver BC
Racer
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 349
Likes: 55
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 41
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver BC
Yea mjne was leaking from valve covers before, got it fixed up and no more leak/smoke. Now since ive had my thermostat done its leaking oil and smoking more then its ever have. So im just trying to find out if this is because of there re&re work.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 349
Likes: 55
I would assume so. I hear the intake is hard to get sealed properly, they may have goobered that up. Plus, if they pulled valve covers for a little more room when doing the intake, they could have not reinatalled them right. I don't think I'll ever let someone touch my car unless I'm watching because of situations like yours.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,478
Likes: 565
From: Clearwater Florida
So I had my car in for service as it overheated on my way home. Coolant rez was actually boiling over. Towed it to a GM dealer. Needed a new thermostat and said they needed to remove intake to re&re. I have no time or place to do the work so said do the job.
Now it's not overheating anymore but after just 10 sec of running from cold start smoke is coming from the engine. So much were it looks like my engine bay is on fire. Burning oil off manifolds. Noticed injectors have oil all around them them too. I had valve covers re&re'd about 1000km before this thermostat service. So new gasket were done at that time and all oil was burnt off during those 1000km.
I noticed my thermostat is now leaking so bringing it back to them. Since the smoke started after there service was done Im looking for opinions on what could make this happen from a thermostat re and re. Taking into consideration they said they removed intake to allow access to thermostat
Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,478
Likes: 565
From: Clearwater Florida
….. For what its worth … I pulled a stuck thermostat out of my vette on the side of the road once using a rusty 9/16ths wrench , a dime , a pair of needle nosed pliers , and a 7-11 coffee cup … you don't need to remove anything but maybe the intake hose off the throttle body …..
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 41
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver BC
….. I thought it was common knowledge that unless your car is under warranty , the LAST place to take it is to a dealer … Why ? because their labor rates are astronomical and ditto for parts … plus they haven't seen a C4 since THEY went out of warranty … Soooo … how much did it cost you to have the $10 thermostat replaced ??? … If that picture is after the dealer worked on it , there's no way they took the intake manifold off . The oil on the injectors is about 15 years old … same for the dust/dirt on everything else in that picture … Go ahead … take it back to them and hand over the gold card and they'll be happy to fix it for you ! …..
The gold card is not needed on this return trip considering its leaking coolant from there re&re. So at this point of course I'll bring it back to get them to fix there job. And future work will go to my regular mechanic when he has time.
Thanks for your helpful response
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,098
Likes: 378
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
….. I thought it was common knowledge that unless your car is under warranty , the LAST place to take it is to a dealer … Why ? because their labor rates are astronomical and ditto for parts … plus they haven't seen a C4 since THEY went out of warranty … Soooo … how much did it cost you to have the $10 thermostat replaced ??? … If that picture is after the dealer worked on it , there's no way they took the intake manifold off . The oil on the injectors is about 15 years old … same for the dust/dirt on everything else in that picture … Go ahead … take it back to them and hand over the gold card and they'll be happy to fix it for you ! …..
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,772
Likes: 64
From: Mystic CT
There is no way you need to remove the intake to change a thermostat. GM has made there messes from time to time but not that one. I would pay the money for a one day pass to Mitchell's online and get the time and steps involved to change a thermostat of see if someone here can scan the page out of the FSM. If it was a 91 I would do it for you and doubt if it is any different for any L98. From there it s make it right and money back for extra work done or claimed done. That is what a license to repair cars is all about and in this case DMV is your friend.
