Also be prepared for those crappy plastic connectors on those heater hose's to break and it's a high dollar part if you go with stock, stuff.

 

Wow that sucks. So what's a "Jasper"? If a shop replaced your engine, I would return to that shop as this break seems suspect...

That engine needs a good degreasing in the front, there's an inexpensive power wash degreaser kit you can hook up to your garden hose from Harbor Freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/engine-...gun-68290.html

Seeing that bracket broken makes me wonder if you have a problem with your belt tensioner as well?

Another dumb design GM did is the battery hold down tab on the coolant reservoir -- had two broken already on my SS.

 

Surprised you've never heard of them before: JASPER Engines & Transmissions: Remanufactured engine: diesel, marine, import

 

Simply replace the belt tensioner and the plastic elbows. Try to get the metal elbows if you can for a much better longer lasting solution to a common 3800 issue. I would also grease the O-rings of the new elbows (plastic or metal) to help them seal. Trust me here.

Massey

 

They make those elbows available in aluminum now, which is a better alternative. You can find them almost as cheaply priced as the plastic ones: Aluminum Elbow Kit

 

THANKS SO MUCH GUYS!!!!

I managed to pick up a brand new belt tensioner assembly kit for less than $50.00 and new elbows plus O-rings came with it. ;-) I literally installed it in less than 30 minutes yesterday evening. The ole 'gal is back to normal. Now going to clean that "goo" with the suggested degreaser. You guys are awesome and I'm glad I found this forum.

 

Good deal. You do have an air compressor to use that degreaser gun? What also works very well is a spray can of engine degreaser from the parts store. Let it soak, and hose off the grease. I use my power washer, but a garden hose will work. I've more recently tried cleaners like Purple Power, etc., and they do not cut the grease anything near like how the engine degreaser does.

 

Thanks for the link on Jasper and tip about the aluminum elbows -- what's the aluminum benefit? Are some seeing the plastic ones cracking?

What kind of grease is recommended on those o-ring seals?

Glad the OP got it all sorted.

I guess I forgot how that degreaser works, lol, it connects to the air compressor for high pressure, and just pulls water through the hose you put in a bucket of soapy/degreaser mixed water. It does not use the garden hose -- my bad.

 

I don't know if any, or many are having cracking problems with the elbows. But I'd rather use an aluminum fitting over a plastic one on my engine any day of the week. It might be overkill considering the factory plastic ones have lasted this long, but they don't cost much more at all. For o-rings, I use non-petroleum lubes; either a silicone based oil or (yes) K-Y Jelly.

 

the plastic ones break and crack all the time, if yours hasn't it will sooner or later, mine did at 70k, glad the 96 only has the top one.