So, I have a 2002 Camaro 3800 that's been giving me some issues as of late.

It all started with the water pump. I was driving the car for a while, when suddenly the car started to heat up and the engine was making a weird sound, similar to a diesel engine's idle. I stopped at a gas station to fill up and to check the issue with the engine when I noticed that my coolant was leaking. I filled the car with water and took it home. The day after, I diagnosed it and realized my water pump was bad. I swapped it out for a new one, and drove it again as normal... or so I thought. Usually, this engine's peak temperature is 190-200. It is rarely at 210, but since the water pump, I've been "normal" at 210, which isn't the norm for this car, which usually stays a bit before 210 all day long. The sound had also gone away. It was only persistent those 5 minutes I had pulled over.

Fast forward to earlier today, and the engine hasn't been acting right at all. My heater hose popped off for the millionth time today (I already ordered the piece that fixes the stupid design), so I fixed it up again and all was good. I started to fill up the radiator with water again, and I noticed the strangest thing... the water would blast out of the radiator and the radiator would start making a weird thumping noise. The upper rad. hose also got hot to the touch and water was not flowing smoothly, but rather in bursts. I bled the cooling system the old fashioned way (ran it without the rad cap filled it with water as needed). It took me about 2 hours to finally get the air out, mostly due to the water blasting out of the rad at times followed by the thumping noise.

So with that semi fixed, (as in the engine was stable at 210), the weird engine sound came back after 3/4 days of not hearing it, Except this time it was pronounced, so I cut it off. I waited a bit and now the car is in a state where it's hard to start, but once I get it started, it sounds like a diesel and it shakes at idle.

So with that being said, what issues is this engine having, and how can I fix it?

Is this simple as the timing chain being loose or am I looking at something odd here?

Also, take this as you will, but my oil isn't milky, it looks how it normally would after 3k - 4k miles (the brownish color). I know I need to change it and it's in my bucket of things to do.

There's no service lights on the dash, and nothing is out of norm EXCEPT that the last time I started the engine it had low oil pressure. I added a quart of oil (because it was at the "add quart" level on the dipstick) and that was of no help, as the oil pressure is low and still sounding like a diesel... or as if the timing chain is off... either or, they both sound similar to me.

Other things of note is that when I added oil in it, the filler neck had smoke coming out of it when I had the cap off, and I've been running it on a 20/80 mix of anti-freeze to water since the weather hasn't been below freezing lately and I've been having water issues as of late. I didn't want to spend $15 on the dexcool for it just to bust out again, so I wanted to make sure everything was on point before I mixed it to 50/50. IDK if that would keep the oil looking normal if it's the HG.

I think that's pretty much it, so all help is appreciated.

 

What you're describing (engine running badly, overheating, engine noise, hoses popping off, noises out of the radiator) is looking like that's a result of having combustion pressure blowing into the cooling system....a blown head gasket. Milky oil isn't a prerequisite for having a blown gasket.

 

Well to be honest, the heater hose has been a problem since I had the belt tensioner assembly replaced. It's done that for the longest now, and that's why I just ordered the part that converts it from a clip to a normal clamp.

The picture below is the hose that always pops off. From what I'm told it's a common 3800 problem. Now, what not may be common is the little rubber gasket ripping, creating sealing issues (which is what's happening with me).

Either way, I'm hoping it's the head gasket and not the block.

 

Block would be Very rare. I can not remember any cracked blocks in the SII 3800 front wheel or rear wheel drive.

 

I would replace those hoses with the front wheel drive adapter and get rid of that factory crap.

Heater hose adapter on eBay $35 and you can buy 3ft of each hose and AutoZone for around $6 total

 

 

I already did. I bought mine shipped for $40, but it comes with both and all the accessories. I'm waiting for it to come now... but it's kinda useless because I THINK I blew my head gasket.

See, I'm not sure, because I saw the water coming out in between the valve cover and the intake plenum. Idk if that's a head gasket, or a manifold gasket... although that's pretty much a HG right?

 

intake gasket is probly leaking, cant remember which does it but best to change both upper and lower intake gaskets. if you think its a head gasket test compression. both intake and head gaskets are common fail points in 3.8, if you plan on keeping the car it would be a good idea to change head gaskets, wont have to worry about it.

 

If it's a head gasket, the engine runs rough right? Because I took the thermostat out just to see what happens with the radiator spraying out water, and that solved that problem, but that's when I noticed my engine still went past the 210 mark. There were no signs of problems with the engine other than the temperature gauge. The engine still ran smooth as always.

That brings me to my next point... do I need to change every gasket that gets taken off as I get to the heads? I found the Felpro 3800 gasket kit online for $80 (normally $200 at the parts store), but IDK if I need all that or just the head gasket.

 

Never reuse any gasket. Felpro makes good stuff.

Since your motor has some age and has gotten hot a few times I would just do the head gaskets. If you see coolant on top of the intake then you know you need an intake gasket (very common on 3800). With the intake off you are half way done your head gasket job.

Get rid of the Dex cool and flush the radiator. The Dex cool becomes like mud with age your radiator most likely has 2 or 3 inchs of the mud in the bottom of it.