Thread: Northstar Info

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Hi guys, I just got my wife a 97 Cadillac DeVille. It has 189k on it and the engine was replaced at 80k with a used engine which had 30k on it. I keep hearing horror stories on these things. How bad are they really?

It had a miss in it when I picked it up Saturday morning. I replaced the plugs and wires, air filter, changed oil and filter, and repaired a hole in the inlet tube from the air filter to throttle valve. I also cleaned the MAF sensor while I was there. The miss went away and it runs well. As long as this car makes it through to summer next year I'll be happy.

There are also some common water leaks that are small. The "approved GM fix" is to use the tablets that they sell at the dealer....they really do work. Drop them in the radiator and the pinhole leaks go away.

Originally Posted by robot

There are also some common water leaks that are small. The "approved GM fix" is to use the tablets that they sell at the dealer....they really do work. Drop them in the radiator and the pinhole leaks go away.

Would silver seal or something similar do the same thing?

hope you never need head work they used a long head fastener that runs in the lower part of the alum block they can rot when you take them out block threads come with the fasteners far is i know the engine it this point needs to come out . timsert sell the fix kit along with goodson and others $$ . the older 80s caddys V8s 331? used iron jugs that slipped in a aluminun case block by hand and was held in by the heads the jugs sealed with rubber O rings in the block. if you look at them the wrong way they leak and many machine shops will not rebuild them thats not the north star engine

had an sts ran fine for me. best part was the stink face i got from the rice grinders that couldn't catch it...