GM 3800 engine

The 3800 family is a large V6 engine used by General Motors. The name refers to the 3.8 in bore of the cylinders, not the 3.8 L displacement of the most popular variant of the engine. The block is made of cast iron and all 3800s use 2-valve pushrod iron heads.

The 3800 was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines of the 20th Century list, and is one of the most-produced engines in history.

The most-surprising aspect of this engine is GM's 1967 decision to sell the design to Kaiser. The muscle car era had taken hold, and GM no longer felt the need to produce a V6. The energy crisis a decade later prompted the company to buy the design back, and the descendents of the 3800 continue to be the most-common GM V6.

Series I

The series began in 1962 with Buick's 198 in³ engine, the first V6 in an American car. Because it was derived from Buick's 215 in³ V8, it has a 90° bank between cylinders.

198

The cast-iron 198 in³ (3248 cc) Fireball Buick V6 was derived from their innovative aluminum 215 in³ V8. Bore was 3.63 in and stroke was 3.20 in. An 8.8:1 compression ratio delivered 135 hp (gross) at 4600 RPM and 205 ft.lbf at 2400 RPM.

The 198 V6 debuted in the 1962 Buick Special 4000. In their test that year, Road & Track was impressed with Buick's "practical" new V6, saying it "sounds and performs exactly like the aluminum V8 in most respects."

225

The bore was increased to match the 340 in³ V8 for 1963, increasing displacement to 225 in³. Since the engine was similar to the popular small-block V8, the engine was made cheaply at the same factory with much of the same tooling.

Dauntless

In 1965, Kaiser began using the Buick 225 in Jeep CJs. It was known as the Dauntless 225 and used a much heavier flywheel than the Buick version for increased torque. Buick sold the tooling for this engine to Kaiser in 1967, as the demand for the little engine was waning steadily in an era of V8s and muscle cars. When American Motors bought Jeep, they began replacing the earlier engines with AMC designs, so the V6 was no longer needed.

231

The fuel crisis of the early 1970s prompted Buick to buy back the design in 1974 and re-introduce the V6 in certain 1975 models. The bore was enlarged to 3.8 in (thus the 3800 name) to match Buick's 350 in³ V8 for a total of 231 in³ displacement. The engine, as it had since its creation, had problems with roughness due to the uneven firing pattern inherent in this engine's design. In 1977, Buick devised an innovative redesign of the crankshaft, flywheel, and distributor which greatly alleviated the problem, creating a new even-firing version of the engine. Due to difficulties with the new fuel economy and emissions standards, the engine produced just 110 hp.

This engine was used in the following vehicles:

1975 Buick Skyhawk

1975 Buick Apollo

1975 Buick Century

1975 Buick Regal

1976 Buick LeSabre

LD5

In 1978, GM began to market the 231 as the 3.8 liter as metric engine sizes became common in the United States. The RPO Code was LD5, though California-emissions versions were called LC6. Starting in 1979, the engine was used in the front wheel drive Buick Riviera, though still with a longitundinal mounting. Larger valves and better intake and exhaust boosted the power output for 1979. Port fuel injection was added in 1984 and improved to sequential for 1986. A turbocharged version was introduced as the pace car at the 1976 Indianapolis 500, and a production turbo arrived in the 1979 Buick Riviera S Type.

The turbo 3.8 was used in the following vehicles:

1979-1985 Buick Riviera S Type

1980-1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

1980-1987 Buick Regal and Grand National

1989 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo

3.0

A small 3.0 L version was produced for GM's 1980s front wheel drive cars. Introduced in 1982, it was designed for transverse application in the new GM A platform cars like the Buick Century and Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera.

4.1

In response to rising gas prices, a larger 4.1 L version of the 3.8 liter LD5 V6 was briefly produced. This was found in many large rear wheel drive Buicks and even some Cadillacs.

3800

3800 installed in a Buick Riviera for 1995, the last year of Series I production. Power is 225 hp for this version.

In 1986, the engine was modified for transverse-mounting in smaller, FWD vehicles. About this same time, the 3800 designation was introduced, and these engines would later be considered the Series I. This generation continued in use in several GM products, including Australian Holdens, into the 1990s. It produced 170 hp when it was replaced by the L36 in 1995.

The turbocharged 1986 Buick Regal Grand National was called America's quickest automobile, and the model continues to be collected and appreciated today.

The supercharged version appeared in 1992 on the Buick Park Avenue Ultra. The Supercharged version that appeared in 1992 was also used in the Pontiac Bonneville SSEi and supercharged versions of the SSE.

3300

A smaller 3.3 L 3300 was introduced in 1989.

Series II

Introduced in 1995, the Series II is quite a different engine. Although the stroke for the 3.8 L engine remained at 3.4 in (86.36 mm), and the bore remained at the eponymous 3.8 in (96.52 mm), the engine architecture was vastly changed. The piston connecting rods were 1 in (25.4 mm) shorter, so the crankshaft was redesigned. A new intake manifold improved breathing, and a new cylinder head had larger valves. The result was 205 hp and 230 ft.lbf, better fuel economy, and 26 lbs lighter overall weight.

The 3800 Series II was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 1995 through 1997.

L36

The L36 was the first Series II version of the 3800. It has a 96.52 mm bore and 86.36 mm stroke for 3.8 L (3791 cc) of displacement. Power is 200 hp (150 kW) and torque is 230 ft.lb (312 Nm). It was first introduced in 1995.

This engine is or was used in the following vehicles:

Buick Le Sabre

Chevrolet Lumina LTZ

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

L67

The L67 is the supercharged version of the Series II L36 and appeared in 1996. Power is up to 240 hp (180 kW) and 280 ft.lb (380 Nm) of torque. The engine is built in Flint, Michigan. The engine was certified LEV in 2001.

This engine is or was used in the following cars:

Buick Park Avenue

Buick Regal

Buick Riviera

2004 Chevrolet Impala

2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Pontiac Bonneville

2003 Pontiac Grand Prix

News reports have indicated that it will also be added to the SS versions of:

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Chevrolet Impala

Series III

The Series III motors include many changes. The intake manifold is all-aluminum. Electronic throttle control is added, as is returnless fuel injection. Emissions are also reduced.