How hard is it to change headgaskets on a 1996 3800 Firebird

[carcollector]

I am buying a 96 Firebird that has a 3800 (3.8) V6 with a blown headgasket. The owner, a girl, told me that the car overeheated once due to a diagnosed bad thermostat, that she stopped the car as soon as she noticed it was hot, and steam started coming from exhaust - but some shade-tree mechanic she took the car to for actual repair told her the engine would have to be dropped from the bottom (???wtf???) - OK, I can fix anything and have done headgaskets on a 3.8, and I do know the engine in the F-body does go under the cowl pretty far, but I am sure everything can be done from atop without dropping the cradle (I am pretty sure), so what I want to know is:

a. what do I do with the exhaust, do I have to drop the Y pipe like someone said in a prior post, or can I just slip heads out with no problem like a V8?
b. can I get to everything as normal on the top? or do I have to do something funky because how far back the engine sits?
c. Is there anything tricky and specific to this car I should know?

[fever42]

change heads

It can be done in the car, the 3800 is bad about intake leaks on the lower intake manifold ,gm has new metal gaskets for it. Before i pulled the heads i would look there then your half way there pull heads if needed

[Joe 1320]

It can be done with the engine in the car. The only part that is a bit of a PITA is getting the correct angle on a torque wrench on the back couple of cylinders. the cowl sits low but you can still get it done.

[carcollector]

blown head gasket?

I am wondering too if it could be the intake manifold now that I have the car... unfortunately the intake was already pulled and gasket is gone. The oil isn't milky, but has a couple ob blobs of goo, problably from pulling the intake (?????)... would a compression check tell me what I need to know. The symptoms were a bad thermostat (stuck closed) and then steam in the exhaust or white smoke as the girl who had it explained it. I have only heard of a few 3800 engines with actual bad headgaskets in fwd cars, but it seems to be a rampant diagnoses in the Firebird for some reason.

[Joe 1320]

The symptoms were a bad thermostat (stuck closed) and then steam in the exhaust or white smoke as the girl who had it explained it. I have only heard of a few 3800 engines with actual bad headgaskets in fwd cars, but it seems to be a rampant diagnoses in the Firebird for some reason.

why would it be different in a firebird? because the nature of the car means most users are younger and beat the crap out of their car, combine that with poor upkeep and you get problems. The part that sounds bad is steam out the tailpipe. That means water is getting past the headgasket and going into the combustion chamber. In theory, it could also be the intake manifold gasket but I rather doubt it. Especially since the motor was overheated, the water and steam has to go somehwere and usually it's the headgasket that goes first. Pull the heads, have them checked for cracks and if the mating surfaces are flat, if everything is good, do headgaskets and all the associated stuff like intake gaskets and such, you should be fine.

[carcollector]

yes, problably should just pull the heads, but that also costs more in gasket kits and bolt etc. , and I am on a budget. I was hoping that maybe the 3800 intake setup was nototrious for problems or something. I just do not want to do anything that would cost me extra $$$$'s right now, but I know just replacing intake gaskets if the Headgaskets are bad would cost me extra too. However, it looks like the intake might have had a leak, but I did not take it apart either

Also, there is a housing that the Tensioner pulley is mounted to, and the "so called" mechanic that removed it broke off an inlet that has a O-ring on it. Is this something that I could JB weld until I can find that piece, or must I replace that also???? - I am telling you, I am on a tight budget right now....