Unless you are planning to replace all main and rod bolts, don't pull it apart. And if you plan on plastiguaging you would need to replace bolts twice.
They are all TTY. If you replace with reusable bolts, the mains and rods will need to be machined for fitting. Earlier,These were the areas that rebuilders had problems. After, rebuild prices went up to deal with the added work and parts.
You won't be able to look at the bearings but there are a few things you can do.
Look at the cam lobes to see if worn from oil starvation.
Oil pan off, look at the cylinder wall from underneath, look for a varnished look to the walls. This can determine if rings have been allowing burnt gases to pass by. You can check thrust bearing end play to give a general idea of wear. Look at the rod caps for any discoloring. That won't tell bearing wear but will tell if the bearing dried out. Look for fine grains between the rod caps. Take a white cloth on something thin and wipe where 2 of the caps meet at the crank. Silver/aluminum color(small amounts)OK, but if there is black(gunpowder looking) or copper grains you can count on bearing damage. I would at least do that before putting in a car.
Take the timing cover off and replace the chain and tensioner. While there replace the cam sensor magnet holder. Find a metal upper intake.
That and replacing the gaskets, you would have covered a great deal of the problems that come up.
3.8-3800 can be a long service life engine. They have been in Jeeps, GMC buses(yep seen them in 60s buses) and Bonneboats. They have had a very wide usage. Like any good engine, it depends on how it was treated.
Most of these spend there life in the family boat. So there should be a good history of what it had been through. We should be seeing a slew of these soon. Moderate mileage cars that have rusted their brake, fuel and evap lines out. 96-01 or 02 C and H and some W bodies. It gets expensive unless the owner DIYs. See failures or bad oxidation on 25% of those I see. Most of these are the second car that most don't want to invest in. Don't take this the wrong way, these would have been the 14 year old dependable, got me anywhere car. That as big as it was, got me 27 on the highway.
Series 11 and 3 are very rebuildable if they didn't have a catastrophic failure. Powdered rods can get pricey.
Series 1 and earlier are more machinable. Earlier models with older style timing covers did not tolerate free revs. Melting down ice with your tires. Spinning down to the asphalt in snow. You could bet on seeing one the next day with a spun bearing.
Series engines were built with tighter tolerences. In one hand good, longer lasting. On the other hand small oil starvation mishaps(forgotten oil changes, 30 degree incline tree stump pulling, low oil, etc.) that would do small damage to less tighter engines, do a greater amount of damage to these.
Why Gm just didn't advance the 3800(OHC, aluminum block),fix their(GMs) faults and continue it's existance is beyond me.
[This message has been edited by cmechmann (edited 06-25-2013).]
