The GM 3800 Series II engine, introduced in 1995, is quite a different engine from its predecessor, the Series I engine. While the stroke for the 3.8L engine remained at 3.4” (86 mm), and the bore remained at 3.8” (97 mm), the engine architecture changed dramatically.

The deck height is shorter than the Series I, which reduced its weight and total engine package size. To make this change, GM engineers required that the piston connecting rods be shortened 1” (25 mm), and to redesign the crankshaft. A new intake manifold improved breathing, while a redesigned cylinder head featured larger valves and a higher compression ratio. The result was a 205 hp and 230 lb.-ft. powerplant that had better fuel economy.

To meet emissions standards of the ’90s, an EGR tube was placed in the intake manifold to reduce combustion temperatures. This increased fuel mileage by a substantial margin and provided GM some engineering success. In fact, the 3800 Series II was on the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list 1995 through ’97.

However, in April, 2009, GM issued a recall on 1.5 million vehicles with this engine due to an oil lea...