Well, this time before I put it back together, I decided to pressure test it.  So, I had one ratcheting coolant hose squeezer with which I blocked off the lower radiator hose.  For the other hose, I used a Fernco rubber cap with not one but two sizes of old radiator hose to shim it down to the tiny size of that coolant neck outlet.  Next, I bypassed the heater core and the throttle body coolant lines were simply connected together.

I used the funnel and hose arrangement to fill the coolant, mixed with a bottle of UV leak tracer dye, right into the LIM coolant pipe, which goes right behind the thermostat and into the LIM coolant passage to both heads.  With the engine full of coolant, I was then able to thread in the old brass hose adapter from my Cadillac and use some tubing and an old bicycle tube stem.  This takes the place of the $125 coolant pump tool, supplanted by the bicycle tire pump with its attached pressure gauge.  Serious shade tree action..  but anyway..

I put 25 PSI into it, and it's been holding for over an hour.  It hasn't dropped at all.  Meanwhile, I drained most of the oil out, and I figure that any notable internal leak will make its way into the remainder of that oil, and I'll be able to see it with the light when I drain it after a couple more hours of pressurization.

While I'm here, I also remembered to plug that dang cam angle sensor plug back in!!  Geez, I can't believe I forgot that last time.  Also, I withdrew the cheeseball Chinese new eBay "Delphi" fuel injectors for return, because they were making it spew black smoke and one of them was notably leaking externally.  I had the originals tested and verified good, so my injectors are now correct.

I hope this works out, I really need my car back!!  And, new cars suck.  I want to keep my Aztek.

Just celebrated the third anniversary of getting my 2004 Tek, and it's been great fun to drive.

While driving through Indiana University campus, my 16-year-old son tells me:

"Dad! The Asian students are pointing at our car!"

Well drove the Asstec tonight.... didn't know what to expect. but seams to be ok. More shake downs to go. nice to see the concrete it was covering for 6mo.. the exhaust didn't go as planed, the parts I wanted to use wouldn't fit. So using more scrap parts I made an 'S' adaptor pipe from a Buick down pipe to the Azteks rear pipe. fricking fuel tank was in the way. Had a cat powder on me during the 'making it run' phase. sand blasted the fuel tank a bit... ugggg. fixed now, lol. All the gauges work except for the bodybag light being on... It does arm ' with the seatbelts clicked' so Im sure they will deploy... bums me out

I have a 2003 Pontiac Aztek. At first there were some minor issues such as tapping the bottom of the steering wheel to get the windshield wipers to work. Then it progressively got worse. The dash started to flash, the car would shut off when I moved the tilt, the radio stopped working, and then it just stopped starting, and eventually kept draining the battery. I hoped it was just a pinched wire. I proceeded to take the trim and dash apart and nothing popped out as a problem. I viewed youtube and it showed several fixes for this. Does anyone know what I can do to fix this? Has anyone else had the problem? Please Help!

Our recently purchased 2004 was running great until I had the gaul to try and install an electric trailer brake controller.  I added a wire with a round connector on the end using the ground screw on the core support by the battery and the positive jumper post on the under hood fuse panel with an inline circuit breaker screwed to the body inside the engine compartment out of the way above the battery. I did this without unhooking the battery.  I haven't hooked the wires up yet and they haven't touched each other. I'm having lots of weird electrical issues now: No instruments, starts and runs but badly, dies if you use the brake pedal or other electrical device, pulsating idle with clicking relays on the fuse panel the BCM is hooked to in time with  Did I fry the BCM or some other component in there with my wiring activities? 

I read forums often, including this one.  RARELY do I post.  In this case, I had to!

I want to say,

THANK YOU!

I'm not completely done, but after a week of on again / off again work, everything is apart down to the engine block.  I have the Fel Pro gasket kit, I got the absolutely CLEAN cylinder heads back from a local racing engine machine shop ($215 to smooth out the surface that mates with engine block, remove one broken exhaust stud, pressure test valves, and give the whole thing a beautiful bath of some sort.  It looks almost new.

Now, I begin putting it all back together.  This is the first time I've done anything like this.  I do brake jobs, oil changes, and a little suspension work.  But, never, ever something like this.

Your information and photos are the best resource out there. 

Additionally, there are a few YouTube videos.  The GM3400 ones are helpful.  There is a specific one where the engine was in a 'Tek--about 20 minutes long and although it didn't SHOW everything coming apart, the description given by the narrator was excellent.

I sprang $30 for the 12 month AllData online subscription.  It had all diagrams and TORQUE values for everything.  This is worth it as opposed to saving some $$ and maybe or maybe not finding the correct torque values online.

A few other notes:
I read much about exhaust bolts breaking.  As advised, I took my time, lots of PB blaster, patient waiting, and slow and steady torque to loosen them.  I broke NONE.  One was already broken once I took manifold cover off.  Even the mani cover bolts were all ok.  I'm sure had I not read all the advice that I'd have rushed and broken more.

The guy at the engine machine shop was great.  I figured since I was paying him that I could pick his brain.  I did and asked him a ton of questions.  He was very helpful.  He put my mind at ease about things that worried me and gave me a few tips I'd otherwise not have known.

Everything about the gaskets and torques are completely anal. I'm anal, but some of these dire warnings are scary.

I removed the cylinder heads / exhaust mani / exhaust X-over as ONE piece.  I had a friend help me lift it out.  I could have done it one foot on a stool, second foot on the transmission, straddling the front bumper...I even got in the position.  I really wanted a photo.   I was lifting it.  But, my buddy was across the street and it only took 5 minutes (and I helped him clean his gutters after that).  This was probably the safe bet.

Removing this last bit as ONE piece saved having to loosen a few exhaust bolts, and thus less chance to break something.

I think I can put it back like this too.  I did have to remove everything from the cylinders for the machine shop, but the exhaust was able to stay in one piece.

LAST QUESTION-

How to clean up the oil and coolant once it's all back together.  I've read and talked to folks, but everyone has a different opinion.

Here is my plan:
Currently, all coolant is drained.  Oil is NOT.

1.  Fill radiator with water

2.  Add a quart of oil cleaner / break it stuff to engine oil (I think I'm about a quart low now).  The parts store recommended this.  Is it a hoax?.  Supposedly it picks up all the debris and helps flush things out.  Or, is the unnecessary since all of the debris just make it's way to oil filter anyways??

3. Run engine to warm up.  At this point, do I use one of those cooling system flush kits to force stuff backwards through cooling system and out the radiator pressure cap??

4.  Once engine hot (running heater full blast to open thermostat and force a backwards cooling flush) and water runs clear out top of radiator, shut her down.

5.  Proper oil/filter change and fill cooling system with DexCool (yikes).

I was careful with all of the cleaning.  But, really, with oil, coolant, debris from cleaning the engine block...I know stuff got in the coolant and oil openings.  I did my best to clean this out with shop vac and compressed air.

Of course, all of the above assumes she actually starts!!  Does it ever happen that someone spends two weeks on this and then the car never every starts again??!!  I'm so worried that I'll forget some obscure electrical connection in an inaccessible place once it's all reassembled.

Wolfy, I cannot thank you enough!

Siigh..  I wish mine had that oil cooler!  But it doesn't.  The oil filter just threads into the block, there are no extra lines or coolant lines or anything oil cooler-esque anywhere near it, or anywhere else, for that matter.  Every coolant line is accounted for, including  the transmission cooler lines to the brand new radiator-the only auxiliary cooler lines to the radiator, and they had Dexron fluid dripping out of them when I changed 'em over.

I wish it had the oil cooler, cuz that'd be the easy way out..

Tried the MAF sensor unplug long ago, no joy.  I eventually replaced said MAF sensor, but it didn't make any difference.  Now it's idle as there still seems to be orange coolant filled motor oil and after two episodes of replacing heads (the machine shop missed a cracked head the first time!!) I'm kinda at a loss.  But that's for another thread..

The first clue would be how it sounds when it cranks, assuming it does turn over..  is it a nice even cranking sound or does it seem to crank normal, then faster, then normal as if one or two cylinders don't have compression?  How does the oi look-just oil or is it full of coolant too?  These engines don't like to be overheated, which is why they have a pretty sturdy cooling system.