Seeking assistance with part Identification / Cooling system leak

RegalB96

Newbie
1996 Buick Regal 3.1-liter V6 engine
developed a leak in the cooling system.

Beneath the engine, behind and below the starter, off center toward the passenger side is a
rounded rectangle shaped pan or cover, approximately 4 x 7",
In it are four holes laid out in a square pattern, roughly 3" hole to hole

The leak come from 2 of these holes.

It appears as though it is held on by only two bolts but i found that the removal of these two nuts alone do
not release it. I don't know if its held on by something else or simply rusted in place. I did not want to force it until i learn more.

I'd very much appreciate if someone could identify this part or
direct me to an engine diagram/exploded view or similar that might include it

Thanks for any help in advance.

I96BuickRegal_191455416.jpg
96BuickRegal_191547329.jpgI96BuickRegal_191455416.jpg96BuickRegal_191547329.jpg
 
Here are some pages with line drawings from the shop manual. Wasn’t sure which transaxle or engine VIN code your car has, but the drawings should be close.

Fig. 12 shows the pan is welded to the subframe. It serves as sort of a pocket for the engine mount (#341). The nuts (#340) that have been removed hold the engine mount to the frame.

To hazard a guess at this point, something up above the engine mount is leaking coolant. It then drains down through the pan and out the drain holes. The coolant pump, hoses, and fittings would be the usual suspects.

There was also an optional oil cooler that installed under the oil filter. Its hoses could be leaking.
 

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First of all, THANK YOU very much, Todd, for the documentation you provided!
Was this from your private stash or accessible somewhere on this site that I overlooked?
I haven't gotten a chance to look it over yet. The appearance of the part in question is so different, I'm surprised its no more than a mount.

Based on what you said, your suggestions sound likely. I did come across another possible leak source & super simple solution on YouTube but at this point I don't recall if it was for the 3.1 or 3.8. I'll check into it,confirm the details before posting them here. Thanks again!
 
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The data comes from a hard copy manual I bought during a buying spree years ago. See attached. There is a Book 1 and 2 that cover all vehicle repairs except rebuilding the transaxle.

These volumes are not available on this site. I did not check to see if there are any free online copies on some other site. The books do cover similar Chevy, Olds, and Pontiac W bodies.

It looks like there are plenty of paper and digital copies on eBay and Amazon.
 

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