wouldn't ya know it

ttocs

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I got done with the polish and puller her out for some pics. I pop the hood and I am horrified to find water spots on the bottom of the hood. Not just one or two but something has been spraying at some point. After some inspection I found the gasket failed at the thermostat housing, no a big deal. While I am in there I have also had a leak from the coolant pipe that comes up from the lower and has the temp sender it that goes to the back of the motor. I am not sure the name of the pipe but where it is able to rotate it has been leaking. I thought I saw somewhere that there was a gasket repair kit or some way of fixing it a while back.

if you look in the pic at the thermostat housing you can see where its leaking. The coolant pipe is just behind it.
ZKmDzxw.jpg

I gotta get this thing on the road.... Anyone know how to fix this?
HGBuH4L.jpg
 

Orl1mjf

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I got done with the polish and puller her out for some pics. I pop the hood and I am horrified to find water spots on the bottom of the hood. Not just one or two but something has been spraying at some point. After some inspection I found the gasket failed at the thermostat housing, no a big deal. While I am in there I have also had a leak from the coolant pipe that comes up from the lower and has the temp sender it that goes to the back of the motor. I am not sure the name of the pipe but where it is able to rotate it has been leaking. I thought I saw somewhere that there was a gasket repair kit or some way of fixing it a while back.

if you look in the pic at the thermostat housing you can see where its leaking. The coolant pipe is just behind it.
ZKmDzxw.jpg

I gotta get this thing on the road.... Anyone know how to fix this?
HGBuH4L.jpg
Try this- I had SN95 heater tubes leaking right at the 2 piece joint that screws into the intake manifold.
Leaking like a water hose with a thumb over it!

I was asking around, trying to find a new set of tubes, or find out if these could be fixed...
I couldn't find any replacement tubes for an SN95, and everyone told me they were not serviceable.

Since the set I had was leaking, and I figured I couldn't make it worse, I decided to take them apart and see if I could repair them.

I took off the lower threaded portion of the joint, and found 2 grooves on the inner portion that appear to have had o-rings in them. So I cleaned them up, installed some o-rings, lubed it up, put the lower portion back on, and used a punch with increasing diameter to expand the bottom swedge back into place.

I put 17# on the system, and it held fine. Then I drove it today with the 13# cap, and it didn't leak a drop.

So if you were wondering, the heater tubes are serviceable at the spinning joint.
 
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ttocs

ttocs

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Try this- I had SN95 heater tubes leaking right at the 2 piece joint that screws into the intake manifold.
Leaking like a water hose with a thumb over it!

I was asking around, trying to find a new set of tubes, or find out if these could be fixed...
I couldn't find any replacement tubes for an SN95, and everyone told me they were not serviceable.

Since the set I had was leaking, and I figured I couldn't make it worse, I decided to take them apart and see if I could repair them.

I took off the lower threaded portion of the joint, and found 2 grooves on the inner portion that appear to have had o-rings in them. So I cleaned them up, installed some o-rings, lubed it up, put the lower portion back on, and used a punch with increasing diameter to expand the bottom swedge back into place.

I put 17# on the system, and it held fine. Then I drove it today with the 13# cap, and it didn't leak a drop.

So if you were wondering, the heater tubes are serviceable at the spinning joint.
yes that is what I was wanting to hear. Did you just use a punch/hammer?
 
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ttocs

ttocs

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so I get the upper intake off to get the fuel rail off so I can get the pipe out. After all that it looks like the teflon tape failed where it connects to the lower and its not actually leaking from the part that rotates. After taking all that down and knowing it going to fail eventually and i was already knee deep with the pipe off I elected to replace the orings anyway. The bottom of the pipe looks like it needs a specialty took/ratchet bit with 4 spots that engage it to rotate it as my biggest prying screw driver will not go across it to do anything so I figure they probably have it at vatozone. I am never going to go there again for anything short of soap after them screwing up my spark plugs and now tonight.
Kd3ou5R.jpg

So I go to vatozone and I am in the tool isle when an old dude that works there asks if I need help. I found what looks like the same bit design I need except they are all WAY too big so I explain to him and he starts looking but I can tell he has never seen it before. Eventually he stopped at a Stepper drill bit hanging on the rack and asked if that would do it? I was scared as I told him it was a drill bit. He took a closer look at it and said maybe he had something in the back that would work so I let him take the pipe in the back while another employee that I know talked for a sec. 30 secs later old dude comes out from the back with a pair of vice grips that he is adjusting to be JUST a tad smaller than that 1/16 lip that hangs out the end. I saw what he was doing and said to stop what he was doing I did NOT want him to try and pull it apart with the vice grips. The old dude said he thought he could get a grip on it and get it out and was still adjusting the vice grips when I interrupted him to say I know there is a proper way to do this and a correct tool to do it but we both know a pair of vice grips was not in either of those and I did not mind waiting a few days to do it right if needed while I was grabbing the pipe from his hands. No shit old dude was going to do me a solid and take it apart with me the best way he didn't know how I mean what is the worst that can happen.

I am hoping NAPA will know more tomorrow but I know at the very least they are not going to go fudge it up....
 
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ttocs

ttocs

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Location
Evansville Indiana
Try this- I had SN95 heater tubes leaking right at the 2 piece joint that screws into the intake manifold.
Leaking like a water hose with a thumb over it!

I was asking around, trying to find a new set of tubes, or find out if these could be fixed...
I couldn't find any replacement tubes for an SN95, and everyone told me they were not serviceable.

Since the set I had was leaking, and I figured I couldn't make it worse, I decided to take them apart and see if I could repair them.

I took off the lower threaded portion of the joint, and found 2 grooves on the inner portion that appear to have had o-rings in them. So I cleaned them up, installed some o-rings, lubed it up, put the lower portion back on, and used a punch with increasing diameter to expand the bottom swedge back into place.

I put 17# on the system, and it held fine. Then I drove it today with the 13# cap, and it didn't leak a drop.

So if you were wondering, the heater tubes are serviceable at the spinning joint.
how did you get it apart? It looks like there is some kind of 4 pronged tool needed to loosen it but I have been to every autoparts store in town and no one has any idea.

I considered getting another and had an offer from logan for an extra he has but I would want to swap the o-rings in any of the pipes I got that were used and until I can get it apart it just isn't worth it. I have a list of parts to make my own out of -an fittings and hose. I think I am going to go with since they will be more reliable and just better in general.
 

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