Just do what jbrew did and install a piece of heater hose. You only get 16 psi on the cooling system and the tube is fastened at the rear with one or two bolts ( depends on the year) you really only need one bolt at the rear as well. Use good clamps and you'll be fine. Theres no way I would pay that much for "O" rings this isn't the space shuttle... It may even be less to purchase the whole nipple that has the "O" rings already installed in it that sticks out of the water pump housing. Drive the old one out and drive a new on in.

 

Yea, that's worked for me for quite awhile. I upgraded the clamps last winter to those expansion clamps since I had it apart anyway. These clamps can be had at O'riely's/Murray's for a song (if your any good). -



They don't require much torque and won't rip the rubber. Their solid.

 

A few questions after today's work:
1. The baffle has some sort of plastic/rubber cover. Is the inside of that supposed to have some sort of insulation? Whatever was left in the old one crumbled to pieces and fell out. I assumed it wasn't a big deal and put it back as was (after a little cleaning of course).
2. Do the gaskets only go on one way properly? Have you ever had to take out the metal inserts in the holes of the new ones? The upper gasket had metal inserts that I removed because the baffle already had inserts?
3. Will it hurt the new gaskets to remove the manifold to fix any of the above mentioned questions LOL!

 

The rubber cover is a sound insulator of sorts, not sure what a baffle is ? Lower intake maybe ? Are you also talking about the dowel locations ?

 

yeah sure, i thought i heard it referred to as a baffle. The black thing that sits in the valley.

 

Lets call the lower one piece gasket that is between the black plastic plenum ( black thing that sits in the valley) and the aluminum intake the lower plenum gasket, and the two upper gaskets that lay on the cyl heads the cyl head runner gaskets. I'm getting confused (maybe just me) with what is being refered to what. What inserts on which of these gaskets did you remove?

 

I apologize for the confusion, I know you guys are trying to help. I removed the inserts on the one piece gasket, not the ones that lay on the cylinders.

 

I think your ok with the plenum gasket. Just make sure you don't damage any of the gaskets especially the sealing bead. The upper intake runner gaskets have metal inserts, don't remove those they prevent the gasket from being crushed when the intake bolts are tightened. Those two gaskets are the same one goes one way on the one head and the other goes the opposite direction on the other head. Ok lets get this puppy back together and yes if you are carefull and don't damage the upper gaskets you can reuse them. Any cuts or dents in the beading and they are no good though. Take care.

 

Upper and lower intake w/ rubber jacket. -



I called it a Jacket this time

I call the TB Elbow the Plenum, - maybe that's wrong iduno.

 

Wish I had seen that 3weeks ago..

 

Why, is she leaking lol. Yea, mine would leak shortly after new O-rings, hated seeing the valley covered in coolant. Maybe the pipe was tweaked or I cleaned it out to well, but I've heard of others having the same problem.

 

no but I would have done that while I had it apart. Probably be ok for awhile. Engines only got 41k on it and its an 03 so pretty new but If I had thought or seen that I would have done it. Now It would be a big deal. Then it wouldnt have.

 

told you it was the heater tube

 

You forgot to say HA HA.

 

Trying to figure out what you guys are refering to -"Metal Inserts" ? Not sure I have those, the gaskets have like dowels that fit a dowel port on the heads. Personally I've had to ream the head ports out to fit Felpro's dowel because the dowel was larger than the damn port, - ticked me off, hated doing that. Next time around I may have to fill and re-port because it was most likley an error on Felpro's part.