Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

[TopHatJimmy]

OK, I got all my valve timing crap taken care of and my car runs again, but I seem to have sprung a leak in the coolant system and I don't know what to call the part I need to replace.

On the 3.4L, below the water neck/thermostat housing, coming out of the lower intake manifold, there is a black metal tubing assembly coming out of the LIM that one of the heater hoses and I think the throttle body coolant hoses hook up to. It's locked into the LIM with some kind of plastic retaining clip. It's leaking there. I must have damaged that clip somehow when I took off the manifold.

Anyone know what this part is called so I don't spend 2 hours with the GM parts dept monkeys trying to find it?

Thanks a ton.

[pace2006]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

Is it one of the black hard plastic 90* elbows?

[TopHatJimmy]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

no, it come straight out of the lower intake manifold. Black metal. Above the water pump, below the water neck.

[Skinny]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

If it's the part I think it is, it is referred to as a "coolant line quick-connect fitting." I don't know why they considered it "quick" because they leak after pretty much every time you disconnect them. A dealership parts guy should be familiar with them.

[tkoforpresident]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

that part is pretty much threaded into the LIM and if you try to take it out it will most likely break as mine did.

you could either jerry rig something up, or do as i did and just buy a new LIM, they are cheap but not always easy to find and i'm sure you don't want to have to replace it if ya don't have to.

[TopHatJimmy]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

Nah replacing the LIM is not an option, I just got that ***** put back together, I'll be damned if I'm tearing it back apart.

The fitting is not threaded into the manifold. It can rotate in it's socket. It's snapped in there, it can be removed. Just gotta figure out how. Knowing GM, it takes some $300 tool to remove it.

[tkoforpresident]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

Nah replacing the LIM is not an option, I just got that ***** put back together, I'll be damned if I'm tearing it back apart.

The fitting is not threaded into the manifold. It can rotate in it's socket. It's snapped in there, it can be removed. Just gotta figure out how. Knowing GM, it takes some $300 tool to remove it.

those things are usually pretty corroded. good luck gettin it out :tup:

[TopHatJimmy]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

well turns out it's not the threaded fitting or the plastic retaining clip.

The actual metal coolant tubing thing has a spot about the size of a pinhead that corroded all the way through, so off to the stealership to order a new one.

[Rob Bell]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

So were you able to get it out?

[TopHatJimmy]

Re: Lower Intake Manifold Coolant Connector

yeah it actually pulled right off, not much effort at all. The end was pretty corroded, looks like at one time the end may have had a bit of a flare on it - not a whole lot left. I cleaned it up hoping i could reuse it, then I found the hole.....

I assume the plastic clip pressed on the flare and locked it in place against the rubber gasket creating a seal.

Regardless, where it pressed into the rubber seal wasn't leaking, the little hole was about an inch up the pipe.

Sorry, bad pic.....cell phone camera sucks, but you get the idea.