PaulC
09-01-2008, 02:51 PM
Even if they're new. I neglected to do so and payed the price this weekend.
I was on my way up to the UP to hang out with my sister and two nieces. I didn't leave until late afternoon and was planning on a night cruise. About 220 miles into the trip my water temp gauge started fluctuating between 1/2 and 3/4. I pulled off the highway and found a gas station and started looking under the hood. I could smell coolant and found that the throttle plate to head hose clamps were loose. There was a 24hr car wash there so I pulled into a stall and removed the upper intake, tightened up the hoses, put the intake back on, jacked up the front left side and bled the system.
Got back on the road and everything was fine for about 45 min and then the gauge started rising again. There was a small bank drive-thru right off the exit so I pulled in. It was about 1:30 am so the place was deserted but the lights were on. Steam was rising from beneath the intake somewhere. I removed both the upper and lower intakes and found one of the heater core hoses was wet so I tightened up all the clamps and put it back together. Figured I had loosened something moving everything around the first time. Started it up to rebleed and realized that the heater core hose had a pin-sized hole I had missed.
All the hoses are 6 months old, but I had not retightened them since installing them. Won't make that mistake again. The hose had just collapsed, it had a 2 inch crease in it next to the hole. So I pulled the manifolds off again, removed the bad hose and bypassed the heater core with the other hose. Started it up and rebled the system. Luckily I was carrying tools and fluids. At that point I decided to turn around and head back to Chicago.
I spent about 4-5 hrs in the dark working on the M42. I'm guessing there was still air in the system after the first incident which contributed to the blown hose. That or it was one heck of a coincidence. Good part is that I can now pull apart and reassemble the intakes, throttle body and FI in about 20 min with my eyes closed. Bad part is I damaged the upper intake gasket and now its idling like crap.
Made it back to Chicago safely, but I'm pretty bummed. Learn from my mistake, CHECK YOUR HOSES!
Any comments, suggestions, criticism and flaming are welcome. Thanks for reading.
I was on my way up to the UP to hang out with my sister and two nieces. I didn't leave until late afternoon and was planning on a night cruise. About 220 miles into the trip my water temp gauge started fluctuating between 1/2 and 3/4. I pulled off the highway and found a gas station and started looking under the hood. I could smell coolant and found that the throttle plate to head hose clamps were loose. There was a 24hr car wash there so I pulled into a stall and removed the upper intake, tightened up the hoses, put the intake back on, jacked up the front left side and bled the system.
Got back on the road and everything was fine for about 45 min and then the gauge started rising again. There was a small bank drive-thru right off the exit so I pulled in. It was about 1:30 am so the place was deserted but the lights were on. Steam was rising from beneath the intake somewhere. I removed both the upper and lower intakes and found one of the heater core hoses was wet so I tightened up all the clamps and put it back together. Figured I had loosened something moving everything around the first time. Started it up to rebleed and realized that the heater core hose had a pin-sized hole I had missed.
All the hoses are 6 months old, but I had not retightened them since installing them. Won't make that mistake again. The hose had just collapsed, it had a 2 inch crease in it next to the hole. So I pulled the manifolds off again, removed the bad hose and bypassed the heater core with the other hose. Started it up and rebled the system. Luckily I was carrying tools and fluids. At that point I decided to turn around and head back to Chicago.
I spent about 4-5 hrs in the dark working on the M42. I'm guessing there was still air in the system after the first incident which contributed to the blown hose. That or it was one heck of a coincidence. Good part is that I can now pull apart and reassemble the intakes, throttle body and FI in about 20 min with my eyes closed. Bad part is I damaged the upper intake gasket and now its idling like crap.
Made it back to Chicago safely, but I'm pretty bummed. Learn from my mistake, CHECK YOUR HOSES!
Any comments, suggestions, criticism and flaming are welcome. Thanks for reading.