Can I Save This Intake Manifold? Severe Coolant Leak Is Not An Easy Fix!!

[@TIREDOFEVIL]

Kenny, picked up some tips from you watching your videos and I understand that this is a work truck, but being an old-time mechanic myself whenever I had to thread into a contained system or component, I would use grease in my tap to try to collect as many shavings as possible, yes I understand that some fokes thought it was anal to do that, but it was just a habit that was ingrained into me as an apprentice. Keep em rolling brother.

[@Mr572u]

Not anal! Those aluminum shavings clogs radiators, heater cores, screws up water pumps and thermostats. At the least he should have sucked it out with the shop vac.

[@phillipschutter24]

You are correct sir! Thanks for that real comment

[@donhendricks2950]

Saved that customer a pocket full of money versus the alternative fix.

[@scottwhitcher265]

Did the same job on my '94 a few years ago...as I was putting back together from an intake manifold oil leak. I didn't want to pull the manifold again ans was looking for the fitting and idea at a NAPA store. A shop owner was there qho was familiar with the job. He loaned me the tap and a giant ez- out. I ended up die grinding most of the broken fitting away, chased the old threads, using shop vac to cleanout the chips and the threadeds sealed.. I brought the shop owner his tools and box of boudain balls. I've moved, since then but will gladly recommend the shop to anyone in the area. Good people.

[@joeminer4261]

I always hated those things. I always replaced them with an old school barbed fitting and a chunk of heater hose.

[@robertstdennis9072]

yes that way fixed for good

[@Ed-ip2sg]

This customer owes Kenny a word of thanks 😊

[@philiprowe2147]

1/2" NPT Brass fitting to 1/2" Pex with Replacement heater hose also works, hate paying anything to Dorman

[@clems6989]

Why ? Hate Dorman ?

[@oldbiker9739]

my 1991 had the same problem , I got the bits and pieces out and just went with the 1/2 '' hose nipple .

[@jeffreysenior]

On my 95 Chevy truck, coolant line busted off on the water pump could not get it out so he end up buying a new water pump. I love the crude engineering a GM does.

[@phillipcooley83]

Had the same problem on my truck, and I had to buy a specialty extractor to get it out. It has a longer taper to it, and a fine reverse thread to it, and it worked perfectly. It took a lot of torque to get that thing out too. I may never use that tool again, but I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.

[@boblister665]

I have the same truck and had the same issue. I used a hacksaw blade and cut 4 kerfs in the old part and tapped it inward with a chisel. Only dropped one small piece into the manifold. A year later the POS Dorman fitting started leaking so I replaced it with a nipple and clamped a hose in place. No more issues. Quick connects are good for assembly line but suck long term.

[@jamesbeckwith780]

I have always used a hack saw blade cut 3 cuts down into the fitting and using a small chisel collapse the fitting inward with the pressure tester hooked up you can pump it and the pieces will flow right out. On the new fitting use liquid Teflon sealer not tape and it works every time done loads of those this way. Good luck

[@Hammerjockeyrepair]

thats awesome! I just commented basically the same thing! Ive replaced atleast 50 of this buggers and The hacksaw blade is key every time!

[@kennethbode2017]

I used a small hacksaw blade on mine in a couple of places to get it to collapse and ran a tap thru it. I just used silicone sealer on the threads and it never leaked

[@salserr5022]

Love your channel and videos, also like you say there's alot mechanic or should I say want to be that don't know what they are doing.

[@gmoney9588]

This reminds me of when my dad had a ‘91 gmc s10 or whatever they called the gmc versus the Chevy . It’s 4.3 had the common heater core line fitting leak . He was forewarned by the parts store counter guy that these break , well he knew as did I , penetrate and soak . It wasn’t such a bad leak but you know it uses a bottle of coolant over time . That gets pricey after a while . So , after him shooting it down regularly over a period of weeks , I think , ( this was late 90’s or so ? ) we decided one Saturday “ it’s go time “ . We were prepared with every means of attack in the way of extractor and/or conventional removal . Well guess what , that thing ( forgot it’s actual name ) just broke torque and unthreaded , clean . No damage . Cleaned the threaded hole and installed the new one . I probably used plumbers pipe dope or anti-seize but I was ecstatic that it wasn’t an all day thing and re-creating the wheel thing . Back then , I rarely used map gas but nowadays I always resort to it if need be . Will heat help in this difficult removal ? It would but the aluminum intake is a huge heat sink as you know . Hey , you gotta try , right ? Just don’t light the whole truck up though . JB weld usually saves the day for me too . There are things that JB weld won’t adhere to but preparation will determine if so . Tell you what though , you just saved someone’s bacon , on the cheap . Can’t beat that with a stick . I’m not better than anyone and the only thing I would have done is over complicate the job with some kind of flush to push coolant out of the threaded port to flush of anything undesirable in the cooling system . But that’s just me .

[@greatwhitehunter420]

I've done that.i use a mini hacksaw blade cut reliefs at 12,3,6,&9 o'clock.take a punch or small pick & collapse it in.then retap easy.....

[@johneverett3947]

Instead of the Dorman extractor go to a plumbing supply store and they have kits with different sizes extractors and thread chasers for removing broken pipe nipples, they work really good and you’ll have them for later. 😊😊. Extra tools are always cool.

[@Oreo-ty2pf]

I worked for GM when these trucks were new. They actually had an essential tool with an easy out and a tap to repair the threads.

[@mannyfernandez6860]

hi..im a new subscriber fom the far east..manila to be exact..i like the way how you attack each new problem..i wish you well.

[@phillully4472]

Kenny I'm surprised that you didn't put a rag down that opening to keep debris out and blow it out before removing rag!! Wow tough fix on this one I guess.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

That fitting broke on my '88 GMC with a 305 back in the late 90s during a heater core replacement. I ended up drilling it out and tapping the hole for a piiece of pipe. Then I replaced the formed hose with a length of regular heater hose.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

That is one way to get the job done. Thanks for watching & keep wrenching 🔧

[@davidhomen4528]

I have a 92 silverado that started to do the same thing. I changed it to a nipple an used a rubber coolant hose. It will never happen again.

[@wilcleno1866]

Coat your tap with grease before you run the tap in the hole to lube the tap and catch the cuttings to keep them from getting in the engine. Pressure test the cooling system when it is hot to make sure it is not leaking.

[@garya9875]

Great video Kenny I always learn something from your videos keep’em comin.

[@robertjeffery6100]

Kenny great video thank

[@prmayner]

Another GM brilliant idea. You did a good job. The first one I ever did was on an s-10 city work truck and I used a 6 foot cheater and broke the back of the manifold off. duh!! my 91 c10 350 has the same set up I went to the hardware store and bought a bunch of 3/4" brass fittings and ran 3/4" hose from heater to manifold put an 1/8" orifice in the line so I didn't blow the heater core out and done. retired self employed mechanic 40 years.

[@dave1135]

If you have a acetylene torch, heating the fitting before trying to remove it helps.

[@rivervalleyray1859]

Your channel came as a suggestion from you tube and I'm glad I clicked on it. Your videos are very informative and straight to the point. You got a subscription from me and keep up the good work. Also, Hello from Arkansas!

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank you for your videos.

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Try a cutting torch and blow it out. Cast iron dose not cut. I have good luck do that way.

[@timbow50]

Exactly what I did on a 1988 350 engine years ago. Used JB weld. Let it set overnight. Worked perfect for years. I did clean the threads out with alcohol and old tooth brush . Was a pain in the arse.

[@davidhomen4528]

Bless you

[@renygeorge4548]

I love your big braker bar. A nice one.

[@davidhorsley1149]

I used to have a 1990 Chevrolet 1500, Scottsdale with a 5.7 L (350 c.i.), V-8, that had the same tube and fitting in the same spot on the intake. I replaced two of those in under 100,000 miles. The engineer that thought that rig up should be tied to a tree and horse-whipped. I removed the broken portion on both of them with a large square screw/bolt extractor, and both fought me every step of the way.

[@mikeytryingtofixthings9355]

Good job Kenny, had to do that to my 1995 chevy 5.7 it has 1 in the front and the back. i used a 1/2 inch threaded pipe to put back in it

[@JeffreyStrader]

Kenny I can honestly say, I truly enjoy watching your videos. You don't try and belittle your viewers. You don't try to baffle us with BS, and you explain what your doing, in a way as so that the common man can understand what your saying.....THANK YOU Sir!

[@danielclark5170]

I had the same problem on a 97 GMC Sierra with the 4.3 V6. I ended up using an old flat tip screw drive to get the broken fitting out. I used a plumbing rethread kit to recut the threads and put pipe thread sealant when put back together. The factory fitting is made of a soft metal similar to pewter.

[@donshields4470]

Good job!

[@billk9628]

Nice work! Just an idea I had after watching, if you had to go bigger with that hole, you could take it to the next pipe size and then use a reducer fitting to return to the original size. Future thoughts.?

[@FixIt1975]

That would've been a good candidate for Honda bond. It's Honda's version of gasket maker and it hardens almost like an epoxy. I've fixed thread leaks with that and even an external head gasket leak on a Subaru one time. It's an excellent product. I even patched a broken off corner of an upper oil pan on an awd Lexus with Honda bond. The book time to change that upper oil pan was something like 24 hours. I gave customer the option and it worked out

[@ronniejohns2463]

Good Job

[@jeffclark5024]

Those things are made out of cheap pot metal. Always used a chisel and chipped it out. The replacements are actually steel and won’t snap off like the original.

[@fsaenz34]

I too was in the same predicament and used some old plumbers putty on the end of a bent stiff wire to pick up the aluminum crumbs. Though that's what JB Weld is for I just tapped the threads and smeared some pipe dope on the PTFE tape and screwed that NPT fitting in. That was 3 years ago and it's still holding pressure. I used an old aluminum license plate folded in half to isolate the heat of the MAPP torch from everything else. If its good enough for plumbing then its good enough for my truck.

[@majormarshall588]

Perserverence for sure Kenny

[@Hammerjockeyrepair]

Ive done atleast 50 of these, The best way and the way that works EVERY time is to take a hacksaw blade, by hand with tape on it for your hand lol, You stick the blade in the hole and cut into the fitting halfway on 2 sides, Smack both sides with the chisel and the fitting will fall apart with no threads damaged on the intake side!

[@prevost8686]

Yep. Done em that way myself. My local machinist does them the same way. I replaced them with a regular stainless steel hose nipple and replace the full length of the hose. Problem solved for good.

[@MichaelSmith-hu5pw]

I have use an air hack saw with a short blade. Slicing it 180 degrees apart being mindful of the taper and thickness of the fitting then break out the two halves. The kef from the saw blade gives the fitting room to colipase in so it can be removed. Not something that's for everyone because its easy to damage the pipe threads if your not paying attention. Not to take away from your work, you did a good job Kenny and the repair is sound IMO.

[@alanearnest6040]

I've done a ton of those,small saz all and a small chisel seal with oatey plumber paste

[@trimforspeed]

I wonder what will happen with the stuff that fell into the manifold, or housing? Is it going to clog up the coolant system? Could some of it have been vacuumed out?

[@mannyfernandez6860]

i guess the effect of those shavings is quite negligible..i lost a whole thermostat assembly inside my water jacket without any visible effect.

[@scottwhitcher265]

I vacuumed them out, but they are pewter ( mostly zinc) so woll likely sette out and become " sacrificial anodes".

[@billywilmoth3745]

I use to split the fitting in 2 or 3 places with a old hacksaw blade and crush fitting with small punch to remove picked out pieces with small needle nose pliers you can grind hacksaw blade down too make it fit in the hole

[@allenbaxter5180]

Time and patience time and patience 😊

[@williammiller2750]

You have to watch replacing these things without pulling the manifold. I had a couple of them where the coolant had corroded a hole down behind the fitting on the bottom side of the intake, leaking coolant into the engine.

[@davidperry970]

Brings back a lot of bad memories for me. Most I did were in worse locations. The old fittings would crumble into little chunks. Real cheap monkey metal. You'll never use the other taps than the size you needed. Oh, you might want to remove the throttle body and clean the PCV vacuum passage so the dam thing won't blow oil out everywhere. And check the distributor rotor it's likley almost burnt through. Keep a good pair of walking shoes and always have your cell phone charged up when driving it.

[@scottwhitcher265]

Oh yeah, meant to add the '94 370/5.7 has the same fitting in the same place.

[@williamwhite9767]

Where is the garage located? I just started watching yesterday.

[@buntnik]

Pound that tool with an impact wrench? Maybe

[@dave1135]

I always quote a new water outlet fitting when doing a intake job, these things ALWAYS break, so much I have a special tap to clean up the threads after I get the broken part out with a extractor. I never have a leak after, and while some say to put a nipple in, gm used this in a lot of cars, and it's in some locations that using the original pipe is best. Also, cutting 4 kerfs in the old fitting with a hacksaw blade just to the threads and cracking out the old fitting with a chisel will work in ones that are too tight for a extractor.

[@brianloriaux5837]

My 95 GMC with a 350 and it has that same one at the back and it has one at the front at the thermostat housing had to replace and both

[@GeekBoyMN]

In the late 90s that thing broke on my buddy's 92 Chevy. I'm just a shade tree guy and fixing it wasn't fun or fast and it was in the summer in Houston. Can't say I'm a fan of that fitting. His was a V8 and that fitting was in the back near the firewall just like on this engine.

[@timeinbu7909]

Also cutting down a hack saw blade to fit through hole and saw 2 slots, pry shell together and pull out. Careful not to cut into threads too far. Workes well on broken off spark plugs too

[@stevnalexan300]

My experience with broke pipe or tubing. I have a large metric Allen wrench set . I would get the size that was barely to big to fit. Hammer it in . Works better than the easy outs. Small pipe may have to custom fit with a little grinding.

[@lancehill9971]

Almost always need heat to get them out and I don't replace them anymore I just put the old-style nipple fitting and use 4 in of hose and clamp it

[@niveknospmoht8743]

I've never had an easy out work. I've always had to cut 4 slots in the side of the old fitting with an air saw with a fine tooth blade. Then I go in with a sharp chisel and knock the 4 pieces towards the hole and pull them out with a pair of needle nose pliers

[@rockcrusher4636]

That truck needs lots of tlc.

[@tunaclone1456]

I have 2004 chevy suburban 5.3 I took air intake manifold off and it has coolant inside how would that get there

[@lowbudgetbob1155]

I've replaced those fittings before. What's left of the fitting in the intake is usually pretty rotten and breaks apart easily. I've removed enough of the broken piece to start a tap into the threads and let the tap remove what's left of the fitting. I never used the replacement fitting, I picked up an npt pipe nipple of the correct hose size and replaced the entire length of hose. The new pipe nipple will never rot and if the hose ever has to be replaced, it's a common hose size and cheap compared to that factory hose.

[@scottwhitcher265]

I considered the same and likely would if I have to do it again. That quick disconnect is junk.

[@edwardesanchez4227]

90s 4.3 V 6 replaced ftg to manifold with brass and completed connection with heater hose 330000 miles later still holding

[@sixinarow1]

What I always did was to take a hacksaw blade and score the broken fitting in four places deep enough to cut the fitting just to the threads in the manifold. and then take a chesil and knock the fitting into itself. Pot metal fitting, best idea ever.

[@brianvaughn9299]

I worked a chevy and this was a common issue, after I did my first one I got them all. I found out most of the guys replaced the manifold. I used a sprinkler easy out and removed them with that.

[@michaelszczys8316]

Good thing about tapered pipe threads, if you have a fit like you have there you can just keep threading farther. Even if you have to open the hole up a little more. That's what I would probably try.

[@ironmike742]

The best way to remove those broken fittings is to use a hacksaw blade and cut it in half. Then you use a chisel to break the cut pieces out of there. I have done a lot of them and haven't had any issues doing it that way

[@drdiabeetus3061]

Hope the metal debris that fell down into the head was cleared out. Don’t want that stuff clogging the radiator. But if it’s small enough, I guess it doesn’t matter. The truck just needs to survive a few more years.

[@JohnMcNabb-wg4ff]

you right JB weld will never leak

[@sheldonmcclaflin8904]

Just like the Titanic will never sink. Never say never.

[@505isiot]

I have a T60 1/2 inch drive in my box with the threads of this type of fitting still on it. DID NOT feel good feeling the sudden release when it gave and was staring at the top end.

[@haroldyoung5226]

i did that on my 88 .filled it with water before i put the fitting in started the engine blew all the debris out

[@DouglasBrodmerkel]

when using a tap, always use oil, run tap all the way down, use vacuum to suck old part out, do flush with water on cooling system. As far a s jb weld always wait for several more hours longer than you think. i might have run a bolt same size all the way up and down, with oil, then clean the threads with cleaner then use jb weld. Got to be carefull with old coolant and AL intake manafolds, Coolant eats AL.

[@ross_ulbright7779]

"Job well done. Well it's done."

[@timeinbu7909]

Put A small magnet inside the hole to catch as much metal chips as possible

[@JrGarcia-dn6mp]

Would this work on a 09 g37

[@DependableAutoTruck]

the ones i have done did the same way except used liquid teflon tape none of them have leaked

[@stevnalexan300]

Loctite 565 really good for threads , don't have to be super tight. Will not leak

[@crazyeddiecook8959]

Do any of you online Mechanics believe in ANY TYPE OF PENATRAINT BEFORE WHACKING AWAY AT STUFF? I know that I was taught differently than the strong arm tactic!!!

[@scottwhitcher265]

It wouldn't have helped. That fitting is pewter "pot metal". It corrodes and crumbles to bits when its old.

[@rafaelvasquez3566]

You could have shoved paper towels or plastic bags before chiseling away and vacuum rescue metal shards.

[@clems6989]

The answer to many problems : "Bigger Hammer"

[@clems6989]

Some bits of metal shavings etc, shop vac and then a magnet should get enough out that it wont hurt anything. Hopefully. I disagree with the jb weld though. If theres an unforseen problem, ir a later problem, someone will be cussing up a storm.

[@davidhomen4528]

Mine is 5.7. It's in the back.

[@phillipschutter24]

You really should have some grease on that tap, tapping 101... JS

[@markblosser3054]

Had to replace the intake on a v8 customer had it ruined

[@davidhomen4528]

It's a piano in the rear to get it all out of ther!

[@Rod-y3m]

More gm junk my son had the same problem on a car he had got the fitting out used a1/2 inch hosebarb short pieceof heater hose and a clamp

[@Ari-e6g]

👍👍👍

[@09roadraider40]

You need a thread chaser not a tap They are different You should explain this to people

[@royfillyaw4233]

The easy fix is drill out n tap threads 5 min n your done

[@jeffhyde7934]

Why JB weld it?

[@allentraylor5659]

I would never beat on a socket and I would've heated engine, first.

[@jamescarroll8635]

The time you spent on labor I would’ve replaced that intake and not dropped all that crap in the water passages in the engine.

[@davidhomen4528]

Pain

[@kentmerrill8925]

Spray some WD on it.

[@jeffbotkin1405]

Ok. Still split my wood with an axe. From the other side of the smokies.

[@mrbenn7002]

I have done this before. It is not a fun job. I ended up taking the one I worked on out in pieces.

[@patricksimmons7449]

Penetrating oil helps

[@jacquespoirier9071]

another example of botched engineering, such a pot metal fitting is just good to jump the vehicule out of the warrenty. it is one of the reasons why US manufacturers lost a big part of the local market to the profit of japanese and european manufacturers.

[@bobbymaeger3478]

Don’t use JB Weld use liquid Teflon

[@gslogar1]

Doorman (Chinese), if you want junk that's the place to get it.