Intrepid Coolant Problem

I have a 98 Intrepid 2.7.
This afternoon on the 401 Highway in the middle of nowhere., I got a sight
of white smoke in my rear view mirror then under my hood. It then came
through the AC Duxctsa. I pulled over. After the steam had disappated I
checked the engine, running fine. The temp gauge still OK, both hoses OK BUT
the top of the area of the coolant bleed screw had 'popped off'. It seemed
to have a gasket round it but no visible means of attaching it. The lower
area with the connecting screws was OK.

I had to be towed in to nearby town (Cobourg) and got a Taxi home ($150)
Has anyone ever experienced this before, hoses seem fine, engine runs
sweetly, it just blasted the top of the bleed screw area. I guess I now have
to go tomorrow to get an estimate to fix

Keith

 

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\Keith I have never seen one blow off but lots leaking.

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

That's the black plastic coolant outlet housing. I didn't have mine
fail like that Keith. But mine was starting to weep around the
horizontal seam (probably where yours came apart) and I decided to
replace it before it got any worse. I can imagine that it would have
failed like yours did if I hadn't noticed it weeping and just let it go.

The air intake system and the upper intake manifold have to be removed
in order to replace that part. I would think they'd charge between 1 and
2 hours labour plus the part. I did my own and it took me about 2 hours
due to inexperience (and no manual). If I recall, the plastic housing
was something ridiculous like $90 or $100.

Phil
Grimsby, Ont

 

That is called the "water outlet housing" in DC parlance (some people
mistakenly refer to it as the thermostat housing - even at least one
place in the FSM erroneously refers to it as the thermostat housing
because it is where the thermostat traditionally is on most engines -
but not on this one - your thermostat is way down low on the driver's
side of the engine - nowhere near this thing).

Very poor design - a metal insert in a plastic housing with considerable
heat - known for leaking, and for twisting out of the plastic housing if
someone gets a little overzealous in tightening it when bleeding the
cooling system of air. There is more labor than you'd think involved in
replacement because the entire intake manifold will have to be removed
(at least partially - enough to raise the manifold up an inch or two)
just to get at two of the four screws that hold the housing onto the engine.

Note: You can get just the housing (P/N 4792329) and the o-ring (sold as
separate item - P/N 4792307AB) *OR* you can get the "water outlet
connector w/tube" (P/N 4663723AC). You do not need the "water outlet
connector w/tube" - that comes with the housing and a bunch of extra
items that do not wear out and require extra labor to put them in. To
save unnecessary parts and labor expense, just get the housing itself
and the o-ring. But, unfortunately the intake manifold will still have
to come off.

You might want to consider having them order the lower intake
manifold-to-head-gaskets (P/N 4663760 - 6 required) ahead of time too -
you may not need them if the old ones seal OK, but there is a chance
that the old ones won't seal properly. They don't cost that much, so
probably worth getting and having them put in to cut your risks of a
problem with the intake not sealing.

OH - and make sure they flush the system out and put the G-05 coolant in.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

"Housing only" lists at $63 (around $52 at discount dealers). (O-ring
is around $3-4.)

$71 list ($58 at discount dealers) if you got it "w/tube", which is
unnecessary and just makes for extra work.

Looking at the prices now, the housing with tube is not that much more -
comes with o-ring too. For the little difference in price, I'd get the
"w/tube" but only install the housing and the o-ring - doesn't hurt to
have the other parts on hand in case they're needed (but they probably
won't be).

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Thanks, Bill.
I have to wait until tomorrow am to call the shop.If it was at home I could
do it myself and I have little trust in mechanics I dont know. The local
police directed me tothis shop so I assume (rightly or wrongly) they are
Kosher

 

Sounds like you replaced one too at some point Bill.

Is the Zerex G-05 exactly the same as the Mopar long life ? I'll tell
ya, the Mopar Long Life was actually 2 bucks a gallon cheaper from the
dealer than the Zerex was at NAPA. I ended up with the Mopar.

Phil

 

I'm in Canada. The final price with tax upon tax upon tax came out to
around 100 bucks (with the O ring I believe).

Phil

 

Yep. I let it seep for about 2 years, then got nervous about it doing
what it did on Keith's (I felt like the fish in the blender wondering
when it would be turned on). I actually had a dealer parts guy warn me
that he'd had people get a brand new housing and the insert twisted out
of the housing just from being opened the first time. He told me that
if I got it from him and it did that, that he would not refund my money
or replace the part. What the hell kind of deal is that!!!!!!??????

I like the Zerex or the Ford brand of G-05 because it has a distinct
bright yellow color (MOPAR brand is reddish orange). I never want it to
be confused with DexCool™. Ford had theirs colored that way for that
very reason.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Yeah - you guys have that medical system to support.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

The mechanic working on the car tells me there is a new design for the
affected part, the bleed valve is not in the plastic anymore, it does
require the tube replacing as part of the new installation
Keith

 

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That is correct Keith, you cannot get just the crossover connector, it comes
complete with tube and all and the bleeder is not in the plastic anymore.
Don't be surprised if whoever replaces this part calls you back telling you
to replace the plastic tee in the back where it connects. They may break it
when trying to remove the hose from. I believe that part is another $60bucks

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

Interesting. So after you replace the housing (and tube), are you and
Keith saying that there will no longer be a bleeder for the cooling
system, or is it located to another component?

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

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The bleeder is now part of the steel tube that runs under the intake. They
just took it out of the plastic.

 

OK - thanks! So, since that tube runs front to back, is the bleeder now
at the rear of the engine instead of the front?

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

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No it is still at the front. If im not mistaken the 2.7 Sebring still uses
the old style and has not been updated