Water Inlet Housing for 2.7L V-6

A local mechanic said I should have the water inlet housing replaced on my
2002 Stratus, since it was seeping coolant and would only get worse.

The price quoted was about $185 parts and labor. I hadn't noticed any
coolant leak, so it must be seeping around the engine/radiator.

Can someone tell me 1) where this part is located on the 2.7L and 2) if that
price sounds pretty decent (Central PA). Also, is this something that when
it goes, it goes big time, or just a seeping over time that will eventually
seep worse?

Many thanks.

 

Actually it is the outlet housing, not the inlet housing (meaning, it is
the housing for coolant flow out of the engine into the radiator).

Probably not a bad price. The intake plenum has to be removed (at
least, everything disconnected and it raised a couple of inches - might
as well say removed). That's just to get two of the four bolts out, but
unfortunately, there's no way around that - BTDT.

If you are a DIY'er, the price may seem a little high, and you can save
some money by DIY'ing, but if you aren't into a challenge, if you were
to attempt the replacement yourself, the price probably wouldn't seem
that bad once you got into it.

If you're familiar with the location of the thermostat housing on most
engines, it is where this part is usually located - on the top of the
very front of the engine. This one has a bleeder valve on it's top -
pointing skyward. Looks exactly like a brake bleeder. If it is
leaking, it is usually around the metal bleeder valve seat where it is
molded into the plastic (of the housing). You would see dried whitish
or reddish/orangish dried residue around the metal seat. (FYI, unlike
on 98+% of all other engines ever built, the thermostat on this engine
is located on the *inlet* side of the engine, way down low on the
driver's side where the lower radiator hose connects to the engine.)

If it's just a little trace amount of residue, you're probably OK - even
some brand new ones do that. If it's larger amounts or stays wet, then
you really should replace it because, though they can seep for years
without further problems, they can suddenly totally let loose
(basically, the bleeder valve seat becomes unbonded from the plastic of
the housing), quickly draining the engine of coolant and destroying it
if you're not paying attention to the temp. gage. There's risk enough
as it is with the 2.7L engine (known for sludging up) without that
happening.

Whether you stay with this one or replace it, if you ever do open that
bleeder, be very gentle with it - when you close it back up, only
lightly snug it down - too much torque and the bleeder and its seat can
twist right out of the housing, and you're dead in the water until you
replace it. The design (metal molded into plastic on a heated and
pressurized part) is very poor. I understand there is a later design
that is all metal - not sure if that's OEM or aftermarket, but anything
would be an improvement over the original design.