Losing coolant

[Cliff8928]

Originally Posted by zzyzzx

Why does the throttle body have cooling lines going to it?

So the throttle plate doesn't ice up in extreme cold temperatures.

[zzyzzx]

OK, not how do I get the UIM nut off that's near the alternator? There seems to be a power steering line that's in the way. I can fit a 13mm closed end wrench on it, but I can't move it. Would a ratcheting wrench work here?

[zzyzzx]

OK, finally got the UIM off. Will most likely not put that stupid nut that gave me problems back in that same spot and replace it later with a regular bolt that I'll get next time I'm at a junkyard. That's the second thing where the car does not exactly match the factory service manual. I assume that as long as I have the UIM out, I should clean it really good (not that it's particularly dirty, but I always do that). How do I clean out the insides of it?

Also, I assume that this car as double platinum spark plugs that I won't have to replace anytime soon? Seems to me that you can't do anything behind the engine without removing the alternator and coil pack, at the very least.

[cherrington17]

to do the plugs, you don't need to remove the alt.. but moving the coil packs does help.

i'd take them out while your there, and inspect them. If you do have one or two bad ones, you'll kick yourself for NOT doing them now.

You are following this, right?
http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showt...ght=lim+gasket

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

You are following this, right?
http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showt...ght=lim+gasket

To an extent, yes. But just like the factory service manual, it's sometimes wrong, or not applicable since I will be using the special tool to remove the push rods.

Another thing I'm going to have to research is the LIM torque specifications and order. I see multiple postas about the correct torque specifications, but nowhere have a seen an actual diagram about what the correct order is (I know the difference between the vertical and diaginal ones, but within those groups, there is still an order. That and exactly where to (and not to) apply the RTV.

[cherrington17]

use the new torque specs... the 4 on the sides get torqued down more, then the centers.

I'd message whitev6 or nate for the proper order.

[zzyzzx]

How much coolant is going to come out when I remove the thermostat housing from the LIM? Is there a good way to catch it?

Now that I've inspected it with the UIM off, I can see that the LIM is exrernally leaking all over the place on the sides where there is the RTV only part. Those diagonal LIM bolts are in some dirty areas!

[zzyzzx]

What's the white crap on the 6 UIM bolts?

[cherrington17]

thread lock. so seal the bolts in the holes.

also, your suppose to drain the coolant in like... the first step. After doing that, i had 0 coolant coming out of the thermo housing.

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

thread lock. so seal the bolts in the holes.

So put blue threadlicker on the UIM bolts?

Originally Posted by cherrington17

also, your suppose to drain the coolant in like... the first step. After doing that, i had 0 coolant coming out of the thermo housing.

Yes, I drained the radiator, but not the engine block plugs. Just looking at the hoses, I would think there would still be some coolant left in the LIM and probably in the thermostat housing as well.

[zzyzzx]

Another website with a bunch of in progress pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/album/125871974XzTxrQ

[cherrington17]

you need new UIM bolts. (as per....everyone) i'm not sure if threadlocking the old ones will suffice.

and i didn't drain the engine bolts either. If you drained using the plug in the radiator, that is below the thermo housing. there shouldn't be any above that.

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

you need new UIM bolts. (as per....everyone) i'm not sure if threadlocking the old ones will suffice.

The new bolts are for the LIM, not the UIM. In so far as the LIM bolts, plenty of people have reused them and applied new threadlock, but I figure that's for more experienced people than myself.

[cherrington17]

UIM gets new bolts too. should be in the kit.

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

If you drained using the plug in the radiator, that is below the thermo housing. there shouldn't be any above that.

Hose between the thermostat housing and radiator goes up (as in up going towards the radiator), so I don't see how it could drain out.

And reason why the LIM has '99' on it? Do they really very from year to year?

[zzyzzx]

Just found another website with a bunch fo good pics, along with their theory of why these gaskets fail:

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/90





Those leaking coolant pics are exactly what I see.

[zzyzzx]

Another good How-To with lots of pictures (althgh no Alero):

http://www.handymanlyness.com/archiv..._99_Jimmy.html

[zzyzzx]

I found the bolt sequence in the Factory Service manual. You don't do it like an oil pan or anything, you work from the inside out. It also mentions nothing about using new bolts. It says to put on threadlocker! I should probably get then and type them in here, but at least it does to do the vertical ones first. Nothing about doing it in steps like the new procedure.

Factory service manual says:
An oil leak may result if the vertical bolts are not tightened before the diagonal bolts.

1. Tighten the vertical lower intake manifold bolts (1) to 13N·m(115 lb in).
2. Tighten the diagonal lower intake manifold bolts (2) to 13N·m(115 lb in).


From what I've been able to gather over the internet, the revised method is:

1. Tighten the vertical lower intake manifold bolts (1) to 7N·m (62 lb in).
2. Tighten the diagonal lower intake manifold bolts (2) to 7N·m(62 lb in).
3. Tighten the vertical lower intake manifold bolts (1) to 13N·m(115 lb in).
4. Tighten the diagonal lower intake manifold bolts (2) to 25N·m(18 lb ft) or (216 lb in).

I'm providing the conversion to lb in on #4 so you maybe don't have to bring an extra torque wrench.

I've also read something about a 30degree thing, but I'm not completely sure where that comes from and don't see it often.

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by rustyballs_69

Don't mess with the rocker arm till you have the lower intake manifold off. Then use the tool to lift the rocker arm up and pull the push rods out. Make sure you don't mix up the push rods. I would put 12 holes in a box and lable the box front and rear. That way the push rods go back in the same place they came from.

Is it even possible to mess them up if you are using the tool? I mean is there even enough extra slack to put a longer one into where a shorter one goes if you are not removing the rocker arms?

[cherrington17]

yes, absolutely do the "revised" torque specs. The old ones lead to it leaking again.