It was long overdue on my son’s daily (VCG, OFHG, CCV, etc.) Got low radiator coolant warning a few times lately, had little to no heat... adding water didn’t help much, no visible leaks, coolant not oily, oil had no coolant mixed in, pressure test passed, was losing a quart of oil each 1000 miles, had vacuum leak codes that was unable to track smoking it out....
Decided will do all at once... learned a few things...
1) if your hard cooling pipes not leaking DO NOT try to replace them, they WILL break, which means PAIN. You will have to take off water pump and thermostat to clean up the debris. Cleaning the residue will take half day to get proper tools, etc. Plan ahead! I didn’t. Sadly.
2) If you install Cold Weather CCV, the only way you can install it properly is with the intake OFF because it fits TIGHT. Check vacuum plug is not missing under all of that foam covering CCV.
3) cleaning all oil, steering fluid, and coolant will take time, budget an extra half day for it. I found it easier to use Lamp Oil to clean up gunk, takes off heavy oils and/or wax.
4) When reinstalling thermostat, water pump - get NEW hardware... using small torque wrench and going slow on old (no rust) studs/nuts I heard specific “crack” I thought I broke the stud... it took me a day to get replacement studs and new nuts from FCP (thanks big help)... could not get one of the studs out, it would not budge using 2 nut method... had to use an extra nut with a nylon washer, that took it out. Torqued again to 80 in/pounds, extra carefully this time.
5) taking out lower radiator hose is like wrestling with a bear, took me 30 mins, had to pry it on the side of the radiator bracket, nothing else helped.
6) draining coolant from the block, get one of those “form-a-funnel” to avoid any mess. Was unable to torque the bolt to specs so did it “good-and-tight” specs. Replace the washer.
7) was able to find a few bolts and nuts that disappeared years ago in the engine bay... some of them end up in the housing below brake booster.
8) reassembling next, coolant pressure test before I take manifold goes back in. Hoping it will pass as I opted not to use any RTV on the hard pipes but had some pitted areas.
9) PO used black RTV to glue DISA to the intake. Don’t do that! Took me good few hours to clean up DISA and intake. DISA was also rebuilt using GAS kit.
10) if you have replaced plastic pulley with some anodized aluminum MAKE sure you have some anti-seize on the water pump, or you will have troubles taking it off. Besides mine was flaking anodized solution and looked not that great after just 2 years.
11) Crank shaft sensor gasket... if yours original it will likely leak, replace the sensor or the gasket “while you in there...”. Mine leaked.
12) biggest oil leak was from VANOS line, not from VCG, not from OFHG although both needed to be replaced.
13) Intake gasket, although pliable, need to be replaced due to age and wear. Get new intake gasket even though some youtubers say you won’t need it.
14) Throttle body gasket, if replacing ( I did ) make sure it goes in tapered side in, read the instructions on the gasket and or comparing to original. Both sides are NOT the same!
15) Vacuum plugs on the back of the intake WILL be hard and likely cracked. Get new big and small plugs.
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