monkeydude3

Hello all~


Ok so here is my sob story... lmao... looking for as much input as I can get... sorry if it's long, but I figure I'd try not to leave much out

A few days ago I took my 1997 GT 5 speed to school to do a basic coolant system drain and fill. Thought I'd replace the Thermostat while I am at it, so I go down to the Ford dealer and buy one with a gasket. Only motorcraft parts for me! ha ha

So we drain the radiator, and take the T stat housing off and remove the stat itself. No problems. Now, the Ford dealer gave me a 192 thermostat and it requires a 195... now don't tell me this doesn't effect it, I've been down that road with other vehicles I've had, I've gotten the 'ol "oh it'll work fine a few degrees doesn't matter" and then my vehicles have ran in the cold on the temp gauge and with horrible mpg..


So I put the old T stat back in with a fresh gasket... worked fine anyway... torqued it down properly, everything down to the books. We filled up the system, ran it, burped it... no leaks, all was peachy keen. Seemed to me that with some fresh coolant I got a bit better heating too! Man I was a happy camper that day... have a greatly running stang..

A day later I'm cruisin home from school and I smell coolant burning... oh this is beautiful! I'm not overheating so I don't get too panicked, but when I get home and park, I get some steam emitting out my grill. I pop the hood and am greeted by a medium plume of steam coming out. I look and it is leaking, now I hope I describe this well enough so it makes sense...

It is leaking on between the intake manifold and the cylinder head directly beneath the thermostat housing... but it IS NOT LEAKING AT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING.... I have noticed that Ford took the briliant route of using the same two bolts to secure the thermostat housing and also to secure a section of the intake manifold...

Now in doing the thermostat may I have disturbed some godforsaken stress crack in my manifold? Or did I just **** off the gasket? Anyone had anything similar to this happen? A leak in the same spot?

I investigated that TSB regarding the bummed intake manifolds, and my car is most definitely included but I talked to a gentleman at the Ford dealer and he said it's too late to have it repaired for free..

Any help would be greaaaaaaaattttllly appreciated!


Have a great one all!


George

monkeydude3

*BUMP*



Anyone? Anyone at all? Gotta be someone who has experienced this shonanogans before.... lol


George

xx9gt6xx

Either you pissed off your gasket or you have a stress crack. When my GT started loosing tons of coolant it turned out to be like 4 stress cracks in the manifold. Mine was many of the 96's with the ****ty manifold that was on recall. I replaced it with the PI and now I'm good! Take it to a shop if your not sure...

monkeydude3

well I feel like a royal jackaZZ it was the upper radiator hose to thermsotat housing connection, that was a lil loose and corroded! And it managed to leak in a fashion that it looked like the manifold was leaking...wow I feel stupid! Well i have been putting in mondo hours at work and this problem was just too simple for me to notice.... lol.... ::sigh:: (tired)


And yah that recall is over so when my intake dies I'm buying a PI.... by the way how much does a PI intake cosT? A stock intake costs about 600 from ford


George

JonBeast

Haha, I had the same thing happen a few weeks ago.

You can check ebay from some intakes, and other mustang sites. You can pick them up for a hell-of-a-lot cheaper than the fcking stealership's 6 bills.

mustang_montana

pi manifold is 200 bucks top brand new. you can find em cheaper, you will need to reroute your water hose that runs beneath the intake.

monkeydude3

ok so I just had 'one of those days' where a tiny simple problem looked like a huge one...

but if my intake does fail, PI here we come!

First I will rebuild tranny, put in clutch and a catted performance H pipe


woot



George