So, I bought the Stang in November last year. The previous owner had someone put a new water pump, thermostat and hoses on the thing prior to selling it. Kudos to him. Problem is it started slowly leaking out of the upright heater hose fitting on the thermostat housing. Me, not knowing it was facking plastic, I simply started tightening the hose clamp that was put on there in place of those damn squeeze type clamps. It never really stopped the leak, and last Saturday, I had driven it for around 100 miles. Parked it in the garage. When I came out an hour later, coolant running out of the garage big time. Lost about one gallon just sitting there. So, I removed that hose to find the plastic badly deformed. Focking plastic parts.
Rather than buy a new one, I went to the Ace Hardware store down the street. Found a 1/4 NPT X 2.5 long piece of pipe that looked like it would do the trick. Got it home, used a sanding disc to remove the threads on one end while slightly tapering it. Also thinned down the entire thing just a hair. Coated it with black RTV and stuck it inside the plastic upright pipe. I had to use a hammer and lightly tap on it to get it home. About 1.5 inches of the 2.5 is inside the plastic pipe, the remaining one inch remains outside. The RTV squeezed out on top of the plastic, so I faired it in good. Let it dry 24 hours. Put the hose back on and tightened it good and tight, since it is now backed by metal. Also put another clamp around the top above the first one, to clamp onto the one inch sticking out the top. Put the gallon of coolant back in. Have driven it over 100 miles so far with not one single drip around the offending upright pipe. First time since I've had the car that it hasn't leaked in that area. I can finally clean up all the coolant stains that are all over the engine and everything else on the passenger side. As a mechanic friend told me, "you'll not have to mess with that again".
I hate plastic engine parts!
Rather than buy a new one, I went to the Ace Hardware store down the street. Found a 1/4 NPT X 2.5 long piece of pipe that looked like it would do the trick. Got it home, used a sanding disc to remove the threads on one end while slightly tapering it. Also thinned down the entire thing just a hair. Coated it with black RTV and stuck it inside the plastic upright pipe. I had to use a hammer and lightly tap on it to get it home. About 1.5 inches of the 2.5 is inside the plastic pipe, the remaining one inch remains outside. The RTV squeezed out on top of the plastic, so I faired it in good. Let it dry 24 hours. Put the hose back on and tightened it good and tight, since it is now backed by metal. Also put another clamp around the top above the first one, to clamp onto the one inch sticking out the top. Put the gallon of coolant back in. Have driven it over 100 miles so far with not one single drip around the offending upright pipe. First time since I've had the car that it hasn't leaked in that area. I can finally clean up all the coolant stains that are all over the engine and everything else on the passenger side. As a mechanic friend told me, "you'll not have to mess with that again".
I hate plastic engine parts!
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