Help! Glitch in middle of LIM job

[John Michael]

First off, this is an AWESOME site! This is my first post, but I've already gotten such great info from doing searches so that I am confident in doing my LIM manifold job.

'97 Lumina 3100 "M" engine:

I'm ready to unbolt and take off the lower intake, HOWEVER - I can not seem to figure out how to disconnect the coolant pipe that goes into the LIM near the thermostat housing! The pipe seems to be pushed in with a plastic clip of some sort. I already took off the nut underneath the bracket that supports the pipe. I've tried squeezing this clip, spinning the clip around, whatever, but I just don't understand how to disconnect it. The Haynes manual says something about using a screwdriver to "spin" the pipe but that seems to make no sense to me...

Any help is appreciated, I feel dumb getting this far so easily and now getting hung up on this!

[John Michael]

Just to clarify, the pipe I'm referring to is the pipe that goes between the LIM (thermostat housing area) and then attaches to one of the heater hoses.

Not sure if my original post made sense, apparently can't edit posts...

[89Red-Z24]

Quick Disconnect

To remove the heater line you need a special quick disconnect tool, it pushes into the plastic clip and spreads the ends and releases the clip here is a link to what Im talking about

http://www.slaetechs.com/browseproducts/LIS37000A-C-FUEL-LINEDISCONNECT-TOOLS.HTML

You can get this tool at most auto parts stores

[tractorman]

Those connectors are junk anyway- you'll be lucky if you can remove it without breaking the plastic clip. It'll spin on that metal pipe, so if you can get a wrench in there, you can just spin the connector out of the intake, then take the pipe off where you can get to it.

The first time I removed that pipe on the wife's corsica, the plastic clip broke. I got a new connector assembly for $13 at the dealer. Two years later I removed that pipe again doing the LIM job... and the sonofabittch broke again! That pissed me off, so I replaced the connector with a 1/2" NPT X 5/8" hose fitting, and connected that to the pipe with silicon heater hose. That's held for about 3 years now.

The same thing happened when I did the LIM job on my '96 achieva about 6 months ago. By then I new what to expect, and this time I went to the hardware store and got a 1/2" NPT X 5/8 compression fitting... crimped that ferrule onto the heater hose pipe and it was better than new. I sold that car a few weeks ago, but it held fine that way for about 8 months.

[John Michael]

Thanks for the tips.

I was at the dealer to get new throttle body coolant hoses today, and the guy at the counter said the same thing - essentially I'd be lucky if the plastic clip doesn't break, but not to worry about it since it isn't expensive or difficult to put a new one on. So I'll give it another try tonight.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Tractorman, if I spin that connector out of the intake (and perhaps buy a new one), what do I use to seal the threads?

[tractorman]

If you get a new one, I think there'll be thread sealant on it. If not, or if you reuse the old one, put a couple wraps of thread tape on it. Don't overtighten it either- you can bust aluminum castings if you tighten pipe threads too tight.

If you don't have thread tape around, locktite or even silicon will seal it. It ain't the right way, but it'll work.

[John Michael]

Well, I got the pipe out. At first I thought the plastic clip was ok, but upon further inspection it seemed like a little of it broke inside the fitting. The o-ring looked bad too, so I'm just going to buy the new fitting.

I got the fitting out of the manifold. I couldn't believe how tight it was in there, I was thinking the same thing "I hope this doesn't break or I'll be shopping the junk yard for a new manifold!". I soaked it with PB Blaster and let it sit overnight and this morning I finally got it out. Whew, nervous moment.

I also got the oil pump drive out (eventually). That wasn't easy either, but now that I've done it once I could probably do it faster the second time. The trick apparently is to just pull and keep pulling until it comes out, at first I was spending too much time trying to "wiggle" it out.

So, I think I'm almost ready for reassembly, just need to do a little more cleaning of gasket surfaces, etc.

Oh, yes, what a great American feeling I get when (on my Canadian assembled Chevy) I pull the intake and on the cylinder head I see the letters "Made in Mexico". LOL

[Juglenaut]

I was able to use my hands to remove it is a quick connect, I guess I used them alot i don't know but they are easy for me to remove.

aka water nipple... quick connect.

They are made now out of a better pot metal but still are crap. The thread body itself is self seating dry seal and on top that some tuff thread sealant is used. Technically you should have to use thread seal, but tolerances make it a requirement.

Just feel lucky it was not made by robots in the US, mexicans most times finish the heads and lim by hand. I think mexican cylinder heads heads flow better.