Any tips on removing crossover tube & thermostat hoses?

S

Scallywag

Well-Known LVC Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
231
Reaction score
13
Location
Franklin Park
Just looking for some tips on removing the crossover tube from the intake mount and how to loosen up the resevoir feed & engine return hoses that connect to the thermostat housing. I am newb when it comes to mechanics.

I'm replacing the crossover due to a leak at the front male/female coupler part of the tube assembly & burping the air pocket that i think is in there is out of the question since the drain plugs square bit insert is stripped and vice grips have done nothing but chew away at the edge. With no torch to heat & with the replacement having arrived today(thank you RAJones), might as well swap it. Only problem is that it's stuck real good to the intake mount & wont come off.

Thermostat because I haven't had any heat & jumpy temp needle. 5 minutes into my 1st drive of the day & the needle jumps up to the first red line for 20 seconds before dropping back to norm. Got radiator and crossover hoses disconnected, but the other ones are a pain to loosen from the housing.

Any tips would be great!
 
You need to wiggle it around some to break free some. Then I like to use long pry bar to get underneath crossover on each side and pry up. Get the bar under the crossover and find spot to pivot pry bar on to lift up on crossover. They can really be stuck in there. Did you get all new o rings? For removing hoses, pull back spring hose clamps. Then take a thin screwdriver and run it inbetween the hose and the nipple. Work it in and around to break free the stuck. Then pull them off easy.
 
189163_196713310353835_7152768_n.jpg


get a friend to climb up in there and yank like hell till it either comes out or they get tired.
 
I put a piece of heater hose on the pry bar to keep from denting in the tube , also rem oil like what ya use to clean a gun found at any Walmart in the sporting goods section , sprayed liberally and allowed to soak 10 min or so seemed to help emensley .
Gently pry one side at a time with a reg ol 2ft pry bar cheap enuff at harbor frieght
Hope this helps and do get new orings before you put it back in.
If its a 97-98 it will have three orings one on each end and one in the center as it is a 2 piece crossover tube .
 
Instead of running a screw driver inside the hose risking a puncture, slide the clamp down the hose and get channel locks large enough to fit around where the clamp was, grip and rotate the hose a bit, this breaks them free far easier, without damage
For the crossover, I use a 2" long pry bar and hook it under the pipe at the curve where it goes into the vertical section from the block, and use either valve cover edge as your pivot point
 
Sapperfire said:
Instead of running a screw driver inside the hose risking a puncture, slide the clamp down the hose and get channel locks large enough to fit around where the clamp was, grip and rotate the hose a bit, this breaks them free far easier, without damage
For the crossover, I use a 2" long pry bar and hook it under the pipe at the curve where it goes into the vertical section from the block, and use either valve cover edge as your pivot point
Click to expand...

You can rip into the hose doing it that way also. If you guide the screwdriver down against the nipple never a problem in 25 years. I have hose pliers that are curved that go around the hose those work good but can still rip up hose.
 
Sapperfire said:
For the crossover, I use a 2" long pry bar and hook it under the pipe at the curve where it goes into the vertical section from the block, and use either valve cover edge as your pivot point
Click to expand...

That's a pretty short pry bar you've got there. :rolleyes:

I wouldn't recommend using the valve covers as the fulcrum, that's a good way to go "ripped camel" on them.

I use a 2' long pry bar with a curve, but I use a block of wood as a fulcrum.
 
Right on the Mark said:
You can rip into the hose doing it that way also. If you guide the screwdriver down against the nipple never a problem in 25 years. I have hose pliers that are curved that go around the hose those work good but can still rip up hose.
Click to expand...

I've F'd up a hose both ways...lol
I've got a snap on hose tool that works great, long one and a short one. My son always calls it a booger hook.
 
Heck I had to use a stud welder and a slide hammer to get my crossover tube out.... lol
 
DLF said:
That's a pretty short pry bar you've got there. :rolleyes:

I wouldn't recommend using the valve covers as the fulcrum, that's a good way to go "ripped camel" on them.

I use a 2' long pry bar with a curve, but I use a block of wood as a fulcrum.
Click to expand...

-- its so easy to typo when your keyboard is the size of your thumb. -_-
If the hose rips with channel locks, it was time to replace it anyway
 
Trippen Out said:
189163_196713310353835_7152768_n.jpg


get a friend to climb up in there and yank like hell till it either comes out or they get tired.
Click to expand...

LOL

I actually tried that to no avail. All that happened was I lost grip and rolled backwards onto the pavement...

After shaking the cobwebs out, I found this thread after some more searching with the suggestion of using a screwdriver under the sensor boss. Worked like a charm! Now only thing is the driver side insert into the manifold is leaking a little bit of coolant. Maybe because I didn't use sealer or correct o-ring.

The replacement i got came with 3 Os and 1 smaller green O. I assume the green one is for the drain plug and the other 3 for the inserts that go into the manifold and where they couple together in front. Seems like the tube is asking for 2 more Os where the hoses connect to it. I'll look at the older one and see if it has 'em and use those if so.

As for the thermostat, I got the other hoses loose and replaced the clamps with hose clamps because squeezing and walking the other ones was a bit tedious in tight spots. I haven't allowed the car to get warm to see if I get heat because the leaking from intake manifold at the the crossover insert has some sealer applied to it and am waiting for it to dry while I post this and grab a bite since it leaks out when the car is turned on. Noob stuff I'm sure I overlooked.

Thanks a lot for all the input! :)
 
From your first post you state you got a replacement crossover pipe? Why not use that one? And only 3 orings on pipe one on each end and one in middle. The cap has the little oring you mentioned. Look at this nasty rusty one that saved my day at the track! I could not believe the cap came off no fuss.
023.jpg
 
Make sure that your seal didn't roll out of its groove on the pipe, I like to use a little smear of vaseline in the block holes and a touch around the seal

+1 , the tube only requires 3 seals for itself, and 1 on the cap, none are needed for the hose connections. For removing spring clamps on hoses in tight areas I use needle nose vise grips or these..
00947390000.jpg
 
Scallywag said:
The replacement i got came with 3 Os and 1 smaller green O. I assume the green one is for the drain plug and the other 3 for the inserts that go into the manifold and where they couple together in front. Seems like the tube is asking for 2 more Os where the hoses connect to it. I'll look at the older one and see if it has 'em and use those if so.
Click to expand...

+2

There are no o-rings where the hoses connect. :rolleyes:

The trick to making sure that the tubes don't leak where they enter the heads is to clean the ports in the head completely and lightly oil the o-rings prior to installation. No sealant of any kind! :cool:
 
Sapperfire said:
Make sure that your seal didn't roll out of its groove on the pipe, I like to use a little smear of vaseline in the block holes and a touch around the seal

+1 , the tube only requires 3 seals for itself, and 1 on the cap, none are needed for the hose connections. For removing spring clamps on hoses in tight areas I use needle nose vise grips or these..
00947390000.jpg
Click to expand...

I was thinking about picking up that. Sometimes those spring clamps can be in the worst places.
 
i used a big crow bar. some quick leverage applied to both sides and it popped right off.
 
UltimateSVT said:
Project1-1.png


Shame on you... This is not the way! All of us on this forum learned a couple years ago that a hammer, a pry bar, a short temper & beating the sh!t out of it is always the answer! :D
Click to expand...

awesome. im gonna link that picture to my friends facebook im sure he will get a kick out of it.

i believe we ended up using a screwdriver like a crow bar to get it out. but it was fun watching a couple of us try to "muscle" it out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 224 (members: 0, guests: 224)
Back
Top