Replacing the coolant crossover pipe

[slb04786]

Anyone have any tips for disassemling and replacing the gaskets on the coolant crossover pipe. This is the pipe that is at the rear of the engine and supplies coolant from one head to aother on the 3.5L engine.

Any tricks, tips, shortcuts or instructions you would care to supply would be appreciated. I'll be doing this over the weekend I hope.
Stan

[carbon02]

Stan--

I've never done this repair, but I have a 2000 Intrigue with the 3.5L that is using coolant, and has dried coolant on the bolts on this crossover.

I've reviewed the information on AllData for this repair, and it doesn't give a procedure.

It would be kind of understandable if the exhaust manifold wasn't right in the way. I'm wondering if it would be accessable with the intake manifold pulled off, would that give access to all the bolts on the crossover?

Maybe the bolts could be removed without pulling a lot of other parts off, but it doesn't look like there's a lot of clearance if those bolts are over a few inches long..

I found someone on another forum that mentioned he did this, but his post was from 2006, and he hasn't returned an e-mail.

Anyone out there got any ideas for the water crossover near the exhaust manifold on the drivers side of the engine?

Please keep us updated or send me a PM if you want to chat about this. Felpro makes the gaskets, but it looks like it could be a pretty extensive job.

[krivasauto]

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[carbon02]

Krivasauto--

The gaskets can be found cheaper than $12.00 a piece at Rockauto.com the problem becomes the labor. I don't know how much is involved with loosening the rear exhaust manifold with the engine in it's current position in the car.

Didn't you just put this engine in your Intrigue, or based on your shutterfly site have you picked up another one? If this is on the car with the new water pump it looks like that was leaking for quite a while, based on the corrosion.

Anyway-- Drop me a PM with your E-Mail address if you need any procedures and i can look over the holidays. If I remember right this procedure isn't in the Alldata for Intrigues, but it is in AllData for the Aurora 3.5L, and there's a few people over at Aurora Club of North America that have done this.

You've pulled an engine, so I'm sure you can do it.. The question is how to get at it without moving motor mounts ect..

[slb04786]

I ended up doing this job aboy 3-4 weeks ago. I typed up a detailed rply on this site but when I submitted it I guess my login had timed out or something. It said I needed to login even though it said "Welcome slb04786" in the upper right hand corner. After logging in it said my reply coudn't be posted because I had logged in and to click on the back button to go back. Doing that took me to a blank reply. I had spent about an hour explaining what i had done and it was all gone. Should have used the copy function first I guess. I was so disappointed I didn't feel like retyping all that again.

Basically, yes you need to loosen the exhaust crossover pipe. I only loosened it on one side as I couldnt get to the backside. All but 1-2 of the coolant crossover bolts will come out with the exhaust pipe there. i used a prybar to move the pipe just enough to allow the other 2 bolts to come out. It only need to move 1/4-3/8 inch. I'll try this reply and hopefully it will go through.
Stan

[carbon02]

Stan--

So you only removed the two bolt's where the rear manifold flanges to the central pipe, not off the exhaust ports itself?

Prybar-- So there was enough flex in the exhaust pipe, or did "Strategic Denting" with the crow bar allow you to gain the 1/4-3/8" needed.

Mom's car has suprisingly stopped eating the antifreeze, but now it's using a quart every 1200-1500 miles. I haven't done this repair, but it's only at 75,000 miles for a 2000. If I keep it, this job probably will be in order.

Thanks for the update..

Carbon02

[slb04786]

Yes, I just removed the 2 bolts on the flange. I did'nt need to do any denting of the exhaust pipe. Removing those two bolts allowed me to put my pry bar (crow bar) down between the head and the pipe and move it just enough to loosen the other 2 coolant crossover bolts and lift it up and out with the bolts. It's tight but I had just enough movement to get the job done. Much longer bolts and I wouldn't have been able to. I couldn't even get to the exhaust bolts on the other side of the engine. I couldn't even see if there was a flange down there or not.

I hope this helps. Let me know if I can offer anything else.
Notes:
1) I removed the EGR valve to get room to work on that side of the coolant pipe bolts
2) Once I had the pipe loose I removed the engine mount/stabilizer (my own word) plate to get more room to work on that side.
3) I used a gasket shellac to help hold the gaskets in place during reassembly. I don't know if it is recommended or not. I haven't had any problems with leaks yet. Knock on head.
good luck
Stan

call me if you need immediate response. My cell phone number is on my website http://pcsecureonline.com

[krivasauto]

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[krivasauto]

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[slb04786]

Thanks, I think. Ya, I'm definately "Shade Tree Mechanic". Only my shop is not as spotless as theirs was. Haha.

Once I unbolted the flange I could move it just enough. Didn't have to move much.

Looking at your picture reminded me that you will need to unhook the EGR and the flex pipe below it as well as the heater hose that are on the crossover pipe. It's nice to see why I couldn't find a flange on that side of the engine. No way I could have unbolted the manifold on that side.

[carbon02]

Good luck krivasauto-- I learn something every time I log in here. I believe the EBCM may require programming to the vehicle. I remember a post mentioning a company that can rebuild the electronics of this Bosch Module, but if I remember it was a few hundred dollars. Anyway that's another discussion. For another thread.

It's becoming snowy winter here in Minnesota so most of my projects will be on hold until spring, but always willing to throw around idea's..

[krivasauto]

Originally Posted by slb04786

Looking at your picture reminded me that you will need to unhook the EGR and the flex pipe below it as well as the heater hose that are on the crossover pipe. It's nice to see why I couldn't find a flange on that side of the engine. No way I could have unbolted the manifold on that side.

I have read that you are supposed to replace that EGR pipe if you remove it - I assume you have no exhaust leaks?

Here is a picture that will help others visualize what we are looking at. This view is if you were standing in front of the car, looking back toward the driver's side rear of the engine compartment:

[carbon02]

According to the 3.5L 2001 Aurora procedure both the EGR inlet and outlet pipes (Both of the flexible lines that attach to the coolant crossover) have a crush connection on the end that attaches to the Water Crossover. Inorder to reuse the hoses the procedure recommends not to remove the connections to the water crossover. Remove the other ends. This of course doesn't make using the crow bar trick any easier with this stuff attached.

It's funny that the Intrigue shows 6.5 hours of labor for this job, but with no procedure. But the Aurora mentions the procedure of removing the right manifold exhaust manifold. But both the Intrigue and Aurora procedures for the right manifold require near engine removal! So this will be a great trick and it sounds like it might work!

[krivasauto]

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[carbon02]

According to the following links over at the Aurora forum it looks like they removed the throttle body, and heated the bolt on the rear exhaust manifold and disconnected the EGR Inlet from there. It also appears to mention that they went after the rear exhaust manifold with a series of extensions, Maybe from the top?

http://aurorah.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=nextgeneration&action=display&thre ad=17754

http://aurorah.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=nextgeneration&action=display&thre ad=15205

http://aurorah.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=nextgeneration&thre ad=5702&page=1