Quote:
Originally Posted by RustX7
I believe my 2001 LeSabre has leaks at both the UIM and LIM gaskets. It may just be the UIM but I plan to do the LIM while I'm in there. I am definitely losing coolant (albeit very, very slowly) and there is evidence of oil leaking at these gaskets. Here are pictures (sorry for the low quality, it's the best I can do right now):
My questions are:
1) Is this the kit I want to buy? - http://www.ineedparts.com/auto-parts...kit-17806.html
2) There is a link at the bottom of that page to a LIM gasket that it says is the right one for the job, but isn't there the possiblity of needing a gasket that is "pinned" or "not pinned"? Isn't that an unknown variable until you get the LIM off? If so, should I wait and not buy that gasket? My concern about this stems from this thread: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=700916
3) I believe I can see the fabled elbow that everyone talks about breaking when they remove the LIM - the piece that goes from the tensioner into the LIM sure looks like an elbow to me. But, tapping on it, it seems like metal. I thought they were plastic? Assuming I'm wrong, and I break it like everyone else does, that elbow doesn't seem to be included in that kit from my question #1. What is the proper name for that elbow so that I can buy it somewhere? Do you suppose Autozone will have that?
Thanks very much in advance for any advice. I'm hoping this will be easier than it looks, like everyone says, but I guess my biggest fear is unknowingly buying the wrong parts and thus being faced with a big delay and lack of use of the car in achieving this fix. |
I just had mine done with the APN from Ineedparts.com that you show.
The lowers they offer together with the upper may be fine.
My problem turned out to be the throttle body gasket. The car had a recall done where they put on different taps wtih spring washers to keep pressure. But the gasket they used was thin and when the UIM warps from heating and cooling, the gasket didn't have enough thickness to maintain a seal. GM should have done a recall on the gaskets on the throttle body.
The lowers had a couple of the rectangular seals around the runners distorted inward and the plastic matrix was about ready to break and the nylon sealing parts seemed still intact. I did have a pooling of coolant coming up in one of the pockets in front away from the throttle body end. So the mechanic and I had surmised the problem would be lowers. But if I had cleaned my throttle body at 80K miles and put on a new gasket, I wouldn't have had this at 107,000, because the leak was easy to fix at the throttle body.
The coolant elbow is available from the HELP (Dorman) racks at parts stores. The mechanic broke the elbow on mine.