major coolant leak after lower intake gasket replacement

[Lamorake]

Well, I decided to take on the dreaded task of replacing the lower manifold intake gaskets and put in new isolator bolts. It was a major undertaking, and when I finally finished the oil change and fired up the car, it sounded fine. Then I checked under the hood.

I saw coolant spurting out the side of one of the hose connections that I had to take off and put back on. I thought the gasket on it looked pretty worn, but wasn't expecting this!

Unfortunately I don't know the name of the hose connection to pick up a gasket at the store and I was looking for some help on that... it's the larger lower hose that is bolted on to the lower intake, not the hose slightly above it that has the plastic clips.

Can anyone tell me the name of this hose connection so I can try and find one at the store?

Oh, it's a 2003 Windstar model.

[Lamorake]

Okay... a deep dive on Google and finally came up with Thermostat housing. Makes sense because there was this device in the hose I wasn't familiar with (thermostat)...

Yes. I'm a complete newb to car repair, but I'm trying. lol

Anyways, I found the gasket at Autozone and will be trying the repair in the AM. The left over gasket will be quite the pain to remove... it was heat sealed on.

[12Ounce]

Glad you have it identified. That thermostat and gasket can be tricky to get together properly .. one does not have enough hands! After you get the old gasket off, you may want to use petroleum jelly, or some other grease, to help seal the gasket .... do not use anything that will make later removal difficult. If the gasket is in proper place, grease is all that is needed for a good seal.

[scubacat]

I didn't use any sealant and it worked fine. The hard part is getting the thermostat to stay in place while attaching the housing. I used a TINY dab of rtv so it would stay. Otherwise it shifts down ever-so-slightly and won't be seated in the "lip" properly.

Also, use a worm clamp instead of the spring clamp to ensure a good seal between the hose and the housing.