Heater Hose Disconnect - 95 Monte

[RiskyGuy]

I am swapping out a 3.1 engine and am having trouble disconnecting one of the heater hoses. The large metal fitting (27 mm) goes into the engine block just behind the thermostat housing. The heater hose assembly which is metal goes into this large fitting. I can't get it loose. It looks like a special connection that I haven't come across before. Any suggestions?

[growe58]

Originally Posted by RiskyGuy

I am swapping out a 3.1 engine and am having trouble disconnecting one of the heater hoses. The large metal fitting (27 mm) goes into the engine block just behind the thermostat housing. The heater hose assembly which is metal goes into this large fitting. I can't get it loose. It looks like a special connection that I haven't come across before. Any suggestions?

Unless you're swapping this part over to the new engine, there's no need to disconnect this fitting. Disconnecting the heater hose where the rubber hose runs into the metal pipe is the easiest place if you're going to pull the motor.

[growe58]

Just to follow up on my own post, I have a spare engine in the garage so I figured I'd give it a go. I had no problem loosening this piece where it was threaded into the thermostat housing (although I did have to use a piece of pipe on the end of my adjustable wrech to get enough torque). The fitting turns independently of the metal pipe, although to remove it you're probably going to have to remove the metal pipe as well; there is a brace on the metal pipe that goes to the block that will also require removal (I didn't go this far).

It was easy with engine out of the car and the upper plenum removed. I'm betting it will be a lot tougher with the motor in the car. But again, you don't NEED to do this to remove an engine.

PS If you have any problems getting the engine out, don't be afraid to ask. I've done it three times (but that's another story) in the last couple of months so I may be able to assist with advice.

[RiskyGuy]

Well I worked on it again yesterday with a dang pipe wrench and a cheater bar. It started to turn but was extremely hard to do. After about 6 quarter turns (all very hard to do) the damn intake manifold broke - a piece broke off where this pipe was threaded in. I looked inside the threaded area and discovered that the threads were stripped on the inside. So I am now taking the manifold off of the old engine and installing it on the new engine.

Originally Posted by growe58

Just to follow up on my own post, I have a spare engine in the garage so I figured I'd give it a go. I had no problem loosening this piece where it was threaded into the thermostat housing (although I did have to use a piece of pipe on the end of my adjustable wrech to get enough torque). The fitting turns independently of the metal pipe, although to remove it you're probably going to have to remove the metal pipe as well; there is a brace on the metal pipe that goes to the block that will also require removal (I didn't go this far).

It was easy with engine out of the car and the upper plenum removed. I'm betting it will be a lot tougher with the motor in the car. But again, you don't NEED to do this to remove an engine.

PS If you have any problems getting the engine out, don't be afraid to ask. I've done it three times (but that's another story) in the last couple of months so I may be able to assist with advice.