Water pump Replacement: Tube into Stat housing?

[magnethead494]

Dad and I succesfully completed the water pump and housing replacement in 6 hours including lunch.

The metal tube going from the upward face of the housing to the thermostat housing (correct?) sure made it a royal B to get the assembly in and out. However, it was also very wobbly loose in that housing... Should we have removed it and changed the O-ring? We couldn't figure out how it comes apart.

Also, do these trucks normally take for-freaking-ever for the thermostat to pop? It took ever bit of 30 minutes at idle before the stat opened and it gulped down the new coolant. It took 1.5 gallons with the stat closed, stabilized, then took 3.5 more gallons.

 

[DAVe3283]

You should've been able to push most of the coolant in by opening the bleeder on the housing. The low temp thermostat has a little bypass/bleeder that lets the air out of the motor for the initial fill.

Usually I only have to add another quart or so after the first drive, never anywhere near a gallon. Hopefully your motor didn't get super hot internally. The thermostat and temperature gauge don't work right in air, only submerged in coolant.

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[magnethead494]

There is a bleeder? oops....

I kept checking the front and back of the heads/valve covers (as best as I could) with the heat gun, was getting 90-110 most of the time. Water sender was around 170, lower block around 180-190.

Anyways, should that tube have been loose, or is that asking for a future leak?

 

[DAVe3283]

The tube is loose when the bottom isn't bolted down, just an oring keeping it in. It probably won't leak, and isn't the hardest to replace if it does. I wouldn't sweat it.

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[TheBac]

Be thankful you didnt have to pull that tube. Very easy to cut the oring when reinstalling it.