TheSamba.com :: View topic - How do I remove coolant crossover pipe on '85 1.9L?

Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:12 pm

so i broke one of the studs that hold my alternator bracket in place. the crossover coolant pipe that comes from the thermostat is in the way of me getting a straight-on drill bit in there to get out the broken stud. so it looks like i need to remove that pipe. i got it off on the right side where the 2 allen bolts connect it to the engine. how do i get the pipe off of the other side where it meets the thermostat housing? ive read that its held on by an o-ring.
do i just remove the power steering pump/bracket and pull the pipe out? then put on a new o-ring and gently insert back in when its time to replace the pipe? or are there bolts holding it in as well as the o-ring?
thank u

Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:52 pm

your diptstick tube is probably attached to it. loosen the clamp but be careful not to bend/crack it.

after that, some wiggling and the pipe should come free.

Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:30 am

atomatom wrote: your diptstick tube is probably attached to it. loosen the clamp but be careful not to bend/crack it.

after that, some wiggling and the pipe should come free.

This is going back 10 years for me, but I recall having to hack off a small bracket that was on the crossover tube, the bracket that holds the dipstick.

Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:49 am

On my 1st eng i tested the pipe removal ended removing a small amount of metal giving clearance ti pull out tube from rt side, did same to other engines, pully needs to be off, as usual no warranty offered at this time. Mine wouldn't come out, pully has to be off to slightly remove some metal so tube can be removed later, maybe not all r like this.

Tue Aug 04, 2015 10:07 am

there seems to be some conflicting opinions...it looks like if i remove the power steering pump, and the bracket that holds it on, then i should have enough room to pull that tube to the right. im mainly concerned about possible damage to the apparently NLA thermostat housing as i pull out the tube and eventually put it back in. i dont see a reason why i would have to remove the pully, unless u are talking about the pulley on the power steering pump. ok, as i understand it, only the 2 allen bolts on the right end of the tube, the bracket that holds it to the dipstick, and the o-ring inside the thermostat housing are the only thing holding that tube in place? so i just need to pull and wiggle that tube to the right after i disconnect the allen bolts and the dipstick. pulling to the right it looks like i should clear my main pulley.

Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:06 pm

ok. thank u guys, i got it out. wiggling indeed worked. plus i had to take out the power steering pump bracket to get enough room to pull right at the same time as wiggling. plus more wiggling as the flared end just by a micron made its way through the hole above and behind the center pulley. too bad they dont sell wiggle in a can, lol.
i noticed the flat o-ring had some kind of sealant around it. what sealant is that? and did that o-ring just flatten over time, was it originally a regular round o-ring?

Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:02 pm

yep, the o-ring should look like this: http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_372_442/yellow-o-ring-for-coolant-crossover-tube.html

i don't think you're supposed to use sealant as well. someone may have used sealant instead of getting a new o-ring, which is why it probably took more forceful wiggling.

Wed Aug 05, 2015 11:41 am

thank u for the pic. do u know if there's anything special about that o-ring? i was just gonna source it locally if i can. the only thing that seems different about it is that the one in the pic is yellow. my original is black.

Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:52 pm

My original was yellow and I just picked one up locally for $1.80 and its yellow too. The black one sounds bogus. Good luck. Part # N.028.225.2

Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:24 pm

well, it is yellow, and quite fat. i don't know much more than that. but for $1.50 from van-cafe, i'd order one. if you ask nicely, they might even ship it cheap, but there are probably a few other things on your shopping list, like one of these: http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_781_449/alternator-bracket.html

Sun Aug 09, 2015 9:06 pm

So when I replaced my yellow o ring yesterday I noticed a couple things. First the coolant cross over tube came out way to easy. I removed only the two allen bolts and pulled and guided the tube out. This is an orange o ring that came with a seal kit or I sourced locally when I did the rebuild a couple years ago. I made a mistake. It is sloppy and loose now after 2 years.

This is the new one large and tight.Go with the Part # N.028.225.2