I had intended to change this seal out last weekend and after poking at it briefly decided that I didn't want to have bits of crusty rubber falling into the coolant passages. I figure I'll deal with it when I do an intake R&R and have the bridge out. Is this seal normally so bad, or am I just looking at a 16 year old original? Any tricks to dealing with removing such a beastie?

 

I dealt with the same issue this week. I looked at every used one we had and they all the same fate. It has a metal backing and I removed mine by distorting it with a screw driver just like to remove an oil seal.

 

Stuff paper towels down the water passages in the bridge. Use a small nail puller, looks like a screwdriver with a claw hook in the end. Pry the old seal out and do a little cleaning where it seats. Shop-Vac the debris out of the bridge before you pull the paper towel plugs.

Having a pliable seal there means that more coolant goes through the radiator, less through the bypass back to the water pump inlet. With the heat we've been enjoying in SoCal lately, and another month or two of heat looming, I'd just go ahead and do the change now while you have it all exposed. Intake manifold refurb is scheduled for late Sept/Oct, when I'm travelling a lot for business. That way the powdercoaters can have a ball with it while I'm out earning the $ to pay for it.

No more than -maybe- 40% coolant in distilled water, works out to about a gallon. Add a bottle of Redline Water Wetter too. It really helps!

 

Thanks, guys. Actually, the car is all back together and I found a loose hose at the reservoir so she's ship-shape right now. I will probably do the intake in August so I'll revisit the t-stat at that point.