Any tips on removing the water inlet housing? (1 Viewer)

[shtbrwn86]

the part has been 100% leak free and the truck has been running great since that service (water pump, timing belt, radiator, hoses) during some pretty hot summer weather

Then it's settled. I will be calling my dealer tomorrow to get a price quote since he gets pretty close to online prices with no shipping. Also the parts usually come out of Portland and I've never ordered something that didn't get there the next day.

Also, I know it's cheaper to just get the FIPG but I don't enjoy working with coolant. Not at all. It's worth it to me to pay a bit more to not have to tear it apart again.

 

[suprarx7nut]

I saw your other post where you bought the replacement part that came with the pre-installed gasket. I always wondered why Toyota would use FIPG for seals like that. I know it's good stuff but it seems so easy to do incorrectly, either by technique or the wrong gasket material.

You posted what like 4 months ago that you used the pre-installed gasket. Any leaks? If no then I will probably just order the new housing regardless. It's only $87 and the FIPG they want you to use is $35 a tube. Plus it looks like it comes with the o-ring already. Seems like a decent price and harder to mess up. I also am pretty sure I will find lots of pitting on mine when I pull it. The thermostat outlet for the radiator hose has some decent pitting on it.

Where are you taking about the FIPG? On the outlet I thought you were talking about, I don't think Toyota calls for FIPG.

 

[shtbrwn86]

Where are you taking about the FIPG? On the outlet I thought you were talking about, I don't think Toyota calls for FIPG.

Where the inlet housing connects to the crossover...maybe im not using the right name for the part. I think it's actually seal packing or something. I thought they used to use the standard FIPG but now recommended the seal packing stuff that's super expensive.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Where the inlet housing connects to the crossover...maybe im not using the right name for the part. I think it's actually seal packing or something. I thought they used to use the standard FIPG but now recommended the seal packing stuff that's super expensive.

View attachment 2421152

Ahhh. Ok. Gotcha. Yeah I agree it's a weird seal for R and R.

 

[NoVaGator]

Where are you taking about the FIPG? On the outlet I thought you were talking about, I don't think Toyota calls for FIPG.

see this whole page here:

Coolant leak at water inlet and..

 

[shtbrwn86]

Well it took about an hour spread out over a few days to get this housing out but I did, and it came out intact! I was super pumped and got to cleaning the rectangular part where the new housing will mate..
I used a soft stainless steel wire brush on my drill on low speed and it got the gasket off but I think it may have also gouged the surface. What I can't be sure of is if the surface was already like this or if the brush I used caused this. Of course my big concern is whether this will leak or not.

How good is that factory installed sealant on covering up minor surface imperfections?

 

[shtbrwn86]

Sticking with the original topic, removing the housing, I was able to remove it without breaking anything. I used fishing line to break the gasket seal and then used a rubber mallet and hit it from both sides until I could get a screwdriver in the hole and basically just pushed it back and forth to break the seal on the o-ring. Then it was just a matter of moving it back and forth and pulling on it an ungodly amount of times. No prybar. No special tools. Just hard. I'm going to be pissed if the housing it mates to is ruined because of the wire brush and it leaks everywhere.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

Surface looks fine to me. The FIPG will fill in those minor imperfections.

Replace the hose, too...

 

[shtbrwn86]

Surface looks fine to me. The FIPG will fill in those minor imperfections.

Replace the hose, too...
View attachment 2428282

Thanks. It's funny you mention that hose because it was leaking which is why I ended up pulling the housing in the first place. But the split is because I cut it to make removal of the housing better

 

[shtbrwn86]

the part has been 100% leak free and the truck has been running great since that service (water pump, timing belt, radiator, hoses) during some pretty hot summer weather

Just wanted to follow up that I FINALLY got around to replacing this on my 99 and its been leak free thus far. Only driven it about 50 miles around town with some short highway trips as well but fingers crossed it holds up. I'm really happy they started pre-applying the gasket. It almost makes it worth just buying the new part since you'd have to buy an expensive tube of gasket just to do the job.

 

[ramangain]

I guess I'm a bit confused. There is the water inlet housing and the thermostat housing (the piece the thermostat "sits in"). Which did you replace, and which was the problem?

I also don't understand why anyone would put some sort of sealant around the thermostat seal. It fits snug as a bug with a good (new) seal anyways.

 

[shtbrwn86]

I guess I'm a bit confused. There is the water inlet housing and the thermostat housing (the piece the thermostat "sits in"). Which did you replace, and which was the problem?

I also don't understand why anyone would put some sort of sealant around the thermostat seal. It fits snug as a bug with a good (new) seal anyways.

I replaced the part that the thermostat sits in and the piece that goes over the thermostat.
I replaced them because it was leaking between the two parts that sandwich the thermostat. I'm sure I could have cleaned it up real good but I didn't want to buy the expensive tube of gasket and I just wanted it to be all new.

I got lucky that I don't think there was any sealant used on the round inlet tube. But it was still super stuck in there. But you're right the o-ring seals great on it's own.