A nice little holiday afternoon gone wrong.

LRflip

Well-known member
Oct 8, 2006
5,741
25
none of your fucking business
Guys,

Let me tell you the story of a lovely afternoon...

I had just finished mowing the grass, the trucks were all moved so I could blow off the drive before I was to bring them in one by one so they could be washed while I rinsed the lining of my stomach with cold coors light.

My fiance had just left with our neighbor to go see an afternoon matinee.

Just me, the dogs, and some soapy trucks.

Then I get the phone call that everyone dreads..."honey, I overheated."

@#(*^)*@) )*)#I###*&!!!! Lovely afternoon blown.

so, I put my beer down, grabbed the two jugs of coolant I had, grabbed phillips head, flat head, needle nose pliers, and channel locks, and a few rags, and hit the road.

I pulled up to the scene of two giggling girls standing by a 2002 P38 4.6 with the hood up.

She tells me: "It made a noise, the temperature gauge was all the way in the red, and when I popped the hood, steam was coming out here, and here."

She pointed to the overflow tank, and to the throttle body.

So, I filled it back up with coolant, made sure nothing obvious was about to explode, took a look at the oil on the dipstick (I changed it last week, looked fine), then I took it to go back home.

I ran it at first with the heat on...no issues.

I ran it with the air-con on for a while...no issues.

We pulled in to a gas station (because she was out of gas). Steam was billowing out from under the hood so, I popped it and it dissipated so quickly I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

I topped the coolant reservoir off just in case and carried on back to house.

I kept it running with the a/c on in the driveway for a few minutes while trying to locate the leak. There is definitely moisture sitting on top of the valve cover beneath the throttle body with some corrosion/moisture on the hose clamps/throttle body gasket.

If you're still with me...

Is this just as simple as it looks? Just a little $30 gasket, the new throttle body hose piece, and some hose and clamps? It seems very simple but, with this truck everything always ends up getting more fucked up than I want it to. So, depending on the response I get here depends on whether or not I just take it to the indy shop or if I try and fix it myself.

I figure that these days, time is money. I'd probably end up waiting a week to get the part, put out money for misc hoses, clamps, gaskets, coolant, etc...maybe $150 and a week of time in waiting/unknown parts needed.

Or I can take it to the shop, spend a couple hundy on the mechanic...and have it back in a day or two.

What do you guys think?
 
Last edited:

msggunny

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2007
2,978
3
Holly Ridge, NC
Dude the gasket for the TB is super easy. Order the parts, hell Joel may have one on hand. Get it done in the drive way and save a ton of money.

Just saying.

Ive been there too.
 

LRflip

Well-known member
Oct 8, 2006
5,741
25
none of your fucking business
I know and thats what I would have probably done but, I just don't want it to go the way it has gone with this truck every other time I work on it.

If I even look at something under the hood the wrong way, it'll fuck me.
 

Roving Beetle

Well-known member
Worst case the bolts break off in the throttlebody - they are tiny. Use a small tube of some sort to plug the two hoses together so they can flow and fix the TB when you have time (before it gets too cold out)

I didn't notice where you are before typing but if it never gets near freezing where you are just bypass the TB heater and be done with it.

Doug
 

David Despain

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2005
791
1
46
Salt Lick City Utah
yeah what everyone else said, but also to add:
I replaced the gasket & plate with "the kit" on both my 2002 P38A and old DII but in both cases i dont think that was what failed. I believe it was mostly, or mainly, or firstly, the hose itself that was leaking. for the 20 dollars or so the kit costs, it cant be a bad idea and supposedly they are better so they wont leak, but i would replace the hoses as well
 

LRflip

Well-known member
Oct 8, 2006
5,741
25
none of your fucking business
I bought the kit, with a new TB gasket, and new worm drive clamps.

If I still get the seepage, Ill replace the lines. One is cheap and always in stock at the dealer. One is costly and takes a week for delivery.

Ill let you guys know how it goes after Im done.
 

bovw

Well-known member
Apr 1, 2006
3,130
13
54
Orange, VA
Matt, Throw away that gasket and use Right Stuff, that's what I did the second time after less than a year.
 

bovw

Well-known member
Apr 1, 2006
3,130
13
54
Orange, VA
ptschram said:
The issue is not the gasket, it's the mating surface.

I draw file them smooth before putting the new bits on. Haven't had a come-back since I started doing this.
That was done PT. Whoever designed that pos should be shot, square basket and plate with 3 screws is pure genius.
 

roverBLUE

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2004
140
0
47
Clayton, NC
Flip- whats with the cooling issues this week? Hope you get your issues worked out. Spoke to Joel this am and should have my tank in the am being sent to the real estate office.
 

LRflip

Well-known member
Oct 8, 2006
5,741
25
none of your fucking business
roverBLUE said:
Flip- whats with the cooling issues this week? Hope you get your issues worked out. Spoke to Joel this am and should have my tank in the am being sent to the real estate office.

Good deal man. Ill have to say, your predicament is much more worrisome than mine.

We have a few extra vehicles so everyone gets around alright (my fiance and me).

Depending on where you are staying, its pretty convenient that you could ride a bike anywhere you wanted to go.

I got a drinking ticket in the Food Lion parking lot there when I was 19...good times.
 

roverBLUE

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2004
140
0
47
Clayton, NC
ha! I'm one block from the food lion. I got the tank yesterday and installed today while the little one took a nap after being at the beach all morning. leaving to go back to chapel hill on Sunday. hope you get your issues sorted out.