Replace your coolant elbows...

[AlmightyBirdman]

After the pain in the ass I went through yesterday I suggest everyone do this so they don't have to go through the same thing. When I hopped on 88 yesterday all of a sudden lose my heat and see white smoke behind me and thought it was coming from my exhaust. Pulled over a little ways up and it's coming from under my hood. Got to a parking lot, called a towing company and checked out the situation. Saw coolant pissing everywhere but couldn't tell where from (it was early, and cold).
$100 later, I get it towed to my friends shop so I can look at it and come to find that the coolant elbow going from the LIM to the tensioner decided to explode. Run to advance, $2.50 for BOTH coolant elbows :rollpicard: Plus another 20 or so for a new belt since mine was soaked in coolant. Seriously if none of you have replaced these do it now so the same doesn't happen to you and you have to waste money on a tow for a couple bucks in parts. Just take off the alternator and tensioner, pop in the new elbows and you're done. Especially if you run dexcool cause I know that has to be the main cause of this since I ran dexcool so long before switching to green. Yesterday was a fun day.

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[Bob Kazamakis]

Good luck with those cheap elbows. I've always heard bad things.

Also another word of advice if you've got a semi-reliable car. Gets AAA plus. It's less then $100 a year and you get I think 3 tows now up to 100 miles each trip. Well worth it if something like this happens.

 

[Frank Dukes]

i have 10k on my cheap parts store elbows and no problems.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

i have 10k on my cheap parts store elbows and no problems.

Just what I've read; no personal experience. I always used gm ones....

 

[AlmightyBirdman]

Good luck with those cheap elbows. I've always heard bad things.

Also another word of advice if you've got a semi-reliable car. Gets AAA plus. It's less then $100 a year and you get I think 3 tows now up to 100 miles each trip. Well worth it if something like this happens.

They are made by Dorman's Help division. According to my friend who has worked at his dad's repair shop since before he could drive that division makes pretty reliable parts. Still not as good as OEM but good quality aftermarket replacements.

 

[Frank Dukes]

I from Dorman. i enjoy their replacement parts.

 

[AlmightyBirdman]

I think I have a few Dorman parts on the GP but I can't remember. I buy most of my parts from Advance, if not all. I don't buy the cheapest ones but I don't buy the pricey shit either and the only things that ever fails on me from there is thermostats. It's not worth buying OEM anything for this car. It's just a Pontiac and it gets by fine on aftermarket parts

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

I bought a dorman motor mount a few weeks ago for the focus. I changed the oil Sunday and half the mount is missing

I'm sure they'll be fine though. It's not like it sees a lot of stress. Just heat cycles.

 

[AlmightyBirdman]

Dorman is usually always the cheapest for mounts/suspension parts. I always buy Moog when it comes to stuff like that if the option is available.

 

[Eagle]

Good luck with those cheap elbows. I've always heard bad things.

Also another word of advice if you've got a semi-reliable car. Gets AAA plus. It's less then $100 a year and you get I think 3 tows now up to 100 miles each trip. Well worth it if something like this happens.

Last I had AAA it was free tow for 5mi and then a discounted rate past that. Considering renewing cuz we have a few road trips planned for this year.

I got nuttin to say about elbows now. Pretty sure I put Autozone or Advance elbows in the GTP when KJ did the LIM gaskets w/me. No issues after 15k.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Dorman is usually always the cheapest for mounts/suspension parts. I always buy Moog when it comes to stuff like that if the option is available.

Yea it was either dorman or ford. I have to return that shit. Maybe I got a bad one?

Eagle - sounds like you had the basic setup. It was $100 a year for my wife and I for the premium RV membership. 100 miles up to 3 times a year for each of us.

 

[Eagle]

Nice. I'll have to look into that premium deal then I guess.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

fyi when you buy em from the dealer, your just paying dealer prices for the doorman units
a couple years back grossinger gave me one and pulled it out of the package right there in front of me....a ford dealer gave us a "genuine ford" alternator for the van that had the murray's/oreally's ultima sticker on it....yay 250$ for a 130$ alternator

 

[KagA152]

my 4th set is sitting waiting to be installed, although its only the 2nd by necessity. these ones have maybe 7k miles on them, and that includes the 1k ive gone since they started leaking

 

[DanJ]

Just did mine yesterday.

Also completely forgot to drain the radiator first so it pissed coolant all over the garage floor.

 

[Yaj Yak]

i have shitt ones in my car and have for at least 65k.

 

[smug]

i have shitt ones in my car and have for at least 65k.

dude i dunno how your car runs as well as it does sometimes. 65K on coolant elbows that have probably been removed a dozen times has got to be a record of some sort.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

well as long as the orings are still supple and aren't flattened you can reuse em a few times. AGS silglyde works wonders, they usually slide right out even after 40k

 

[AlmightyBirdman]

Yeah we threw some clear silicone on mine in case the tensioner has to come off again. The ones in there did not come out easy and I had to dig the rest of the shit out with a pick.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

http://www.agscompany.com/lubricants/automotive/168

 

[Droptopta69]

I from Dorman. i enjoy their replacement parts.

i used to use dorman also till i got burned on 2 differant cars. now its back to all gm. the dorman ones tend to leak earlier than the gm ones.

 

[SuperDaveGSE]

I used the dorman elbows, but I only need one since I have the bonnie Alt and bracket on mine.

 

[DanJ]

Que? How does it only use one elbow when the motor has two places that need an elbow?

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

the early horizontal bolt alternator/alternator bracket/acc belt tensioner assembly has the lower elbow that goes intot he timing cover integral to the aluminum casting, the 99+ verticle bolt alternator mounting bracket uses a plastic upper and lower

aka 95-98 uses only one plastic elbow with 7/8ths at both ends from the LIM to alternator bracket
the 99-08 uses two plastic elbows 7/8ths at both ends and a 7/8ths and 1inch from the bracket to the timing cover

 

[Ron Vogel]

Although I have reused them myself; I don't reccomend it to others...I mean...c'mon...it's a $2 part