Flushing junk out of the intake manifold

turned further by hand. It’s 3/8 pipe

thread, tapered, and has only 4 threads,

so it probably isn’t too tight in the

original. How can I test it without

putting e The temperature sender gauge, a piece of

brass that screws into the intake manifold

broke. I ended up drilling it out, 1/64" at

a time. If I was lucky, and I haven’t been

so far, I ground the part that abides inside

the manifold into filings; if I was unlucky

a larger piece broke off. Then I drilled out

the threaded part’s shaft and chased the

threads (I hope) with the correct tap.

I didn’t have to apply much torque to

twist it, but aluminum is soft.



How much sense would it make to

run the engine with this hole open,

flushing the coolant out this hole

- hoping that it would flush out the

junk?



The replacement gauge screws into

the hole too loosely for my tastes, but

when fully inserted grips and can’t be

verything back on and

running the engine? Can I dress

the threads with something other

than teflon tape or pipe dope that

will hold better? I’d prefer not

to drill a larger hole and insert

a helicoil - but I can’t have

everything.

I screwed up my original post.

Please ignore it and read this
instead. How do I delete a
message?

The temperature sender gauge, a piece of

brass that screws into the intake manifold
broke. I ended up drilling it out, 1/64" at
a time. If I was lucky, and I haven’t been
so far, I ground the part that abides inside
the manifold into filings; if I was unlucky
a larger piece broke off. Then I drilled out
the threaded part’s shaft and chased the
threads (I hope) with the correct tap.
I didn’t have to apply much torque to
twist it, but aluminum is soft.

 How much sense would it make to

run the engine with this hole open,
flushing the coolant out this hole

  • hoping that it would flush out the
    junk?

    The replacement gauge screws into
    the hole too loosely for my tastes, but
    when fully inserted grips and can’t be
    turned further by hand. It’s 3/8 pipe
    thread, tapered, and has only 4 threads,
    so it probably isn’t too tight in the
    original. How can I test it without
    putting everything back on and
    running the engine? Can I dress
    the threads with something other
    than teflon tape or pipe dope that
    will hold better? I’d prefer not
    to drill a larger hole and insert
    a helicoil - but I can’t have
    everything.

Are you writing poetry? Why have you formatted your posts with such short lines?

Also, your user name doesn’t really inspire people to respond.

R U Having fun yet?? All of the metal chips / chunks will settle to the bottom of the block or radiator and not cause any problems. Or you could flush the engine by disconnecting the lower radiator hose and attach your garden hose to that nice 3/4" hole you have fashioned…You could play around with the heater hoses too…teflon tape would work BEST except you might not get the required electrical connection…the sender must be grounded…

If it were mine…I would use JB-Weld as the thread dope, or Teflon tape…Then, using a stainless hose clamp, I would attach a wire lead to the body of the sender and ground the other end to a nearby nut or bolt. Have you to dared to put a little torque on the sender? Finger tight won’t cut it…

Quoth Caddyman: ‘All of the metal chips / chunks will settle to the bottom of the
block or radiator and not cause any problems.’

They won’t make it to the fuel pump? Clog some filter?

Quoth Caddyman: ‘Or you could flush the engine by disconnecting the
lower radiator hose and attach your garden hose to that nice 3/4" hole
you have fashioned’

5/8", I hope. The biggest piece I put through it was the tap.
The worst thing I have done is miss the original threads and
created a second set.

Can I get some flow through the system without turning on the engine?
Take off the lower hose stick the garden hose on the sender’s hole,
force water through?

Quoth Caddyman: ‘teflon tape would work BEST except you might not get the
required electrical connection…the sender must be grounded…’

Whoops! Thanks for reminding me. I had already figured this out: it
has only 1 lead so must rely on conduction through the manifold to ground.

Quoth Caddyman: ‘If it were mine…I would use JB-Weld as the thread dope…’

How about leaving the threads bare and applying JB-Weld to the underside of
the bolt-head part, gluing it to the manifold?

Quoth Caddyman: ‘Have you to dared to put a little torque on the sender?’

No.

Quoth Caddyman: ‘Finger tight won’t cut it.’

I know. I wanted to back off to think about it for a bit.
Maybe somebody has a good way to test the threads. I’ve
tapped new holes but never chased threads before. It’s
no catastrophe if I have to glue it in and provide an
alternative path to ground.