Thread: Bad gaskets?

This is how I bleed the cooling system on my 2000 GTP after replacing the LIM gaskets. Natually, the following seqeunce was performed last, just before starting the engine
1) Filled cooling system with antifreeze mix, untill the radiator was full to the top, also fiilled overflow container at same time.
2) Started engine and turned heat on to 90 degrees, fan speed was medium.
3) Watched engine warm up, and just when my top hose got warm, I opend the bleeder valve in the thermostate housing, it hissed about 5 sec., and then I closed it, had to add a little more coolant to the radiator, reinstalled radiator cap, continuied to watch engine warm up, when it was warmer, I cracked the bleed valve and a buble came out and then I closed it back up (do not do with engine HOT).
4) That was 1yr and 2 months ago, have not had to touch it since, cooling system functions as it should.
I hope this helps.
There are probably variations of the sequence to bleeding the cooling system that work too, this is just how I did mine.

Originally Posted by matt5112

Unless you know a local you can't get it done.

no one will touch a supercharger.

I'd change it within the next month just so if its NOT the coupler you know somethings up.

I would rather do it myself anyway. Isn't it just a matter of pulling the snout and changing it out, or does it require any special tools?

I am going to pull the supercharger belt and see if the noise goes away.

yeah.

So I pulled the belt to see what happened. The grumbling noise at idle does seem a little quieter, but doesn't seem completely gone. It still sounds a bit rough at full throttle as well, but it did this before taking the belt off also. Does it seem the coupler could be a little loose? Is there a way to check it without pulling the snout?

It also seems to be a little low on oil, but I don't see it leaking anywhere. Is it normal to be a little low if the oil has not been changed regularly?

Since it needs oil changed/topped off anyway, it seems I might as well do the coupler. What is the best coupler to go with? Is the zzp the way to go, or is there something cheaper or better? Is the zzp fluid ok to use?

I also noticed that my NEW doorman/autozone elbows are seeping at the manifold. I saw the post that these can be problematic right out of the box, but they were much cheaper than OEM so I went for it. I probably should have left them alone, since my originals were not leaking and came out without breaking. I have heard the alternator must come out to change the coupler. I would think with the right tools you could do it without removing the alternator, but I might just pull it anyway and put my original elbows back in, or get new OEM elbows. I also noticed when snapping the throttle with the belt off that the SC pulley would spin. I guess the air coming in through the intake is spinning the pulley backwards?

Sounds like your blower needs some new parts as well as something else.

checking the coupler is easy.

Turn the s/c pulley back and forth and if you feel slop then its bad.

Green couplers are the best. Like the ZZP one.

Just go to your local GM dealer and get two bottles of s/c fluid.

It should be $10 out the door and you get more in case you need it.

For example... despite what everyone tells me, my current snout takes 2 bottles of GM fluid.

The coolant elbows prolly weren't installed exactly right.

Doesnt matter if they're GM or not, if the angles are off by enough they wont seal.

You are correct on your last assumption there.

I am not really convinced it is the coupler then. The pulley will spin by hand, but not what I would call 'play' in it. It is not like I can spin it a certain amount before it catches. It feels pretty solid, but I have not felt one that is bad to compare with. What else could be wrong, and how do I check the rest of it? I just went and started it up with the belt still removed, and it kind of sounds like maybe grumbling still in the middle of the supercharger area. It does seem a little less noticeable than when the belt was on, but the noise did not go entirely away.

As for the elbows, only the top one is leaking, right where it enters the intake manifold. I noticed that if it is just sitting there it will seep (not really a leak, more of a seep), but it seems that I can push it in toward the intake ever so slightly, and when pushed in it does not seep. It looks like the angles are all right, but it is almost like it is not long enough. Anyone know if they are not as long as the stock elbows, or anything else I can check as far as lining them up right? I put them in the bracket first, then pressed that straight on. They slid right in, but it seems that they just don't go in far enough.

Originally Posted by matt5112

They leak outta the box if you dont install them properly lol.

The only benefit to the GM elbows is the orings resist crushing better apparently.

So I got the elbows to stop leaking for a time, and now they are back to leaking even worse. I guess I shouldn't say 'they', it is only the upper that is leaking. They are brand new, but they are the Dorman/Autozone variety. I don't see any other way to install them--I put them in the bracket, then slide that straight on with the elbows going straight into the holes. Is there some special trick to installing them correctly, or do I need to get new/dealer elbows (I have heard the autozoners can leak even new)?.

Anyone know the dealer part number for them, and are both elbows the same part number?

Originally Posted by blueGT00

Check out my thread i have pictures and everything...took me 3 hours to take everything apart and now im waiting on parts.

Where is your thread? Do you cover the coolant elbows, or the entire LIM process? I did the LIM, now just need to get my new elbows to stop leaking.

Originally Posted by The Guz

When you install the coolant elbows use some vasloine or something to lube the o-rings so they don't get damaged.

This is the part number for the OEM elbows:
24503423
12565082

Picked them up at the stealership on the way home. I think I need some vaseline after that trip.

I know which is the upper and which is the lower elbow, but which end of each elbow goes in the bracket and which goes in the manifold? It looks like the ends are slightly different sizes, and I just want to make sure I am popping them in the right way. Perhaps that is my problem on the replacements--could I have the wrong end in the manifold? The autozone pieces seemed like they were the same size on each end of each elbow if I remember correctly. Anyone recall which end goes in the bracket and which goes in the manifold?

Haha... Local dealer charges $20 for one elbow and $9 for the other o-ring.

AFAIK, for the upper, they're both the same.

One end looks bigger than the other. Maybe that is the lower. Which end goes where on that? So the upper is the same on both ends?

That seemed to do the job. From what I can tell from the autozone elbows is the o-rings are crap. The o-rings are completely flat. They were only in for 2 months, and they did leak right outta the box. Now that I think about it, you might be able to get the autozone elbows and get dealer o-rings and save some bucks, but I am not going to pull it back apart to try...