Snake hissed at me

[viper067]

So I was driving home tonight and had that oh so familiar smell of coolant. Engine temp was fine, but when I shut off the engine, it was hissing at me. Opened the hood and there was coolant on the engine block under the intake manifold

Research would indicate the tstat or crossovers ... anything else I should be looking for?

Just a few days to get her running well again before the Carlisle show.

 

[Zentenk]

Are your hoses original? Mine sprung a small leak and sprayed all over my block. I couldn't tell where it came from unless I had it turned on.

 

[1994viper]

for my 94, I had to buy a new themostat assambly. The old one warped over the many heat cicles it went through. So, if its leaking from the place where the thermostat assambly bolts on to the head, you might want to replace the whole unit. Took me a while and several new gaskets to go through and some labour before I realized that the thing was slightly twisted.

 

[RTTTTed]

Add food coloring to the rad fluid and after it leaks a little it will be easy to find by the colors. Course if you car was hissing you could take a piece of paper and wave it around until the steam wetted it or blew it around so that you could find the leak.

Ted

 

[viper067]

Ok, so the hiss was coming from the thermostat gasket .... how do I clean out all the coolant from the top of the block? Hopefully the answer doesn't involve removing the intake manifold.

 

[01ACR/VIPER]

Don`t you have to remove the intake to change the thermo gasket?

 

[viper067]

I believe that just the cowl has to come off

 

[RTTTTed]

Ok, so the hiss was coming from the thermostat gasket .... how do I clean out all the coolant from the top of the block? Hopefully the answer doesn't involve removing the intake manifold.

According to my chassis/shop manual;
1.)Drain the cooling system down to Thermostat level or lower.

2.)Remove the Intake Manifold.

3.) Remove upper rad hose

4.) Remove thermostat housing

5.) Remove thermostat

 

[jdeft1]

Time to get friendly with your viper.

As you remove the intake.. watch for the fuel line securing screw just forward of the t-stat housing.. This little thing got me the first time I pulled mine! Also, Replacement intake gaskets are around $90 (from my dealer) so if you buy them, make a template by tracing the new gasket outline on a sheet of paper. You never know,... You may may need to pull it again one day and the raw gasket material is like $10 if you know how to use scissors..

Do not try to drain the radiator by removing the drain plug! Just pull the bottom hose and deal with the mess! (the drain plug may not come out without breaking a hole in the bottom of the radiator)...

It may be a good time to replace all the hoses. I bought silicone hoses from Snake Oil for my '94 then bought some heater hoses from Tator...

My .02

 

[RTTTTed]

I called JonB for my parts when I ported my heads. FREE exhaust gaskets, head gaskets were half of Chrysler's price (they weren't sure they had 2) and the Gen 2 intake gasket was metal and silicone.

Ted

 

[viper067]

At this point, I'm happy holding her together through the summer till the new heads and gaskets come in ....

Anyway RTTTTed the 94 Service Manual is
1) Drain cooling system down to thermostat level or below
2) Remove windshield wiper arms from shafts
3) Remove cowl trim panel
4) Remove engine coolant tube hose clamps
5) Remove themostat housing bolts and housing
6) Remove themostat

 

[John Baringer]

At this point, I'm happy holding her together through the summer till the new heads and gaskets come in ....

Anyway RTTTTed the 94 Service Manual is
1) Drain cooling system down to thermostat level or below
2) Remove windshield wiper arms from shafts
3) Remove cowl trim panel
4) Remove engine coolant tube hose clamps
5) Remove themostat housing bolts and housing
6) Remove themostat

Not sure if you are going to do the work yourself or not. If you are here a few links to some pictures of when my Thermostate had to be redone after head gaskets. I will also will include the link of when my mechanic did the head gaskets.

Thermostat
Gallery :: VPR_t/stat

Head Gaskets
Gallery :: Viper_GenI_headgaskets

Roe Fan Kit & Power Steering Braket (Highly Recommend Both)
Gallery :: JB_10/09

 

[RTTTTed]

I concur on the Pwr Str pulley and bracket as both stopped my cold when they broke. I'd also advise installing a vent to the pwr steering cap to vent to the ground if the pump blows out fluid (fire prevention). Also avail from Roe racing or JonB.

I was going to town and backing my GTS out of the garage when suddenly the engine sound and 'feel' changed. I stopped and opened the hood. The drive belt was off because the pwr steering bracket broke. Back in the garage and cancelled insurance. It took a week to get the Billet bracket and metal pulley from Roe Racing. I didn't have the correct pwr str pulley puller so I threw the Metal pulley in the trunk. Next year I went to town and rented a puller, which didn't work. On the way home the pulley center disappeared and the belt fell off. This happened at Riske Creek, 40 miles from town and 160 miles from home. I turned into the next house and asked about a puller (he had a shop). He said to go back to the house where my pulley had destroyed itself because that was the local 'mechanic/school bus driver'. I drove the block to that house and ... He had a correct pulley! I had tools in my trunk with the metal pulley and a half hour later I was back on the road!!! If I hadn't had the pulley with me I would have had serious issues. The people here are great and I could have left my Viper in the gent's yard for a couple weeks to wait for the pulley, but ... Obviously there was a Guardian Angel watching over me (like the one watching us when we head-on'd the Semi). If I would have been somewhere in the US (like on one of our cross-continnental trips) I would have had to get a room and best case scenario would have me waiting for days to get the Express post parts and fix my car. If it happened on a Friday = screwed 'till Tues or wed soonest! I have a Roe supercharger shich pretty much guarantees that the pwr str bracket and pulley WILL fail early.

After being corrected on the cowl removal I figure that the Gen 2 heater hoses would be another good upgrade. The metal piping is clipped to the pass. side valve cover and the rubber hoses are seen at the front of the valve cover.

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I learned something new, always a good thing.

Ted

 

[badasp2]

You DO NOT have to remove intake manifold to replace thermo gasket'''''''''''' remove cowel and it is tight but you can get at it '''''''

 

[Mister XR]

I second BadAsp2. I've had to replace the coolant crossover gasket, and all you need to remove is the cowl and windshield wipers - it may make it easier to maneuver your hands in there if you remove the intake manifold. Depends on the size of your hands, I guess.

 

[viper067]

Thanks everyone ... it was actually the crossover gasket. I had the Viper Tech do the work as I don't really have the patience when I'd rather be driving, winter is another story.
I plan on the head gaskets, hoses, etc when the GG heads come in. I had also looked into the Roe Fan Kit and PS Vent Kit. Had not yet considered the PS bracket

 

[jdeft1]

Old vipers are very easy cars to work on. I highly recommend the alone time with yours that you'll discover over the winter. Nothing like a good head job for togetherness.... (pun intended).