Water Inlet Housing for 2.7L V-6

A local mechanic said I should have the water inlet housing replaced on my

2002 Stratus, since it was seeping coolant and would only get worse.

The price quoted was about $185 parts and labor. I hadn't noticed any coolant leak, so it must be seeping around the engine/radiator.

Can someone tell me 1) where this part is located on the 2.7L and 2) if that price sounds pretty decent (Central PA). Also, is this something that when it goes, it goes big time, or just a seeping over time that will eventually seep worse?

Many thanks.

Reply to
LarryK
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Actually it is the outlet housing, not the inlet housing (meaning, it is the housing for coolant flow out of the engine into the radiator).

Probably not a bad price. The intake plenum has to be removed (at least, everything disconnected and it raised a couple of inches - might as well say removed). That's just to get two of the four bolts out, but unfortunately, there's no way around that - BTDT.

If you are a DIY'er, the price may seem a little high, and you can save some money by DIY'ing, but if you aren't into a challenge, if you were to attempt the replacement yourself, the price probably wouldn't seem that bad once you got into it.

If you're familiar with the location of the thermostat housing on most engines, it is where this part is usually located - on the top of the very front of the engine. This one has a bleeder valve on it's top - pointing skyward. Looks exactly like a brake bleeder. If it is leaking, it is usually around the metal bleeder valve seat where it is molded into the plastic (of the housing). You would see dried whitish or reddish/orangish dried residue around the metal seat. (FYI, unlike on 98+% of all other engines ever built, the thermostat on this engine is located on the *inlet* side of the engine, way down low on the driver's side where the lower radiator hose connects to the engine.)

If it's just a little trace amount of residue, you're probably OK - even some brand new ones do that. If it's larger amounts or stays wet, then you really should replace it because, though they can seep for years without further problems, they can suddenly totally let loose (basically, the bleeder valve seat becomes unbonded from the plastic of the housing), quickly draining the engine of coolant and destroying it if you're not paying attention to the temp. gage. There's risk enough as it is with the 2.7L engine (known for sludging up) without that happening.

Whether you stay with this one or replace it, if you ever do open that bleeder, be very gentle with it - when you close it back up, only lightly snug it down - too much torque and the bleeder and its seat can twist right out of the housing, and you're dead in the water until you replace it. The design (metal molded into plastic on a heated and pressurized part) is very poor. I understand there is a later design that is all metal - not sure if that's OEM or aftermarket, but anything would be an improvement over the original design.

Reply to
Bill Putney

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