I have become the sad sad owner of a 2001 Chevrolet Venture.
It's not that I hate the van that much, it's just that replacing certain it ems require tearing half the car apart. Rear spark plugs for instance - don e. 4 months after I replaced the front ones.
Then there's the "engine heater hose", some sort of bypass pipe that allows coolant to flow when the thermostat is closed (I'm told). Remove the plenu m and any associated crappola, pull the fuel rail. Oi vay. My fuel rail is stuck presently, going to use a large pry bar and do what's necessary. Neve r removed a fuel rail before, it's scary, but I'm coping well.
The pipe itself is a curiosity. It "plugs" into the thermostat housing/area - which itself is buried and requires as least throttle body removal for a ccess - and is driven in with a mallet. Wasn't having too much luck w/that (I got the fuel rail partially lifted, slid the pipe underneath, but pressu re on it's midsection is preventing lining the end of the pipe up with the hole it needs to go into). Was told by Dorman to use an open end wrench sli d over the flange/lip, then hammer on that. Ok after I get the fuel rail of f so I don't have to struggle w/alignment.
But having acquired this van makes me want to alter it's design somewhat. F or instance lightly tapping threads in that hole (perhaps after widening it a bit) and machining a threaded shank that will screw into that hole, to w hich a normal length of heater hose can be clamped and run outside the engi ne, not through the plenum. I personally can't see any reason for that desi gn. I personally can't see any reason for a steel pipe to be routed through the plenum. It makes no contact with the manifold, except where a single s mall bolt clamps it down near the front of the plenum. It's just a stupid d esign.
The other thing that bothers me is the front "bypass pipe" that plugs into the water pump housing area, runs along the front of the engine, then goes back to the heater core I think. It also provides some cooling to the throt tle body, didn't know it got that hot, but there's a lot of things I don't know. It seems all that could be replaced with rubber hose and short pieces of pipe, either welded or machined from stock. And yes I do own machinery and have rudimentary capability.
Thoughts? I'm a die hard Chevy fan, and will be for likely the duration of my life, but some of these shortcuts or what have you make me sick.