05 Suburban, intermittent heat

[scdmarx]

I been thinkin ( dangerous thing to do sometimes) Ive read these engines develop a intake leak.
Wise to give those bolts a maintenance crank or wiser to leave well enough alone?

Never done that, but if I was to, I'd definitely use a torque wrench and tighten to spec.

 

[Tory]

I been thinkin ( dangerous thing to do sometimes) Ive read these engines develop a intake leak.
Wise to give those bolts a maintenance crank or wiser to leave well enough alone?

I think I would leave well enough alone untell you know you have a problem.Just might be a can of worms.
These OE intake gaskets are made out of plastic and the failure comes as they age and the plastic gets old and splits.I would be afraid tightening them at this time may do more to accelerate the problem.
If its not leaking now dont touch it,and if it is starting to weep,tightening it could make it worse.


************Congrats scdmrx on finding a job so quick,that say alot about your skill in these times*************

 

[Tory]

That's great news.

The parts store said he sold 2 of these pumps yesterday.
We were joking maybe this is all that's wrong with them :smilie_happy:

You gotta understand the scenerio here. If you took it to a shop and they discovered that those bolts just needed some retightening, and you left all happy and jazzed, then your wife drove the car, and it overheated, (for any reason, but let's say it was the water pump just for luck) but not in a safe or convenient place to stop, and the motor scorched before she stopped....or the fan went through the radiator - take your pick.

"who ya gonna get mad at?" You just paid money to have it checked out, and it was discovered the water pump was leaking, some goofball cranked the bolts down and called it good, but now your motor is burned up from coolant loss. Now you'll demand something be done about it. In your mind somebody owes you a new motor, a rental car, and a motel room. This is what the plaintiff will sue for. Warranty for a part the defendant never sold him. This is not far fetched. It happens. No good deed goes unpunished. Intelligent mechanics know, if there's a leak @ that water pump, it gets a new one that can be warrantied or they ain't touch'n it. Does anybody know how many miles are on that water pump? The parts store guy may have sold 2 of them due to the gaskets leaking, but they'll come with a warranty because who ever put a wrench on it last owns it.

Your wife doesn't want a new water pump. She may not even be interested in what a water pump does. What she wants is a car that will start at 2 am in a dark parking lot and transport her dependably and safely to where she wants to be. Oh, and with heat. :yes:

PS: I understand it was a joke, and I got it. :smilie_happy: :salute:
I didn't sleep last night and unexpectedly started a new job today and I'm kinda burnt. :lazy:

Yep,what he said.Liabilty is a huge responsabilty for mechanics,and nobody wants a job to come back.Not good for business no matter how well intended.

Also remember that this is a very popular pump that fits all the 4.8 5.3 and 6.0 motors.Your store selling two or more in a day is not uncommon.Granted my store is in a more rural area,but I stock two of these pumps and still have a full time driver making 5 trips a day to the wharehouse for when I do not have something.
I deal more with garages than retail,servicing 10 garages and quit a few farms and business in this area so pick ups are probably more common here,but its most likely its the same pump in your van.