I believe the bolts are different, hence the bolt kit when you get an IH.

 

Ahh ic. I didn't realize it was that complicated lol. Carry on!

 

I found that the lower hose from a 7.3 idi van fit better

 

I just added my own filter to mine and retained the stock WP. I kinda favored the idea that I would be able to source one quickly in a pinch as well. I try not to make anything that can cripple my truck so exotic that it isn't readily available. That or I carry a spare just in case. It never hurts to have spare parts along, right Gabe?

 

I am just down down down this morning. In the last 3 weeks, I have dropped major coin and got the help of a very experienced and capable FTE buddy all to have my truck run really well with the exception of this water pump cluster. It leaks and I CANNOT find exactly where it's coming from. I guess at this point I am looking at taking it all apart again to see if the gasket came unseated, but I am pretty sure that isn't the culprit. The leak looks to be coming from behind the housing on the driver's side somewhere at the block. I thought maybe the long bolt on that side was supposed to be sealed since it had RTV on the threads when I pulled it out. I am just lost, stuck on this G-d forsaken island that sucks, and extremely frustrated and tired. I am back to hating my truck almost. It's like investing $10,000 to get back $1. I just don't know what to do at this point. I might just drive it out of here towing my trailer and if it fries it, it fries it. Someone else can deal with the BS when they find it on the side of the road somewhere between the coast of Texas and the Hill Country. I'm done. Did I mention I was frustrated?

 

Hang in there, buddy. This is a major pain, but it's a minor issue. You'll get it beat one way or another. Sometimes you have to just walk away from it for a while until you cool off and get your head right again.

 

x2 what Nate says! Have you let it warm up to operating temps yet? Maybe if you get lucky it will slow way down (the leak) where you can drive home adding what you have to along the way?

 

I was just coming to give an update after my whine session. I re-torqued everything and even pulled that long bolt and put Loctite threadsealer on it. It probably did nothing other than make me re-tighten everything. I took it for a drive and so far, the only leak that is happening now is coming form the back bolt on the Tstat housing. It's a drip about every minute. It's not even enough to leave on the ground. It does look like its the WP seal right underneath that area, but I confirmed it is the Tstat housing. It's a new Tstat and gasket from RiffRaff. What I think is happening is that the neck that connects to the upper hose is so pitted that it isn't sealing. It was pretty corroded and I cleaned with a wire wheel. There is an indention where it sits on the gasket, so I am guessing the mating surface is compromised. I am going to get a billet housing and a new hose and trash the old one. There is no reason it should be leaking at that point with a new pump mating surface and new gasket. The pump is OEM. It is good quality and much heavier than the one that came off.

This entire fiasco started because I broke the bolt on the old pump trying to replace the Tstat gasket. It ended up being a blessing in disguise because the bearing in the old pump had play and made grinding noises when I checked it by hand.

Thanks for letting me gripe and responding to my gripes in spite of it. It's been a hard couple of weeks getting this truck in top shape. Nothing good comes easy I guess. I am going to drive it back to the Hill Country and just do like you said Glenn. With that slow of a leak, I am not going to mess with it. When I get a billet housing or a new hose neck, then I'll address it. Until then, I don't even think it will lode enough to pay attention to. I am just glad it's not runnign on the ground like it was last night.

Again, sorry for griping. I was just beyond frustrated, eyes burning, etcc trying to get this simple issue fixed. Turns out it wasn't so simple. Thanks guys.

 

Good to hear you're making some progress. Sometimes that stuff seems about half as bad as before with a good night's sleep. Being tired doesn't help, that's for sure.

 

No problem Bryon, I've done my share of crying on here. It's better then throwing a wrench!

 

I hear you both. I am beyond tired. Well, the slow drip has returned to a steady stream again. I am going to try a different gasket I have and some Gray RTV I just picked up. The gasket I got from Clay is thick enough that it's allowing the housing to literally bend down at the bolt points while the middle is bowed upwards. I hope the new gasket and RTV will resolve this for now. Hope hope hope

 

That's what happens with these housings. What you need to do is bend the housing flange back straight again. These things are thin and flimsy, which is why there is a reinforcement flange available for that application. Currently there is no billet thermostat housing neck available for the OBS trucks as far as I know.

Bend that flange flat again, use a thin coat of silicone on the flange and don't overtighten the little bolts and I bet you'll be fine. Don't forget to let the silicone set up good before you try and run it, too. It's a pain, for sure.

 

Thanks Nate. I'll definitely do the procedure. Diesel site has a bullet housing that comes with a new hose, gasket, and clamps. I didn't want to spend the money, but I will if I have to. I probably won't tackle this until morning when it's cooled off. It's ruined our vacation and taken large amounts of time away from my girls. Not really sure what the reason is for all of this, but I'll just keep moving forward.

 

You might never know the reason for it happening beyond the tube being warped. I bought my flange on ebay. As far as a 'reason', I've heard that dozens of times from people. "Your truck burned up for a 'reason'". I'm getting tired of hearing it to be truthful about it. I'm 65 now and I honestly thought that I had my pickup done except for small things that are for sure to happen, like what your going thru. If it wasn't for these wonderful guys helping me get back to where I was at, I would be starting all over again. The game is on in a couple hours !!!! Good Luck

 

When its all said and done youll think back and laugh!


I had to pull the water pump off my moms '01 3 times before I got it right. Then twisted a t-state bolt off, and had to take it off again.


Trust me, weve all been there!