Help me identify this part of the engine

[DissFigured]

I am cleaning up my engine bay and I have this hose connected to this piece (reference circled picture below). Mine points forward and I want to shorten the hose and rotate this piece so it points backwards. It appears to be threaded near the bottom, but I can't turn it and I dont want to force it w/o some advice. It is obviously some sort of coolant return.

Do I just force it and unscrew it? How do I get it facing the other direction (pointing to the back of the motor)?

 

[1320stang]

All I see is a red X. Are you talking about on top of the manifold right behind the thermostat housing? If so, is the manifold cast iron or aluminum and what is the fitting material?

 

[krash kendall]

That is one of your heater ports.

 

[krash kendall]

I would remove it, wrap the threads in teflon tape, then reinstall it untill it is quite tight while facing the direction you desire.

 

[classic boost]

becareful of overtightening it. you can crack the intake.

 

[DissFigured]

So with enough force, it will just unscrew?

 

[krash kendall]

Yeah, righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. The two dissimiliar metals bond together.

EDIT: But I have had them shear off before trying to remove them.

 

[1320stang]

Take a propane torch and heat around the base of the fitting, then using a candle, touch the base of the fitting. The candle wax will wick into the threads and make it easier to remove.

 

[68GT500KR_Vert]

It feeds your heater core.

 

[67 Evil Eleanor]

+1 for heat on the hose return. Its probly brass and the intake aluminum, may have sized together. If you have doubts about removing this, I would take it to a reputable garage.

 

[D.Hearne]

If it's steel and the intake is aluminum depending on how long it's been there, the threads could strip in removing it. If the fitting is brass, there's no problem, it'll unscrew without stripping. The Brass won't bond with corrosion to aluminum, steel will for sure.

 

[drbobj67]

When I was replacing my manifold, from cast iron to Alluminum. I removing the old heater port connection or water outlet I forget the actual part name. I used a pipe wrench to get good leverage on it. But as the others mentioned be careful. When in doubt take it to a shop.

But I got mine off myself. I was able to get a brand new replacement brass water outlet from NAPA. So once you get it off you may want to replace it.

One other thing, the outlet in the new intake manifold had a larger threaded opening than the original. It did come with a threaded insert that screwed into the opening on the new manifold and had threads to fit the original size outlet. I used the teflon tape. It is in the photo green circle

BTW I noticed that your water temperature sensor is in the wateroutlet housing at the thermostat. Mine is in the intake manifold See red circle.

Does anyone know if one location is perfered over the other? I just replaced the water outlet where the thermostat is and it has the same port or opening that your picture shows where I could move the water temperature sensor to. This photo shows the old one. Just curious if anyone knows if it makes a difference?

 

[D.Hearne]

Some aftermarket intakes have two threaded holes for the heater hose and temp sensor, some don't. I run a sensor in the T-stat housing on my Ranger's 5.0 for the factory electric gauge, the mech sensor is in a "T" with the heater fitting. You can run the temp sensor in any of these locations, the one in the T-stat housing will only get a reading after the T-stat opens. Also the threaded hole on the T-stat housing on mine is too small for a mech gauge, the Ranger's sensor is a smaller unit than the early electric units, it's a 1/4" NPT size. The older electrics were 3/8NPT. The mech gauge usually has fittings for 3/8 & 1/2 NPT.

 

[drbobj67]

Some aftermarket intakes have two threaded holes for the heater hose and temp sensor, some don't. I run a sensor in the T-stat housing on my Ranger's 5.0 for the factory electric gauge, the mech sensor is in a "T" with the heater fitting. You can run the temp sensor in any of these locations, the one in the T-stat housing will only get a reading after the T-stat opens. Also the threaded hole on the T-stat housing on mine is too small for a mech gauge, the Ranger's sensor is a smaller unit than the early electric units, it's a 1/4" NPT size. The older electrics were 3/8NPT. The mech gauge usually has fittings for 3/8 & 1/2 NPT.

Thanks for the info. I'm using the original stock temp sensor so if I ever run aftermarket guages I have some options on where to put the temp sensor and I can run both.

I figured the main difference was the one in the T-housing would be different with the thermostat open or closed.

 

[D.Hearne]

The Tstat housings also come in aluminum. I see the one above was an iron unit. Both are available at any parts house. I went back to aluminum after trying the chromed leaky ones.