R&R of OM606.910 Cylinder Head Connector - Coolant Connection

[ryanrod]

Hey first of all I love this forum. So much time has been saved because of yall! Ive been a lurker just sucking info ot of this site for a while now, but that's about to change.

Heres my issue. I am having a hell of a time removing this "Cylinder Head Connector" which connects the top radiator hose to my OM606.910 block. I'm trying to replace it because it was badly rusted. I tried using a set of vice grips and a propane torch with no luck thus far. I also sprayed "freeze off" penetrating fluid in the joint. Hasn't really budged. Here are some pictures.

What should I do?

[Zeitgeist]

Jeepers, you do like to live dangerously, don'tcha? First off, I'd stuff rags in all the holes below your work area with direct access to the crankcase. Ya don't want detritrous falling into the chain locker.

I think you're going to need to use a cold chisel and strike it in such a fashion that you collapse one or two sides toward the center so that you can reduce the surface area in contact with the head. Be careful not to mar the bore in the head.

Put that new pipe in the freezer and let it get real cold before trying to set it back in there. I think you're going to get one shot to set it correctly, so don't eff it up.

[ryanrod]

Haha yea these last few days working on this car have been a trip down the rabbit hole. It all started with breaking a bolt off in the timing case, which means everything has to be removed. While everything was removed I thought I'd fix as much as I can so I dont have to dig this deep in the near future! Delivery Valve seals, water pump, all plastic fual lines, upgrade to viton o-rings, new radiator hoses, check timing chain stretch...

Thanks for the chizel tip, Ill give that a shot. Definitely getting a rag in there as well. And great idea freezing the new part so it will go in easier!

Feel free to hit me with any other ideas if you got them.

[augapfel]

+1 on living dangerously! The head casting looks kind of thin at the top of that pipe. Don't get too nuts or, well, I don't even want to *think * of what might happen :-(

Another +1 on weakening and collapsing the pipe inward. That's the way I've done stuff like this. Take a bare hacksaw blade and carefully saw away at the inner diameter in one area. Then take a needle-nose vise-grips or pliers and try to roll the area next to the cut inward.

Better you than me...