If it's cold, DON'T work on your cooling system! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

TBayToyotaBoy · 01-15-2009, 10:32 PM

After all the pain, freezing limbs, numb fingers...

I replaced the t-stat on the V6 last night and today. After I had it all back together, the bleeder screw on the inlet housing sheared-off. I had to trudge through 3' snow for 50 feet to my spare engine to pirate the part off of it. I got the old gasket material off after hours of acetone soaking and razor-wielding, installed it, and filled the rad up.

Because I'm a desperate idiot, and I've been working in -30 degree (Celcius) temperatures, the whole damned process was a waste. The gasket on the t-stat won't seat properly because it's rock solid with cold, and the water pump housing is now leaking. The new gasket on the inlet pipe won't seal properly--you guessed it--because it's TOO DAMNED COLD and it's leaking as well.

There's a lesson in this for all of us, if you look really closely: cough-up the cash to rent heated garage space. This is just unreal...

Doctor J · 01-16-2009, 12:27 PM

The same is true, if it is too hot outside:
On hot humid [fairly rare] day here in Ca I got heat stroke after doing water pump on 85 Buick Century

TBayToyotaBoy · 01-16-2009, 12:46 PM

Heh heh, I'll trade you your heat stroke for my frostbite!

malayan · 01-16-2009, 08:52 PM

When I change the Bypass Pipe in winter.... I silicone where the "O" ring is because pressing it in is impossible because the O ring is not flexable...

So I position the O ring and Silicone in front and behind..Let Dry.

I then silicone the housing the O ring is going in.

Then bolt it all together and let dry....Never failed me yet...

Only other option is to get a New Pipe Then the O ring wont slide because they have a grooove.

Water Pump O ring ,must not hve 1 spec or it could leak...Been down that road.

But I think the major problem was in the first sentence of your post.....V6

"Just my thoughts"

Currently finishing up a 4 cylinder swap in a 90.

I keep my propane heater (glove warmer) handy... he he

Andrew Liu · 01-16-2009, 08:54 PM

Um...I just changed my differential fluid in sub-freezing temperatures today.

Took all morning, took a break to warm up every 15min.

***HomeGrown*** · 01-17-2009, 06:38 PM

Dang Tim, you be careful up there buddy! It's no kind of weather to be out working on the car. I bet you'd GLADLY trade for some of the hot-weather problems Doc is refering to.

I remember those days in Michigan, laying on the gravel driveway to work on the car in the dead of winter, and usually dark out.

TBayToyotaBoy · 01-19-2009, 05:54 PM

Bill, it's nice to hear I'm not the only one who's had to "rough it"...

The whole "short winter days" thing doesn't help, either.

And Andrew, I feel your pain. I swapped out the clutch on my V6 last winter, when it was around 20 below (Celcius). It took about an hour and a half to get all of the gear oil through the funnel and tube, and into the fill plug on the transmission. It was WORSE than molasses.

Malayan, the leak actually isn't coming from the o-ring on the outlet pipe, just from the t-stat gasket (and the fibre inlet gasket). I'm going to try some silicone, once it warms up this week...

blkdmnrcing · 01-20-2009, 11:06 PM

you guys wanna really hear something about working in the cold, my job has me working on Washington DC school buses outside overnight. i work from 5pm to 5am, and it gets cold as hell. so i feel your pain, i start loosing feeling in my fingers, cant hold tools, its great.

TBayToyotaBoy · 01-20-2009, 11:36 PM

I guess we can all chock it up to the old saying: "You do what you have to do". I don't have the cash for a mechanic right now, so...

And hot on the heels of that quote is another one: "Necessity is the mother of invention". I've drawn-up plans for a temporary shelter that I can heat with two portable electric oil heaters. Next winter will be a LOT different.