Water leak in ZE intake

[Kenzie]

Hey guys,
My boyfriend pulled the intake manifold off the 3 tonight (straight neck ZE) to find water on top of the valves. I've been having trouble getting it to start the past few weeks but I'm thinking that has something to do with harness issues (now replacing it with a brand new oem harness) but I'm not sure if it's related ??? It's also throwing a LH O2 senor code off and on...that too could be unrelated though.

Any suggestions?

TIA!

[fowljesse]

Huh... I don't know how it could have gotten on top of the valves, unless it leaked from the IAT lines when he was taking off the IM, or if the IAT broke badly somehow, and coolant came into the IM. Did you have steam coming out of the tailpipe before he pulled it off? Was the water in all the ports?

[marcdh]

Think Jesses on the right track here. I am currently cleaning my IAC (Idle Air Control- metal section, bit screwed to the bottom of the throttle body). The gasket between the air chamber and the coolant flow is so thin, and mine was quite cooked making it close to failing. This could let water in quite easily. I'll be using some liquid gasket to help seal, as the gaskets aren't readily available.

[Kenzie]

I had to cut one of the corners of it off, bc of the straight neck intake mani, I think Im just going to loop the water lines back into the head. And yes water was on top of all the intake valves

[marcdh]

ahh yea just get a bypass connector then. Might roughen up your idle a bit when its cold starting but sure you'll get over it! Cheap water injection solution

[fowljesse]

Yeah, I typed tired.. I meant IAC
I was going to ask you if you altered the TB or IM to fit the straight neck, but I thought it was too much of a longshot.
If you loop the lines, I'm sure you know the idle will fluctuate. However, that would be better than vaporlock! Just be sure to seal it up well, or you'll have unmetered air instead of coolant.
Maybe you could get a small heating element, and put it right next to the wax in the IAC to heat it up when neccessary