How much coolant should I expect to lose when changing the coolant temp sensor (at front of intake manifold) on a 92 5.0 TPI? I can pull the old sensor and thread the new one in fairly quickly but would assume it would be better for the thread sealant for it to be a “dry” install. If I parked the car on an incline would I save any?

 

Probably no more than a gallon. An incline won't make much difference. Drain it at the radiator petcock.

Use Teflon tape. With that it doesn't matter whether there's fluid on the threads or not.

 

Most cts has an orange teflon already on the threads. Wouldn’t hurt to burn the system after replacing.

 

I suspect you meant burp. Lol....

 

Ugh spell checker, you got me

 

The car is fairly new to me, and the coolant itself looks good and tests fine temp wise, but been debating doing a coolant flush anyway. The surge tank looks a little grungy and there is some rust colored gunk up around the radiator cap. I guess I should decide if I want to do that cause it would be a good time to change the sensor too haha.

 

If you decide to flush it, there are 2 plugs for the block water jackets, which if you don't take them out, you won't do much good at all; as about 2 gallons of coolant sits between them and the next-highest possible draining point (the water pump).

One of them is the knock sensor, which is right above the oil pan rail, about at the frontward end of the starter. GM was evidently already working on computer-controlled EFI in 1955, and to fake the g00bz at Frod and Xler, cleverly disguised the KS port from the future, as a block drain. Clever, those guys. Needless to say, not a bad idea to replace the KS while you have it out. Use only 4 wraps or so of Teflon tape on it, and DO NOT over-torque it; that makes it HYPER sensitive, which means it will "sense" knocking when there really isn't any, and make your car run lazy and hot, and drink LOTS of extra fuel, from the timing being too far retarded all the time.

The other is exactly across from it on the driver's side. The DS one is likely to put up a fight: it's steel, and rusts solid to the block, so make sure you use a 6-point impact socket and a LONG breaker bar on that one. Replace it with brass from the hardware store.

You may find that they're so crudded up that you'll have to poke them with an exhaust bracket such as to clear the blockage.