I no sooner got through reading the post about ac and fans inop, and I go to take my son trick or treating, then poof I have the same issue, well I started smelling antifreeze too. I got home quick and popped the hood, on my coolant hose that has the bleeder screw on it, farthest left of the tb, the bleeder screw was leaking. I was like ok, odd but just a little turn from a screw driver and this should be handled. I touched the head of the screw and it fell off!!! So I soaked the area with wd40 and some pb blaster, it looks like a brass insert screws into the metal piece, the brass fitting is threaded for the bleeder screw as. Or is this brass piece more than just simply screwed in? Am I going to have to replace the entire hose? Fixing to bypass the throttle body with the coolant lines anyways. So is this bleeder assembly able to be taken off and a new brass insert and bleeder screw put in their place? Or do I need to go find a new hose? Does gm still make the hose? What are my options. Getting tired of the saying " if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck"

 

If you bypass it with heater hose to and make sure they are routed below the height of the radiator. The bleeder is there on that hose since it is the highest point and is where all the air will get trapped.

I eliminated mine without too much trouble. When I fill the system I bleed it with the front end of the car jacked up so the radiator cap is the highest point. A little more of a PITA but it is doable.

 

Yeah I may have to do just that, there seems to be a brass insert that threads into the metal area, but I know how soft brass is, and what happens to it after years of use, I suppose I could drill that out but could I find another insert or insert and bleeder screw to fit in it's place? I called chevy, and the dealerships down here want over 200$ for this line. I almost had a heart attack, u can get an opti for about twice that, if u know where to look, but not from down here, that's 870$ down here. I'm getting a chastity belt before I call the dealerships down here again, everytime I do I know I'm gettin screwed, no dinner or cuddling afterwards either!!! I wonder if my wife ever feels this way? Soory for the off color comments but it's the truth. Anyone know where to find this part cheaper? Salvage yards aren't really an option, there's a place in houston but the brass would be just as weathered I'm afraid, and also over tightened like mine was, what kind of heater hose did u use to bypass yours? Regular hose and just cut the tube out? It's lookin like I may have too for a little while, don't want too, hate to over heat my block cause that could cost way more than a couple hundred $

 

I think you could go to a salvage yard and find something that will work. Look at F-bodies as well as Buicks, Vhevys and Cataracts (Cadillacs) as many were equipped with the LT-1 or the 265" version.

Don't bother looking at 'vettes as they're different.

While it looks like it can be done, I wouldn't recommend eliminating the bleeder and going with a straight hose. Bleeding is a pain as it is and that won't make it easier. Again, no doubt you can do it but it won't be easy.

Just my opinion...

 

Yeah that's my concern, that I may get it done, but not completely and take her down the road and have a big problem. Yeah I'm kinda thinkin that I could just start looking for the brass fitting that goes into the pipe and hold the bleeder screw, I'm gonna have a time getting it out, but I'm sure it can be persuaded, it'll be a contest of wills, lol, be bad if the car kicks my butt lmao. But does anyone know where I may find that brass fitting? It has a spot for a wrench on it, so u would think if it can be removed they must have a replacement for it. I can't be the only one who's had someone overtighten the bleeder and had this happen, can I??

 

Are the threads that the screw goes into stripped out of the fitting, or did the screw just fall out because it was loose?

If the threads are stripped, have you considered tapping them for the next size up and getting a new screw?

 

The screw is snapped off, it looks like that brass fitting it goes into is replaceable, is that the case? Cause I would be game for finding the replacement part for that, rather than replacing the entire hose. And the brass fitting looks pretty corroded too. I'm really contemplating trying that, so before I go mess something up I'd like to know if it can be removed and replaced.

 

the brass screws in my bleeder lines can all screw straight on out, if u cant buy a replacement screw if yours is like mine then try hitting up a junk yard for that screw.. like i said mine screw straight on out and arnt hooked to anything

 

If the end of the screw is still in the fitting, drill it out or use an EZ-out.

 

I thought of doing that, but my concern is if I damage that brass fitting the screw goes into and it's not replaceable, well then I guess I just have to replace the entire thing lol. I'll probably try that, after all what can It hurt.