Well, I had one of those "sure glad I have an ultra gauge" moments today.

I heard an audible alarm a couple minutes after pulling out of a parking lot, and found temps climbing up over 220F. Found out the throttle body feed from the expansion tank snapped off(probably when I was foolishly working on an oxygen sensor from the top down).



After a call for a couple screws of roughly the right diameter to plug the hole in the tank and line, I refilled and bled the system. Seemed to get me home just fine, with temps around 210.

I figure I'm going to replace both the tank and fill cap, and put in a cooler thermostat as well(currently running the stock thermostat, but it gets to 100-110 during the summer here in Sacramento).

That said, I want that throttle body heater come winter time. Anyone have experience with this lucky8 aftermarket tank? It looks like both they and Rovers North have the OEM for nearly $300, but that really stings for a plastic tank.

As for the thermo, I'm going to use the genuine part. Anyone have a suggestion on if it's possible to replace the throttle body lines? Those 13 year old plastic tubes don't exactly inspire confidence...

 

I've been running an aftermarket tank for a good while with no problems. not from L8 but probably the same maker. I couldn't see much difference in the aftermarket and the genuine I took off after it cracked at bottom nipple.

I replaced my line with hose from top of manifold to bottom of tank and bypassed the throttle body heater altogether but, don't want to start another debate on whether or not that is ok or not ok. It's just what I did since I got tired of screwing with the TBH gasket leaks and we have about a month of winter. But if you decide to change both lines out with hose you may have a problem fitting the one from the radiator back under the top shroud due to it's larger diameter.

and yea that UG is about the best thing I have ever bought for my truck. It's the one thing I've bought in awhile that worth more to me than it cost.

 

get one from rockauto same part for a lot cheaper.

 

It looks like Rock Auto has them for 2002 and earlier.

Anyone know if there was a change to the coolant tank between the 2002 and 2003 model year?

 

I do not believe there is a difference between the 99-02 and the 03-04 even though they have a different number. I went with and aftermarket one that leaked at the seam in a few months i ended up back with a LR tank.

 

cheap aas uro or euro one on mine....no issues, to date

 

Well, I've ordered a cheapo.

It occurs to me that while I have the genuine tank out, I should seal off the throttle body connections and keep it around for a backup.

 

all the same.

 

When this happened to me I did the same thing as you; I plugged the hole with a screw. I drove it that way for a month or two until it was time to flush the coolant anyway and it never leaked a drop. I did remove the tank, filed down the stub to be as flat as possible, and then wrapped the screw with Teflon tape before installing it. I am confident I could've driven it with that set up indefinitely.

The aftermarket tank I bought was about $29 off of eBay, I recall, a couple months ago. I can't see a dime's worth of difference, let alone $270 worth of different, between it and OEM.