i am about to replace a belt tensioner on my 98 leasabre and noticed that the tensioner comes with o-rings im assuming which are for the heater hoses ... are these o-rings necessary ? And im assuming these o-rings go inside the heater hose tubes ...

also im swapping wires and plugs out on the 98 lesabre...is taking off the upper strut mount safe? any other tips before i attempt this will be great thanks

The o-rings will go on the outside of the heater hose fittings. It is best to put some sealant around the fitting before the o-ring so when it is inserted, it pushes the sealant over the o-ring. The hoses are then clamped to the fittings. Fittings are held in by a bolt and they will feel lose when put together.

The strut tower bar can be removed, but do not drive with it off. Some even like to raise the car and take the weight off the front before removing and until it is replaced.

Here is a picture of the bolts and holes where the fittings go:



Here is a picture of the hose fitting. The yellow arrow points to the o-ring and the green points to the edge where the sealant should be laid (I had extra sealant due to a leak from used o-rings) it does not take much to lubricate and help seal:

Use the RTV. I used gray high-torque RTV sealant on those O-rings and coolant elbows since the first time around I got a nasty coolant leak from the heater hoses a week after putting it back together. It's fixed now, and isn't leaking, AFAIK.

For plugs, be ready for a struggle with the wires, and have a new set of wires ready to go. Use dielectric grease on the boots of the wires, and a dab of anti-seize on the threads of the plug. If they ever need to come off again, they'll be much easier to get off.

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2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco - Current car

1999 Buick LeSabre Custom - Former car

Learn from the mistakes of others, that way when you mess up you can do so in new and interesting ways.

thanks so is it safe to take off the upper strut mount? i have delphi wires and ac delco iridium plugs ready to go

We are referring to the strut tower brace that runs across the engine compartment right? You only need to remove 2 nuts on each side.

yes correct the brace in the engine...just wanna make sure its safe to take off and wont mess anything up