Unidentified piece on 430 engine

[Djweaz]

I have this part (pictured) just below the rear of the intake manifold. I’ve heard of some cars having a test port for the transmission which more cost effective than removing it but this is not that part. It leaks antifreeze and drives me up a wall. I tried to remove it the other day to cap it off but after loosening it up it was still attached to something.
In talking with other friends with 430’s they don’t have it and I fans find a picture online of one either. Does anybody have this on their 430 or know what it is? It is probably a temp sensor location but it leaks and I want to repair it
Thanks,
Rob

[simplyconnected]

Rob, this pipe nipple is simply connected to the valley pan. There is NO coolant under it at all.
My guess is, someone attempted to draw engine fumes from that area but they abandoned that idea, probably because too much oil was also breathing out.

You're right, pictures of other 430 engines show a blank pan.

Ok, so where is coolant coming from? Not in that fitting. Go ahead and uncap it, to see.
My guess is, coolant is coming from a heater hose connection in that area or from the intake manifold's coolant port (also in that area). Since this is in a low portion, it makes sense that liquids pool there. - Dave

[partsetal]

Your antifreeze leak is from the front, most likely where the coolant reservoir bolts to the thermostat housing, or a small leak in the reservoir itself.
Carl

[Djweaz]

I will check out the front of the pan today when I go out to the garage. That makes a lot of sense about it coming from the thermostat area. It actually drips past that and down the back of the block working it’s way to the freeze plug area where I originally thought the leak was.

Is this something that a PO might have drilled out? Or was it a factory thing? I tried to take it off and it wouldn’t come off. I loosened the nut at the bottom all the way loose and it was still wobbly. So I tightened it back up before I broke something.

[partsetal]

The 430 used in the Thunderbird had a plain surface there, but when the 430 was used in the Mercury and the Lincoln there may have been a port there. This same block and the valley pan later became the Lincoln 462 motor up until 1965? and again there may have been something attached there. The depression under your port would indicate that there was a factory installed item there and this valley pan was from another application.
Carl