Unknown assembly needs gasket

[TheWuster]

This is my first Expedition but not my first Ford and this is stumping me. Maybe it's normal on a 5.4, maybe it's just an assembly to comes with a vehicle with a second heater core... I'm not sure either way as to what it is called so I'm having a rough time getting a new gasket for it. I'm including a photo.
The cast assembly where that heater hose is coming out of. Looks like it spreads all the way to the other side and makes the base of the thermostat housing at least in how I'm seeing it so I suppose I would need to remove the thermostat housing in order to remove the whole assembly.
Directly under the cast piece where the hose is coming out is leaking.
Can anyone help me identify the name of the assembly and maybe even the best way to remove said assembly so I can order and replace the gasket? I've been working on my own vehicles for almost 40 years and this one is stumping me. Nothing in my manuals touch on this part at all from what I've been able to find.
This forum noob appreciates any help he can get and in the future will be keeping an eye on the forum so I can help anyone who has questions also. I'm very very mechanically inclined and can figure out most things but this one has me really stumped.

 

[00XTL]

That entire assembly is the intake manifold. Over time on the 5.4 and 4.6 the plastic gets brittle and cracks. A new intake manifold will come with the aluminum cross member. Fairly easy job if your machanicly inclined. You can get it from Ford or Dorman. When i bought mine it was about $400 and that was with employee discount. But that was over five years ago.

 

[dcsang]

It sounds like you may be referring to the coolant crossover tube. Refer to this similar post in the Gen3 forum. Earlier models seem to provide more accessibility so change both gaskets if possible.

 

[Hamfisted]

Remove the intake manifold and you'll find the crossover's retaining bolts underneath. Remove the retaining bolts and the crossover will separate from the intake manifold and you can inspect the crossover-to-manifold mounting surface for any cracks or imperfections in the mounting surface area of the plastic intake manifold. Hopefully you won't find any issues and you can just replace the O-ring style gaskets and button it back up and be on your way. About 20% of the time the contact surface of the intake will be delaminated and unusable and the intake assembly must be replaced. Good luck. If you do have to replace the intake use only the Motorcraft part, not one of those crap Chinese brands.

Fel Pro Crossover Gaskets on Amazon

Fel Pro Intake Manifold Gasket Set on Amazon


Motorcraft Intake Manifold from Ford Parts Giant





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[jimbosidecar]

My 2001 Expedition 5.4 has the same problem. The thermostat housing (I think it's called) is aluminum and is leaking at the passenger side. Of course the coolent blows into the spark plug holes, causing a stumble and the check engine light to come on. Looks like a big job just to get everything that's in the way, out of the way.

 

[TheWuster]

Thanks you all. I figured it out myself when Googling at work one day and saw it was part of the intake manifold. It has actually stopped leaking