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Heater Hoses

4K views 30 replies 9 participants last post by  timmayh2 
#1 ·
I have two hoses coming from the passengers side firewall. I believe they have something to do with the heater for inside the cab. But these hoses are cut and left hanging. What looks like the same size hoses next to them are together in a loop like someone cut the original setup from the firewall and just put them together. Any ideas Cause my heater doesnt work. Searched but couldnt find pictures to explain why its like that. Pictures of what it should look like under the hood on an 89 EB 302 would be great. Thank you.
 
#2 ·
those are your heater hoses for your heater core. the heater is is probably leaking (i'd bet $10 on it) and the PO just looped the heater lines because he didn't want to fix it. i'd bet he didn't fix it because he thought it was a horrible job involving the entire dash coming off, 6 hour job.

it ISN'T! you can have it done in an hour TOPS! from draining the coolant, to having the coolant system burped of air, and nice hot heat. easy to do, and cheap. get new hoses while your at it, and fresh coolant. there are a couple of write-ups on how to change it.
 
#3 ·
When you say the heater doesn't work, you mean it blows air but it's not hot?

I don't have any pics, but I'm betting it went something like this, if I understand you correctly:

Heater core started leaking all over the passenger side floorboard, so rather than fixing it right, they cut the heater hoses and tee'd them together.

Take a piece of your heater hose to the parts store and ask for about 10 feet of it. IIRC, the upper connection on the passenger side of the water pump goes to the upper connection on the heater core. Lower to lower.

If you discover you've got a leaky heater core, don't freak out. on the '87-91 trucks, they're easy as hell to change.

EDIT: Damn, Bri_Guy beat me to it.
 
#10 ·
You can buy those heater hoses in any auto parts store and not expensive along with replacing the heater core, I agree it's not a hard job by any means,.....

Don't forget to check the condition of the T-Stat and Radiator cap......AND while you're at it, why not backflush the cooling system with just plain water FIRST before you install the new HC and wash the radiator/heater hoses in Tide if they're reusable and you'll have really nice heat....

backflush procedure:
remove the radiator cap and disconnect the lower radiator hose and with a garden hoses in the neck to refill, run the engine for 10 minutes or so until clean water comes out.....in most cases you should run the heater on high but that may not work in this instance so NBD.....top off with a good quality anti-freeze for your region and you're good to go...

You should perform this once a year, don't forget to wash out the over-flow tank.....

Good Luck ~ :thumbup
 
#11 ·
You can buy those heater hoses in any auto parts store and not expensive along with replacing the heater core, I agree it's not a hard job by any means,.....

Don't forget to check the condition of the T-Stat and Radiator cap......AND while you're at it, why not backflush the cooling system with just plain water FIRST before you install the new HC and wash the radiator/heater hoses in Tide if they're reusable and you'll have really nice heat....

backflush procedure:
remove the radiator cap and disconnect the lower radiator hose and with a garden hoses in the neck to refill, run the engine for 10 minutes or so until clean water comes out.....in most cases you should run the heater on high but that may not work in this instance so NBD.....top off with a good quality anti-freeze for your region and you're good to go...

You should perform this once a year, don't forget to wash out the over-flow tank.....

Good Luck ~ :thumbup

if you run the engine with the lower hose off for 10min, you will probably over heat the motor. The water enters the block from the bottom and discharges form the top hose.

Take the top hose off, drain the radiator add new clean water and run the engine with the a garden hose in the top fill tube.

Once the engine get to temp, it will open the tstat and discharge the water from the block/head. Let this happen until fresh clean water from the radiator enters and all green or orange coolant has been eliminated.

Once your satisfied, cut motor off. drain the radiator, reattach top hose, and then add the proper mix of your choice of water and coolant.
 
#12 ·
I will make sure to do this flush also. I replaced my radiator fluid like 2 months ago and did the same thing. Thanks. Anyone have a link to this heater core install?
 
#13 ·
I hate todo this to you, but search in the tech forum. A few have just recently place heater core changes.

It's one of the easiest thing todo. Just remove the 2 heater hoses ( 3/4" iirc ) at the firewall. Go inside and open your glove box door and dis engage the arm.
Once the door is out of the way, you should 4-5 screws if my memory serves right, remove those screws, and pry the heater core out. Clean out the area , apply some sealant.

And finally reverse the install process. it should be no more than 30mins or so.
 
#15 ·
I believe these are what you need:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GTR-65071/

they do make a 3/4" ID but I put a dial caliper on my fitting down by the alternator and it measured .65ID/ .95OD and the link I show is for a hose .625 ID and .91OD so that seems proper size for me, and what I am looking to buy as well.

note the price, $5 spot and change should do both hoses.
They do make the pretty blue hi miler as well, but the same 6' of hose will be $19 and change.

Edit: apparently you can skip the shipping and buy at autozone...another site mentions you can buy 6' of the 65071 for $6 at da zone.

anudder edit: da zone does have the above, but there number is H0508 for the standard black goodyear hose in stock., $5.99 here. Going to try and get this tomorrow. They can special order the blue stuff, it shows $22.99 for the same 6'. It is better, but seeing as my Motorocraft stuff has not failed me in 15 yrs. I don't need that.
 
#16 ·
if the fan also does not work your going to need to trouble shoot it and see if it's getting power or the blower motor is dead.
 
#17 ·
Not if the oil level is up and engine is FULL of old coolant, basically at cold operating temp....

If you disconnect the top radiator hose the coolant will piss out all over everything making a real PITA mess.....the lower hose can be can be disconnected from the radiator and pointed downard and out of the way.....you just let the engine IDLE for a few minutes to circuate thru the radiator and heater core but REFILLING thru the radiator neck so the level doesn't get low enough to cause a problem......going thru the top radiator hose draining from the radiator petcock takes way too long.....drain -refill -drain -:barf


I've never had a problem doing it this way but do whatever makes you happy as long as the engine gets BACKEDFLUSHED.........lol lol


Good Luck ~ :thumbup
 
#18 ·
I think what he is saying is....top hose hot, bottom hose cold.

So, by your method of taking off the lower hose, any water you put in the radiator will not circulate into the motor and heater core, but rather just piss out the bottom.

So you start motor, it warms, and once the Tstat opens all fluids go into radiator and drain out the bottom, and you have not be introducing any new fluid into the motor/heater core, you've just put water in the radiator which goes down and pisses out the bottom.
 
#19 ·
Yes im thinking that disconnecting the lower hose and trying to fill the radiator neck will not be very effective because it will just leak out of the bottom of the radiator.
 
#20 ·
Well shittttttt maybe I am doing it wrong now that you put it that way, so all I've been doing is just draining the block and flushing the radiator .........what a MAROOOOOON.....:banghead

Next time I'll do it your way.......:doh0715:

Live and learn, why we're all here for the little things.......lol lol
 
#22 ·
I used to have one in the Jeep I had years ago. I've been contemplating doing this for the bronco, and probably should have done it years ago.

I never had a leak issue

It does exactly what you are wanting, but you don't have to break any hose seal you have since you can put the hose right on the cap that is on the T cut into the heater hose as I recall.

They are cheap.

It does take me quite some time to do a complete flush without having this on. Since I just bought the hoses, I'm seriously considering going ahead and adding this in to speed the whole flush.
 
#24 ·
I searched around yesterday looking at thread/videos of backflushing for homework..lol lol....and one showed this kit spliced into the inlet heater hose with the petcock wide open, mine will actually unscrew all the way out so the flow is better.

Sometime ago I cut up an old plastic anti -freeze jug for a drain spout to place under the petcock while draining where you can angle it a bit downward so the coolant won't piss and splatter all over the diff and steering linkage underneath and it works well, anal I guess but I hate mess.......:rofl:

Alright, I'll be on the look out for a decent kit and install it, no real rush my engine is only a year old......

Thanks ~ :thumbup
 
#25 ·
My fan works good and my a/c fine also. Its just when i turn my heater on absolutely nothing happens. no air comes out. That still gonna be the same problem?
 
#26 ·
do you mean when you turn the temperature lever to hot? or when you put the position lever to "heat"?
 
#29 ·
Doesnt make sense. If he has AC, (that he can feel at the dash vents) the blower motor MUST be working. They share the same blower motor. Where is the air for the AC coming out? .......defroster? ....floor? ....dash vents?

If he doesnt FEEL the heat, either

1) the core is bad/blocked
2) the heater doors are not working properly. Probably a vacuum issue - maybe at the switch inside, or the evap case in the engine compartment. Could even be the canister or vac distribution in the engine compartment.
 
#30 ·
Okay The blower motor is working. when I turn the lever to max a/c and temp lever to cold. cold air comes out at the vents. When i switch the lever to the heater side nothing comes out. No air cold or hot. floor/vent or just vent setting nothing comes out. The Air is coming out of my Dash vents...
 
#31 ·
Replaced that heater core and yupp it was an easy job. Thanks. Now i just need to get this AC to work. The heat blows out hot great but the ac is still pretty warm no matter what setting i put it on and I recharged the ac just only a couple days ago.
 
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