Well my hose problems continue. After replacing some rad hoses I have a heater hose that has mysteriously developed 2 pinhole leaks. I have searched and come up with a couple different solutions. The hose that is leaking is labeled #3 on shboxs website.
http://shbox.com/1/heater_hoses.jpg

Do I need to keep the piece that has the bleeder screw in it (bleeder valve and connector are #'s 4 & 5 on the website)? I don't have a dremel to get the crimped ends off. If I don't need to keep the bleeder screw in I will just remove the hose end that connects to the water pump and cut out the bad section. Then I would just use a replacement hose and go from the WP directly to the section of good hose using barbs and clamps. So if I don't need the bleeder I will do it like this. Will it be ok?

Next option is to just bypass the heater core altogether. I am assuming I would just need to loop the hose from the top of the WP to the hose at the bottom. Is that correct? What is needed to do this correctly? Are there any drawbacks to doing this? Are both hoses the same size? If I do this what do I do with the rest of the heater hoses? Can I just cap them off and zip tie them out of the way?


Sorry if this is all over the place. I am just trying to get the car running without losing coolant all over the place and not give my money to the shop again. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also if you guys have different ideas on what to do I am all ears. TIA.

 

You should be able to get some standard heater hose and bypass it like you are talking about. There is a flow reducer at the bottom (#13) but I think that's only for the heater core.

 

If I don't want to bypass the heater core and just replace the bad section, can I also do it without the bleeder screw?

 

You can try, but I doubt it would work. That is the highest point in the coolant system and where air is most likely to get trapped. These cars are notorious for having air trapped in the coolant system. That's why there are two bleeder screws.

 

OK so if I just bypass the heater core I don't need the bleeder screw setup? Anything I need to know or that I am missing before I try the bypass? The two hoses are the same size right? I can just cap the heater hoses that won't be used anymore and keep them out of the way correct? Do I leave the excess coolant in the hoses and heater core? If I need to how do I get all the coolant out of the heater system?

 

I think you DO need the bleeder screw, but if you want to try it at your own risk, that's fine.

Make sure you tuck any extra hoses away from the belt, engine and exhaust. The excess coolant will eventually all come out as you accelerate and brake enough times. Wouldn't be a bad idea to flush it with water, though.

 

I was looking at this when I was doing my searches. I think I will go this route. There is enough hose on either side of the pinholes to do this. Now I just need to know what size the hose is. I am guessing 3/4". Is that the right size? Should I just buy regular heater hose or do I need to get the same piece and cut it down to what I need (I ask because of the bends in the hose).

 

You could just buy regular hose. It's pretty flexible. Cut the piece off that you are talking about and take it to your favorite auto parts dealer. They can match the size for you. You'll probably have to go to a hardware store for barbs.

 

I would fix it. If you decide to sell it, a car without a heater, even in AZ might be a tough sell.JMHO

 

i dont have the bleader screew and have no promblems just bypass that bleader screew

 

You can't get the barbs at a parts store??

So you still have the heater but no bleeder screw?

Also, do I need to drain any coolant to do this? Can I just wait for the engine to cool off like replacing the thermostat?

 

The hose I'm talking about is it 3/4" or 5/8"?

Thanks.

EDIT: I am having a hell of a time calling around to find these hose unions (barbs). I found one place that said they have 5/8" but I think the hose is 3/4".

 

Hose barbs go by two dimensions, ID and OD. You need the hose barb OD to match your hose ID. It's best to take the actual hose to an ACE hardware or something and match it there.

 

I finally got it figured out. The hose I need is 5/8". I found a place that has everything I need and I will be working on it tonight. Thanks again for all the replies.

 

Good luck with it.