Hose Broke off of firewall for heater core....

[joe_too_crazy22]

So I drove from San Diego up to Big Bear Lake a couple of weekends ago. On the way up the twisty mountain road, my heater hose BROKE off the firewall. Instantly my engine went from normal temp to red!

I looped the hoses with a 3/4" PVC close nipple that was a part of my jet ski gas can. When AAA showed up to bring me coolant, the guy said he was impressed. I just laughed and said I never missed an episode of McGiver. (I did replace the PCV with a steel nipple for the trip back, as the PVC started to get soft when hot). When the AAA driver asked how it happened, my wife responded "because he thought this was Pikes Peak, and the other racers were going too slow!"



So my question is: What are the plastic pieces there for anyway?
You can see the heater core connections right there.

[Rice]

I don't know why the plastic it there, but if enough of the metal pipe sticks out, I would just cut the plastic off and clamp the hose onto the metal pipe.

[joe_too_crazy22]

I don't know why the plastic it there, but if enough of the metal pipe sticks out, I would just cut the plastic off and clamp the hose onto the metal pipe.

I think that is what I'm going to do. I'm just currious as to why wn engineer would put it there? Was this for a specific purpose?

[deadtrep]

is it some kind of one time use qwik connect

[joe_too_crazy22]

is it some kind of one time use qwik connect

Thanks. That's what I needed to know!

[2500ak]

I think that is what I'm going to do. I'm just currious as to why wn engineer would put it there? Was this for a specific purpose?

Plastic has a much higher specific heat capacity, maybe it helps buffer the line from the hot metal. Probably also for ease of removal. I would also guess though, that the plastic abomination there acts as a sort of of firewall grommet, unless it doesn't go all the way through.

[454cid]

That's weird. What truck is this? My 99 K3500 just has the metal ends sticking out, which I'm fairly certain is original.

[99silveradoLS]

My 99 nbs silverado did the exact same thing. I used a utility knife to get the old plastic off and then a hose clamp to attach the hose back on. Seems to be holding up just fine and not leaking.

[scaper27]

same thing happened to my 03

[beachbum29]

This happened to my 2000 this past spring. I put the hose right to the heater core too, but chose to replace the plastic end as it's an extension, and a quick connect. I figured it was there for a reason, so I may as well put it back. My local car quest got it for me...

[Stumasters]

This happened to my 2000 this past spring. I put the hose right to the heater core too, but chose to replace the plastic end as it's an extension, and a quick connect. I figured it was there for a reason, so I may as well put it back. My local car quest got it for me...

How the hell did you get the old one off and the new one on? I recently purchased 2 of these as the same situation happened to me, and the GM fuel line tool will not work at all for me. It seems like they are all too shallow to release the springs inside. I can't figure it out, I have it directly mounted to the core right now, but I would like to replace these as it will be much easier to remove them later for another flush. I ended up having to bust and cut off the old one.

I am trying to improvise some sort of around the house items to create if you will a deeper well disconnect tool, but so far no luck. If anyone has any advice or suggestions on tools or where to find something that will work better, I am all ears!

Thanks.

[Macedawg]

on my '01 i just cut them in the middle and put a brass nipple one with clamps on the return and used one of the Peak quick flush things on the other side with clamps..it makes flushing a breeze and no leaks thus far

[Stumasters]

Well, I just ran to Advanced and picked up a 6" strip of heater hose and an adapter to gauge up the factory hose to the actual size of the nipple protruding from the core itself (the aluminum part). Then I just needed 3 hose clamps and a few minutes of time. After securing the clamps I started her up and the heater works perfectly, better then it ever has since I have owned it.

The parts were about 5.00.

I would like to do it right, but until I develop a tool to release the spring clips on the factory plastic piece I won't worry about it. The only benefit of using the factory part would be for faster flushing in the future.

Hope that helps someone in a similar spot. Obviously the white plastic item was made incorrectly, or with a bad formula, as the black seems almost new. Aftermarket part will be black, and work for both sides.

The stu

[85-bowtie]

To get that busted plastic off of my 99 5.3 I took a hacksaw blade and cut it down to the metal pipe and stuck a flat blade screw driver in the cut, twist and the plastic breaks off.

[race1]

Carquest sells a heater hose connector removal tool that works pretty well on those.

Bob

[Yzingerr]

Here it is, 2:15 am and i found this post.
At 10:30 tonight my truck dic starts going ape sh!t; "engine overheating", "coolant low", and "reducing engine power" keeps popping up. Im merging lanes while my truck decides to do 40mph on the freeway.
I pop the hood and see coolant all over the back top of the engine..wtf?
Ahh, look at that loose hose!
Why would chevy make those plastic pieces of crap to handle that load??
Im leaving on a trip today and now stressing about getting into the dealer to get her repaired. No time for diy on this one.
Glad this didnt happen on my camping trip this weekend, aint no cell service out there!
Seems like every post i saw on these, it was the white one that went....

[FatBastard]

I noticed a faint coolant smell coming rom my 2001 2500HD and decided to look under the hood. I could not find anything nor was the truck leaving a "wet" spot other than water from the A/C condensor. This lasted about a week before the "Low Coolant" light started to come on. I took sa look under the hood again and found the back of the firewall to be soaked with coolant and the white nipple (rightside) leaking a good drip. I called around for the part Pep Boys didnt have the part or the tool, neither did O'rielly and the dealer wanted $40 for the part and didn't have the Quick Connect release tool. I looked for the tool online and saw a link to Amazon and they had it for $11, plus they showed me what others had purchased with that tool and low and behold the actual part that was leaking was available as well, and for only $7. It only comes in black but it works. Its a fairly simple fix. I bought the following products on Amazon and was able to fix it myself in less than 20 minutes. The coolant was the most expensive part haha.

The tool snaps around the back fo the quick connect and slides right in, Once it was all the way in I gently tugged on both pieces until the heater line quick connect slid off. To replace with the New Dorman part I just slid it on and gently pushed until it engaged into its "seat", connected the hose back using the factory hose clamps, added my coolant mixture and checked it for leaks by letting it run awhile with the heater on.

*Remember to vent the system by loosening the radiator reservoir tank cap.

1 Dorman 800-409 Heater Hose... $6.96
http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-800-409...=pd_sim_auto_1

1 OTC 6046 Heater Line Quick... $11.54
http://www.amazon.com/OTC-6046-Heate...5348321&sr=1-1


Hope this helps.

(The piece in the green Dorman package is the old part)

[Yzingerr]

I noticed a faint coolant smell coming rom my 2001 2500HD and decided to look under the hood. I could not find anything nor was the truck leaving a "wet" spot other than water from the A/C condensor. This lasted about a week before the "Low Coolant" light started to come on. I took sa look under the hood again and found the back of the firewall to be soaked with coolant and the white nipple (rightside) leaking a good drip. I called around for the part Pep Boys didnt have the part or the tool, neither did O'rielly and the dealer wanted $40 for the part and didn't have the Quick Connect release tool. I looked for the tool online and saw a link to Amazon and they had it for $11, plus they showed me what others had purchased with that tool and low and behold the actual part that was leaking was available as well, and for only $7. It only comes in black but it works. Its a fairly simple fix. I bought the following products on Amazon and was able to fix it myself in less than 20 minutes. The coolant was the most expensive part haha.......

Nice, looks to be not-so-bad!
Fortunately I have a local shop that I am cool with and he had my truck in and out in the same day for $35 OTD... I was very happy with that!

[dmiller-89]

On my 2000 i cut it off just like 85-bowtie did. Bought 2 dorman one from o-reilys couldnt get them on. Went to the dealer and got one for $30 i think and it popped right on no leaks. Guess there is a little difference between them.

[matt trakker]

I want to flush my heater core and stumbled upon these stupid things...

I looked at the links previously listed (thanks BTW ), but it says that part doesn't fit a 2003 Tahoe....did the design change somewhere through the NBS production?

The ones on mine look like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-800-411...ar=1&carId=001

...but Amazon says they do not fit either. Go figure.
I should just break the stupid things off and clamp the hoses! LOL

May leave well enough alone for now. My heater hoses do both seem to get hot, and I think my perceived problem with my heat was I did not have it set on 90 when it was 35 degrees out, I figured that 70 would get it hot enough...found the recirc on the auto climate control helps with keeping the interior warm as well. I kind of miss my simple to operate OBS...