Help! Heater Hose Inlet Broke!

[Ulver]

Okay, so tonight I go to change my pcv hose on the left side of the engine... I was routing the pcv hose through and underneath the heater hose inlet, when suddenly the inlet just came right off of the firewall. It was bound to I guess because I wasn't even rough. Pictures attached. If there's something I can do right away, please shoot a suggestion. Anything will help at this point. Thank you.





I think I just realized that I may be able to just take the fitting off of the firewall, pop the old heater piece off and reconnect the hose. Not sure. The fitting is so difficult to get off. Those two tabs ain't no joke.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Yes- you are correct. Remove the old fitting and get new ones.

I have in my records:
Gates 28500
Dorman 800-403

These were done about 4 months apart from each other and I don’t remember why.

 

[crowncrazy87]

Yep. Easy and cheap fix! But those tabs can be troublesome... a word of advice. You will want to slick up the new o rings on the new fitting before trying to push it on the heater core line. Makes it go on much easier. I use a little dawn dish soap!

 

[Ulver]

Got it fixed! Was kind of an ordeal.. I pulled the old connection off from the firewall, cut the metal connection piece off of the heater hose (Picture 1), then took the new piece, stuck that in the heater hose, clamped it, and stuck it into the firewall. The dishsoap did well, @crowncrazy87

Now... If you purchase the Gates hose connection (part # 28500), and find out that it doesn't fit, don't worry it'll fit. Attached to the firewall nozzle is a two-tab clip, which was pretty much part of that firewall nozzle. It was stuck on there. I couldn't break it off, and i really didn't feel comfortable breaking it. So in the end, I ended up modifying the new Gates connector piece by breaking off the plastic washer (before the three 0-rings) and plugging it into the firewall nozzle. No leaks so far.

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[stamp11127]

Well......you have another issue going on. The correct coolant mixture blocks rust formation in the block. Since your hoses and hose end have that rusty look to them you can bet the heater core and radiator are slowly clogging up from rust. I will venture a guess somewhere along the line straight water has been used as coolant.

 

[Ulver]

Well......you have another issue going on. The correct coolant mixture blocks rust formation in the block. Since your hoses and hose end have that rusty look to them you can bet the heater core and radiator are slowly clogging up from rust. I will venture a guess somewhere along the line straight water has been used as coolant.

Good observation. Which this should also explain there being no heat. Man, what a project this vehicle is.