Radiator top hose

[coacha]

I developed a leak in the top hose of my radiator, near the clamp or under it. I have a new one on order but I really don't know what all I'll have to remove to get to it. I have the tank off, took off the front clamp and tried to loosen the hose but couldn't really budge it at this point.

Will I have to loosen up the radiator or take anything else off to get to it to get the new one on? There are a ton of different hoses and such in the way. I don't know if I am biting off more than I care to chew here or if I should just take it to the stealership to change it.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[classic1]

I changed the coolant in my 1600 last spring, but I don't remember how the hoses were routed. Being it's been on there a while and you are replacing it, maybe grab the hose with a pair of channel locks and try to turn it at each end of the hose to break it loose. Of course don't squeeze too hard.

[coacha]

There isn't much room to get hold of anything in there. Tons of other hoses and such.

[phenrichs]

Coach if you have the tank off you are pretty much there. If I remember correctly the top hose goes straight back from the radiator to where the cap is. Most of the other hoses that are there are either vacuum or breather hoses. Have you removed the reed valves? If not that is ok. you can still gain some working room.

I am going off of memory right now.

You can remove the horn and behind that there are two hoses that are about the size of a nickel. These can both be safely disconnected to give you more room to work but do not mix them up when you put them back on. One goes to the bottom of the engine, it is the crankcase breather, the other is a vacuum that goes to the reed valves. this doesn't give alot more room because the stupid fan is still there but it gives some. I think that there isn't much holding the rad in place so you may be able to loosen it and gain some room without removing it completely but I can't say for sure.

[ringadingh]

You may have to undo a couple other things in order to reach the rad hose. If you have the tank off, thats the hard part already done.

[Yellow Jacket]

Ron,

If the problem is that the hose seems to be stuck to the pipe going into the radiator and you can't get it free here's an old trick I've used working on old, very old, cars.

Try cutting through the hose lengthwise over the area where it fits on the radiator inlet pipe. Once that is done you can peel the edges back and get it free from the inlet pipe.

[dogdoc]

Thats my old trick yellow jacket, LOL,, works well.

[macmac]

The hose is heat sealed to any paint that was on the rad inlet. There is a hook tool if you wish to buy one, for not much money. It has a screw driver like grip and a hook that is tapered lots like a cotter pin puller, which has more curves and angles.

To use this you slip the taper hook between the hose and the fitting and slip it around one way as far as you can breaking the seal and then the other way.

Since the hose is toast right now i would use a razor.

Other wise Bob's way with a razor blade or razor knife works as well.

[coacha]

When the hose gets in, looks like the razor will be the tool of choice.

[macmac]

That depends on if the old one could be cut back and used as a spare. The clamps can easily be over tightened.. Don't.

[coacha]

If I can get it off without cutting it I will, but I can't seem to budge the end on the radiator and the end at the top is not in an easily accessible spot.

[macmac]

In part I just like to confirm things like leaks.. If it were mine I would want to find and see that hole. Just the way I am.

[coacha]

I hear you mac. It looked like it was coming from under the hose clamp. We tightened it when we found it and that didn't do anything to help, so I know it wasn't a loose clamp. Just hoping it isn't the radiator at the neck area.

[voyager]

What I've always done in the past with smaller rad hoses like ours is to replace the stock style hose clamps with a "silicone style" clamp. These clamps are similar in appearance but use an additional strip of metal that covers the teeth area of the stock style clamps. When tightening, this strip prevents the clamp from digging into the hose body and potentially causing a problem. These silicone style clamps can be purchased at any NAPA store. Well worth the effort.

[coacha]

voyager, thanks for the tip.