Replace Coolant Overflow Hose

[ShiroTanuki]

Hello! TVT has been a bible to me since I got my van last May, but this is my first time posting. As somebody with very minimal practical auto-repair experience, I definitely didn't know what I was getting myself into when I bought the van. I've spent a small fortune bringing it to shops every time something goes wrong, and now that I'm totally broke because of this, it's time for me to figure out how to do the repairs for myself . Luckily, I have a fairly good diagnostic sense, even if it isn't backed up by much experience. And this seem like a pretty simple fix.

We've got an '85 2wd LE. A few days ago, we overheated on the tail end of a pretty long trip. After it cooled down, I realized that even though the overflow tank was totally full, the radiator neck was dry (!) Also, the hose connecting the overflow to the neck had some obvious seepage. I filled up at the radiator neck, replaced the cap there (just for good measure... it was cheap) and everything has been normal on the short test drives I've taken. I'm thinking that I'd like to replace that hose from the overflow to the rad neck and see if that helps. But the diagrams that I've seen posted here aren't super clear to me about what hose I need.

I'm posting a couple of pics of my hose, I don't really understand what the use is of the overlapping bits. Do I need this exact hose again, or could I get bulk hose?

Thanks for your input, it really seems like a simple question and I searched the forum a ton for some insight, but still feel a little clueless.

[llamavan]

Hi and welcome to TVT!

Using the search-by-tag technique DESCRIBED IN THIS STICKIED THREAD and the tag "coolant hoses and pipes", I quickly found THIS ARTICLE, which will acquaint you with most of the coolant hoses. The first photo shows the hose you're talking about (blue arrows). I personally haven't ordered one in a long time, but I was able to get some from Toyota several years ago. This is definitely a hose that needs replacing by the time a Van reaches this age, if not earlier.

The "double hose" is actually a hose with a protective sleeve (the foam sleeve gets worn off long before the hose could be damaged). You don't need that sleeve.

The problem with bulk hose is that SAE measurements don't QUITE match metric, and sometimes leaks can develop or persist. My rule of thumb is that if the hose is hard to get to (like the one behind the head), do NOT substitute bulk hose; buy the Toyota hose (or a Toyota bulk hose of appropriate length) ... I learned that the hard way.

Gwen

[ShiroTanuki]

Hi and welcome to TVT!

Using the search-by-tag technique DESCRIBED IN THIS STICKIED THREAD and the tag "coolant hoses and pipes", I quickly found THIS ARTICLE, which will acquaint you with most of the coolant hoses. The first photo shows the hose you're talking about (blue arrows). I personally haven't ordered one in a long time, but I was able to get some from Toyota several years ago. This is definitely a hose that needs replacing by the time a Van reaches this age, if not earlier.

The "double hose" is actually a hose with a protective sleeve (the foam sleeve gets worn off long before the hose could be damaged). You don't need that sleeve.

The problem with bulk hose is that SAE measurements don't QUITE match metric, and sometimes leaks can develop or persist. My rule of thumb is that if the hose is hard to get to (like the one behind the head), do NOT substitute bulk hose; buy the Toyota hose (or a Toyota bulk hose of appropriate length) ... I learned that the hard way.

Gwen

Hey Gwen, thanks for the guidance. I appreciate it!

I was going to go for it and get the Toyota hose, but it appears it's been discontinued. How do I go about measuring the hose in order to get bulk?

[VanDown]

I'll give a dissenting opinion here - I just replaced most of the coolant hoses on my van (including the hoses of death), and on the recommendation of another member here I used Gates #28408 5/16" ID heater hose, which I think I got at autozone, everywhere. It fits well and seems to me be a good substitute. (I also cut two HOD access holes, so I can check for leaks and replace those hoses if necessary - but in any case for the overflow hose it is a non-issue in that respect.)