Getting to know all the coolant hoses of your Vanwagon!

[cusco-awd]

Sensor is on the bottom of the overflow. Lift the overflow unit/ tank up, follow the wire and unplug it. Thats all you need to do to get to the hose to remove it.

Cover the alternator with plastic and swap the hose. Most people use a generic flex hose now.

It would be a good opportunity to change the t stat and do a coolant flush also with that lower hose off. I like to drain all the old stuff out and put in water and some coolant flush. Then I undo the lower hose at the radiator and flush it out through the top cap.

[Wrench]

I seem to have a small leak in the hose to the overflow tank. I guess it's part #90099-33393 but it seems to be NLA. Anyone know where I can find this?

[JPERL]

I seem to have a small leak in the hose to the overflow tank. I guess it's part #90099-33393 but it seems to be NLA. Anyone know where I can find this?

bulk hose of a similar diameter from your local auto parts store would work. Nothing special about this. You only run into problems with pre-formed hoses.

[bigeo]

Is it just me? Twice in the last 6 months I have had major coolant leaks when metal tubing carrying coolant "blew out". In both cases, the tubes went from not leaking noticeably to hemorrhaging in a very short period of time. Upon inspection, each tube (one on the driver's side and one on the passenger side of the engine compartment) was severely corroded. I was lucky that both occurrences were in locations where I wasn't stranded. I now carry a keyhole saw with a metal cutting blade, a length of heater hose and clamps so I can do field repairs. You have been warned.

[Wrench]

I'm a little confused Gwen! The image that shows the rear heater seems to suggest the heater core and rear heater are separate parts and that the coolant goes through the rear heater, then the heater core and back to the block. Where exactly is rear heater inlet E going and rear outlet A coming from? Thanks so much for the write-up btw.

[Wrench]

Oh also, pardon my ignorance but where does the breather hose go?

[llamavan]

"Heater" and "heater core" are the same thing.

Inlet means it's allowing coolant to flow into whatever, in this case, the heater core. Outlet = it's coming out of the heater core.

The radiator breather hose comes from the nipple on the upper right hand corner of the radiator (the nipple faces the rear of the van) and goes to the coolant filler neck.

Hope that helps!

Gwen

[Wrench]

So rear heater inlet A goes to a pipe that then connects to rear heater inlet E and onto the heater core? Makes sense.
And the breather hose just vents coolant through the filler neck out to the overflow tank? Okay that all makes sense. Which of these is the hose of death though?

[llamavan]

That hose is not shown — there are multiple threads on that topic.

Gwen

[Chardog1971]

whenever I have to do any work near the HOD, I get out the grinder and cut off wheel to create an access panel. It takes fifteen minutes or so and saves a ton of frustration. there are more details around here somewhere. I just scored a welder so ill probably attach a hinge of some kind

[Wrench]

Hey everyone! Anyone know if the heater inlet hose (87245-87014) is NLA? Can't seem to find any on the internet. What exactly would be the downside of going with regular ol 5/8 hose?