bliffle

I actually did it: replaced the wretched crooked heater hose that always rots from dripping oil with generic 5/8" heater hose. Here's how I did it:

1-loosened the clamp and pried the connection under the beehive loose with a looonnngg screwdriver. Cut the hose about 6" from the firewall and pushed the old rotten hose out the bottom onto the ground. That's the easy part.

2-lubed the inside of the new heater hose tip with dishwashing soap. The new hose was about 3 feet long to allow plenty leverage with extra length.

3-ran the new hose straight down from the top along the firewall.

4-now comes the hard part: reached my left hand down thru all the lines and wires, etc., reversed with the fingers pointing toward the engine, elbow pointing up. I wore one of those new ultrathin mechanics gloves that feels like nothing and protects hand and improves friction. Maybe one of the old rubber/vinyl ones would work but I'd worry they'd wrinkle.

5-pushed and guided the loose end of the hose with my right hand while grasping the lubed end with my left (reversed) hand and guided it onto the nipple, taking advantage of the slight spooling bend in the hose. What a bear! Took a break and had a sip of beer while gazing admiringly at the hose tip barely perched on the nipple end.

6-left hand back down again reversed, elbow up, gingerly to not dislodge hose, moved fingers carefully along hose to get a little leverage then pulled and wriggled it onto nipple all the way, leaning hard. It's on!

7-the rest is anticlimax. Ran a new clamp down the tube and tightened it with a looonnngg extension and socket. Then, to avoid struggling with the top bend and maybe make it easier for the next replacement, I cut the old firewall hose leaving about 6" length and joined the old/new tubes with a couple hoseclamps and 4" of 1/2" copper pipe (Otherwise just run the new tube to the firewall nipple).

Well I proved to myself that it CAN be done, and without buying the special crooked hose from mazdatrix for $40!

I confess that I practiced by replacing the same hose on the SE a few months ago: the SE is MUCH easier because there's less clutter there.

B

Paradox

iTrader: (1)

i did the same on my GS just using generic heater hose, its pretty simple but fits kinda oddly.

when the engines running it looks like its flowing just as well tho, so im not concerned about leaks or anything, so far its been working great!

Hades12

Same here I used a 90 and a connection. cut it off pulled it up. Cut, Cut Clamp and clamp. I did have the car on a lift though.

tempusfugitive

thats more or less what i did as well, fit allirght for me

RotorMotorDriver

iTrader: (1)

Say WHAAA!?

If youre talking about the heater hose from the heater core to the side of the block, I just used a hose that Schucks carries. It has a 90° on one end, and about 4 feet of straight hose. Its fitted for another vehicle, but I spotted it when I walked behind the counter. I asked to see if they had some I could choose from, orignally planning the 90° elbow and then straight pieces. Turned out it was only $4 for the fitted hose. Ran it off the heater core, along the firewall, and right into the block, took all of about 5 mins I think. Then again, my engine bay was STRIPPED of crap (Weber, no emissions, front mount oil cooler, etc).

~T.J.

Siraniko

iTrader: (13)

part # please for that hose as Im running out of factory hoses.

bliffle

Yeah, the other idea I had was to put a 90deg elbow in a 1/2 copper pipe with a short piece of 5/8 tubing so I could force it on with the pipe.

From the heretofore silence on this subject I thought I was the first to get an ordinary 5/8 in there.

B

LongDuck

I had the heater outlet on my radiator blocked off and soldered shut last summer when I had the radiator rodded-out. Then, I built a rubber plug for the return side in the block which has a bolt to tighten down the rubber plug so it won't come out. Completely bypassed the heater core since all it was doing was causing heat and moisture inside the car that the A/C had to fight against, and it was spitting up hot coolant on my right foot everytime I stepped on the gas.

I haven't missed it - but then again, I live in the AZ desert and nobody needs a heater around here anyway!

Rx7carl

I've done about the same as TJ. Bring an old hose in and go behind the counter and root around till you find what you need. I used a plastic barbed nipple and hose clamps to connect the 2 halves of hose. I guess you could even use one of the radiator flush kits to do the same thing.

Keith13b

iTrader: (6)

I found that a heater hose from (don't kill me, as I forgot the year/engine size) a mustang will fit just about perfectly. I went to Autozone many years ago after replacing the damn hose several times, and they were out of the Mazda one. I had to have one and couldn't wait for the shipping time. The guy took me back to the hoses behind the counter (I'm sure they don't allow that anymore) and we rummaged through all the hoses untill we found one that was similar. The mustang hose is longer on one side, but with some help from sharp scissors and a perfect fit. It even have a funny little plastic mesh around the bend to "reinforce" it. Yea whatever!. It was like $4 back in the day. I'm sure its more now, but probably not over $10. The good thing. Its been almost 7 years and the friggin hose is still good. I hope I didn't just screw myself with that statement!


My advice. Bring in your hose and have the guy look for one that has the same bend that could be cut to fit. You'd be surprised. Have him start with the one that fits a 87-93 mustang, if my memory is correct.

Good luck.


Keith

bliffle

You mean you guys had all this good info on that !#@##% heater hose and you didn't post? Shucks.

Anyway, that damn thing lets go when you least expect it and you can be stranded out on the road somewhere with nothing but a few hand tools. No lift, no $40 crooked heater mazda hose. Usually i carry a spare, but with 4 cars at $40 each I've kinda gotten careless. So now I know all I need is generic hose (maybe that nice one from Schucks with a 90 at one end) in each car with new clamps, etc.

When that thing goes it goes BIG. Lose all the coolant in a hurry, so I'm starting to carry a gallon of tap water in the back, too.

B