Hi all, after some advice & ID on a hose. On a Euro 1982 GTSi. There is a rubber hose that enters the rearward head just underneath/forward of the distributor. I think a coolant hose, the other end disappears behind the ignition coils towards the driver side (LHD car). Approx 1" diameter The cooling system has been acting strangely for a couple of weeks. Temp gauge fluctuating wildly (80-110 degrees in 10-15 seconds) which I initially guessed was air in the system. Have been bleeding it but it kept losing a little coolant and needing more bleeding. I think the leak is coming from this hose as there is some green marking around where it clips to the block. Anyone know what it is/where it goes?
It's the hot water (coolant) supply hose going to the heater cores at the front of the car (via the LH door sill). Very common for the first foot, or so, of that hose (and the fitting) to degrade. Try a search on "106227" for prior threads.
Brilliant. Thanks fellas. I’ll dig out the thread as well. It looks ok on the surface but im sure a whole new one makes sense. Can I pull the new one through with the old one? Or am I into a serious dismantling? Does that sound about right for the odd temp gauge reading by the way? Moving way too fast for a genuine temp change so I wondered if it was the sensor getting uncovered with air in the system.
Cut the hose back a foot or so and see if a screwdriver blade can easily dig some rubber out of the interior or if its cracked internally. Sometimes one can pull the new one through. Sometimes the fuel tank needs removal.
I think we can safely say new hose needed. Where does the return plumb into the block? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The return plumbs into the large pipe at the front of the car and all the coolant gets back to the block via that big hose.
The greatest hose degradation occurs right at the fitting (that part of the hose is always hot, but the rest of the hose is rarely hot because the heater is rarely "on"). Do as Brian suggested and cut the hose about a foot, or so, from the fitting to make the same inspection there -- if also horrible = higher priority to replace the whole hose. If not too bad, you can just splice in a new section of hose to get by for a while longer.
Hi Steve, good call, I've done exactly that. It's still just as bad further down. I've turned up a brass fitting and spliced in a new section for now, but it needs replacing. The whole inner section of the wall pushes back as you try to push a fitting in. Never seen a hose that bad! I've got access to a lift, so I'm hoping it shouldn't be too bad a job even if the tank needs dropping. Famous last words....! Is the heater feed hose known to be the main culprit or is it normal to replace all of the hoses? My car was stored unused for over 30 years so I guess that didn't help.
The heater supply hose is the worst offender (and the most difficult to replace), and the good news is that there is no similar long return hose (the heater return is plumbed into the large tube at the front of the car carrying the "cold" coolant back to the engine from the radiator). You could certainly pull off one of the heater hoses under the front bonnet to give it a look -- the OM has a good figure of the heater hose system.
Hi folks. I'm trying to source some replacement hose for this heater feed, but the one I have is so degraded I can't even measure it accurately. OD looks like 25mm/1" but ID is all over the place. Anyone know what it's supposed to be!
16mm, or 5/8 inch, regular heater hose. Sold by the foot at Napa Auto, or Oreily's , or any other standard automotive store.
As bad as that hose is it is probable the nipple on the head is bad from corrosion. It is easily repaired. I cut the existing remains off flush with the head, drill the head and thread with a pipe tap. Then go to Home Depot plumbing department and get a 5/8 brass barbed nipple. It can all be done in the car by getting a few things out of the way. Here is a picture of the repair on a 2v head off the car. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi fellas. brilliant thank you. Mines measuring anywhere from 10-18mm ID it’s that degraded!! I’ve plumbed in a short section temporarily a few days ago. The nipple was in reasonable condition when I did that but I’ll swap it anyway while I’m in there if they go bad.
