Cooling System Hose Replacement

[The Critic]

Since I need to replace the thermostat on my '96 Saturn (121k miles), I went ahead and ordered a new set of Gates upper and lower radiator hoses. I'm still running on the original hoses right now.

I heard from somewhere that the most common hose failures are from the upper or lower radiator hoses, which is why it's a good idea to replace them for preventive maintenance. However, should I use this opportunity to replace every single cooling system hose? I understand the importance of preventive maintenance, but at the same time I'm not trying to rebuild this car. There has to be a line between necessary preventive maintenance and needless overkill, right?

Therefore, should I replace the heater hoses and the surge tank to radiator hoses, even if they appear to be perfectly fine? It will add another $30-$40 to the bill, but is it even worth it? Isn't the likeliness of a heater or surge tank hose failure extremely low in comparison to a radiator hose failure?

Thanks.

 

[HTSS_TR]

My '94 LS400 with more than 200k miles still has all OE coolant hoses, including upper and lower radiator hoses. Since they don't have any crack or bulging, my mechanic said don't need to change and I agreed with him.

If the hoses look good, don't waste money and time to change them.

 

[The Critic]

I was told that radiator hoses usually fail from the inside out, so going be appearance is a bit deceiving.

My upper radiator hose feels a bit mushy, much "mushier" than the hose that connects the surge tank to the radiator. I wonder if this is a sign of impending failure?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
I was told that radiator hoses usually fail from the inside out, so going be appearance is a bit deceiving.

My upper radiator hose feels a bit mushy, much "mushier" than the hose that connects the surge tank to the radiator. I wonder if this is a sign of impending failure?


Yes, I forgot that the hose should feel firm when you squeeze it. The reason that the upper radiator hose usually failed first is it carry the hot coolant from engine to radiator, the lower radiator hose rarely failed because cool coolant flow though it to engine.

If I was in your shoes, I would change only upper radiator hose and may be heater hose, no other hoses.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I was told that radiator hoses usually fail from the inside out, so going be appearance is a bit deceiving.

My upper radiator hose feels a bit mushy, much "mushier" than the hose that connects the surge tank to the radiator. I wonder if this is a sign of impending failure?


Yes, I forgot that the hose should feel firm when you squeeze it. The reason that the upper radiator hose usually failed first is it carry the hot coolant from engine to radiator, the lower radiator hose rarely failed because cool coolant flow though it to engine.

If I was in your shoes, I would change only upper radiator hose and may be heater hose, no other hoses.

So you're saying that I should replace any hoses that do not feel firm, is that correct? By firm, you mean the hoses should have a "firm springy" like feel, but still feels pliable?

The upper and lowers have already been ordered, so they'll be replaced. But I'll give the heater and other hoses the "squeeze test" and go from there.

Thanks!

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

You have an S-series, right? While you're changing your thermostat, you could easily change the pump to pipe hose. It connects at or near the t-stat housing, and is clamped at both ends. The intake manifold to heater hose, at the back of the engine, should also have clamps at both ends. The other two (I think) small hoses are crimped to a pipe with metal collars. I have not replaced those, but have been told you can work at the collars with wire cutters to get them off. I'm not sure how much disassembly would be needed to actually reach the collars.

Rockauto has the heater hoses for a good price. My local NAPA also had them in stock.

 

[duaneb9729]

imo i would spend the thirty dollars, it seems like cheap insurance to me, and it would give me peace of mind.

but thats just me.

good luck with your project

 

[jldcol]

If you allready changed both hoses to radiator then there are only the other 2 to the heater coil. You may also have a small water pump by pass hose. Depending on diffaculty the heater core hoses could be done cheaply with generic hose off a roll type replacements. This way all are new and good generally for 4-5 years. The most common cause for road side breakdowns is cooling system failures.

 

[mechtech2]

I would change them all in this case.
Fool yourself that the money is free because gas prices are currently low!

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Rhymingmechanic
You have an S-series, right? While you're changing your thermostat, you could easily change the pump to pipe hose. It connects at or near the t-stat housing, and is clamped at both ends. The intake manifold to heater hose, at the back of the engine, should also have clamps at both ends. The other two (I think) small hoses are crimped to a pipe with metal collars. I have not replaced those, but have been told you can work at the collars with wire cutters to get them off. I'm not sure how much disassembly would be needed to actually reach the collars.

Rockauto has the heater hoses for a good price. My local NAPA also had them in stock.

Thanks, that helps a lot! I looked under the hood today and see the hose that you are referring to. Mine still looks like it's in good shape, but I'll change it anyway since it looks easy to change.

Did you use the Gates #19650 hose? Is it an exact-fit? I ask because Gates says that their hose is 17.1" long, while the Dayco one claims to only be 8" long.

I also saw the short hose that connects from the reservoir to the pipe, but that hose uses the "hard fitting" that you were referring to. Does the heater to pipe hose also use the hard fitting?

 

[kgb007stb]

My SC2 reaches the ¼ point and then a tad higher as the thermostat fully opens. When driving in winter at light load, or downhill, gauge drops to the ¼ point exactly. Usually it is in the summer time with the A/C on at freeway speeds that I see the gauge at 3/8. Same can be said for my SL1, but since you are changing the hoses the thermostat is a good call so you don’t have to drain the system and take everything apart again.

As for the heater, when it is really cold, such as the blast of cold arctic air last week, even my heater has its hand full. Note that last week’s storm system brought the snow level to 2000ft, combine that with my SC that does not have its door seals in proper shape and I get to run the heater on full blast all winter.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

I used an AC Delco hose from Rockauto, #16164M/#88907404. It was an exact fit with two or three bends molded in. The Rockauto site says it is 17 and 3/32". (Heater hoses are listed under Heat & Air Conditioning on the Rockauto site, not Cooling System.)

My Saturn is a '94 Sohc. I think the front hose is the same, but the heater hoses may be different on the Dohc. The pipe end of the heater-to-pipe hose has the crimped fitting. The intake manifold to heater core hose has spring clamps at both ends.

It could be helpful to look on Rockauto--they'll show a long list of part numbers with descriptions and links to photos. If you actually order from there, the AC Delco parts usually ship separately, which means double shipping charges if there are other parts in the order.

Hope this helps.