The hose of death thread

[feNiO]

Hey guys,

I am in the process of swapping the EFI components (Manifold, fuel tank, fuel filter, body harness, ECU, fuel rail, injectors etc.) from one of Australia's version of the Toyota Van with the 4Y-EC engine. I am currently installing the top half of the plenum chamber. I have installed the first hose of death from the cylinder head. I was able to get the plate with the nipple on the back of the engine by feeling around and using a stubby ratcheting wrench; without having to cut an access hole. As I went to install the second hose of death hose with Timsrv recommendation (Gates 5/16 or 8mm hose). The nipple coming off the pipe that runs from the thermostat, along the engine block then runs along the firewall currently sits behind the pipe coming from the air valve under the top half of the plenum chamber. Upon looking at some of the photos of the HOD #2 in this thread, it seems the hose just goes over each end of the pipe without any extreme bends. I am sure that I have installed something incorrectly, as I am unable to connect the 5/16 hose between the two pipes without the hose bending due to the extreme angle. I have attached some photos to illustrate the issue I am having. Perhaps one of you guys might be able to point out what I forgot to install or installed incorrectly.

Regards,


Matt.

[timsrv]

yeah, something doesn't look right. Check the 1st picture in post #57 this thread. Tim

[feNiO]

Great pictures Tim! That perspective was neccessary. Looks like that heater core pipe was bent a little too far towards the manifold and was placing greater stress HOD #2. Got it to bend at a reasonable angle without kinking too much. Seems like coolant can pass through the manifold.

[Wrench]

Hey Tim, I just got done replacing the HOD and tragically my van is still leaking. I've been browsing the site for awhile trying to figure out what would cause coolant dripping off the bell housing other than the HOD and can't find anything. My access hole(s) (whoops) give me clear sightlines of the area around the HOD and I'm pretty sure there's no leak at the plate or pipes it connects to. What else could this be? Thanks!

[timsrv]

Is it leaking on the outside of the engine or is it coming out from the area between the transmission and engine? There is a large 50mm freeze plug up high on the back of the engine. It's not accessible with the transmission installed, so if it looks like it's coming out from the transmission bell housing, that's probably the culprit. If it's leaking down the exposed engine block, then it's probably one of the metal coolant tubes or maybe the "2nd hose of death" that was talked about earlier in this thread. I hope it's not the freeze plug Good luck. Tim

[Wrench]

I accidentally cut my first access hole right at the "second hose of death" so I can clearly see it and I'm pretty sure it's.not leaking there. Are there any metal coolant tubes I wouldn't be able to see that could be the cause? None of the heater core related hoses run up high like that do they? If it is the freeze plug how would I proceed? My gut tells me that's the issue... The back of the engine photos earlier in this thread show it exactly where I imagine the leak.

[timsrv]

If its that freeze plug, then the engine or transmission would need to be removed to fix. It could also be a head gasket leak (sometimes they can spring external leaks down the left side (driver's side) of the engine (usually in the back). Head gaskets suck too as the head would need to come off to replace. Maybe you could get a camera or your phone down there to get a better look? Sometimes things like Bars Leak can seal these type leaks, but products like that can also have adverse side effects, so if this van is something you want to keep long term, I don't recommend going that way. Tim

[Wrench]

Head gasket is something I'd also considered and yeah I'm pretty attached to the van and it's otherwise in pretty good shape so I don't really want to use a stop leak product. I've tried getting in there with my phone but it's a bit tricky to reach, maybe I'll try to find a set of mirrors I can use to poke in there. Thanks again Tim!

[timsrv]

I took this picture of my head gasket leak with a normal digital camera. These can do this anywhere on the drivers side, but usually it's on the back (like the one in my photo). Tim

[Wrench]

Is this spot to the left of the HOD looking in from the access hole?

[timsrv]

It's looking at the rear of the engine from the driver's side. That's the exhaust manifold bolted to #4 exhaust port on the head (just above the leak). The blur in the top left is where the EGR tube attaches to the exhaust manifold.

[Wrench]

Ended up taking it to a shop another Toyota Van owner recommended and they found the issue! There was a block heater installed in place of a freeze plug on the side of the block and it had failed. The coolant must have been running along something to make it seem like the leak was behind the block. We're back on the road finally!

[89van]

Hoo boy...
I imagine only in the darkest corner of my mind now that a Hose of Death has blew but reading through the many posts in this thread and the symptoms I had when my Van decided to dump coolant on the ground after going for a brief drive to the store is filling me with grief!

As of now I'm currently trying to pinpoint where this leak is coming from (back of the engine somewhere in the jungle of hoses, coolant was dripping and burning on the exhaust manifold and down the bell housing on the left side I believe)
Also noticed inside of my radiator cap cooling Junction? Sorry dont know the name, it looks awfully brown! that will need to be addressed too.

Attachment 11711
Photo from the power steering access port looking at the bell housing, note the wet spot from coolant
Attachment 11712
Stain from some left over sludge presumably from the coolant
Attachment 11713
View from the bottom behind the drivers front wheel looking up at a hose, might be the culprit or the dreaded Hose of Death or something associated with the cooling system. Hose in topic is the one behind the hose with the bolt on it; not sure if my camera picked it up but it looks like it is leaking
Attachment 11714

This is not a rushed issue hopefully as I have my 1983 P'up to take my Van's role of delivering stuff as of now but I sure hope this hose replacement and flushing job can be done properly, albeit something else doesnt pop up... thankfully it blew after I was done driving so I didnt risk cooking my motor! Sheesh, what else is gonna happen this week?

[AD2101]

I couldn't get your attachments to open but, when my hose of death blew (on the side of the I-10 by Picacho Peak no less) I noticed coolant coming off the bellhousing, so you might be on to something here. You really won't get a good idea until you get underneath the van and do some investigating but, if it is the hose of death, you caught it before it blew up your engine and it's really not a terrible job as long as you're not opposed to cutting in an access panel.

[89van]

Sorry my images didn't work for some reason, but yes, there was coolant boiling off my transmission bell housing when it blew. Which one? I dunno as of now, but I am seeking thru the website to get an estimate of what needs to be done (Hose of Death, Coolant flush + new hoses [mine are pretty crispy]) reasonably. Cutting however, not too sure about that either... Probably not so I'll have to do it the long-hard way.

[timsrv]

It can be done from the top if you pull the valve cover 1st.

[89van]

So what exactly would need to be done to do this job; removing the valve cover and the intake? Haven't done any engine disassembly before and i know the labor from a shop would eat me alive.

[timsrv]

With the valve cover removed you have enough access to see and replace that hose. It's a bit tight, but possible (no need to split and/or remove the intake manifold). There's a "2nd hose of death" that can be replaced from under the van, but it's probably not that one because that wouldn't leak onto your bell housing. There's also a "3rd hose of death" sandwiched between the intake manifold halves (way worse access), but that one is sheltered from the elements a bit and I've never seen that one fail (at least not yet). The one that fails the most, and the subject of this thread, is between the back of the head and the engine compartment, and based on your description, probably the one leaking. It's about 4 inches long and is held on with 2 spring style hose clamps. Tim

[89van]

Hey tim, just wanted to double check something:
the hose of death behind the block that leaks onto the bell housing, is there another part # for it out there? the one on page 1 doesn't bring in anything, anywhere! Should I just opt for the Gates cooling hose in that case? If there is an interchangeable part #, please do let me know. I'm planning on bundling my VCG, a good coolant flush (I believe its contaminated as someone mentioned earlier in the thread), and obviously the HoD!

Thanks!

[timsrv]

Here's a quote from another thread:

That particular hose & the hose of death are not available in OE anymore, but Toyota does sell this same hose in bulk. The OE HOD actually did have a slight bend formed into it, but it was so slight, the bulk hose has absolutely no problem conforming. You can buy in pre-cut lengths, but I usually buy in 300 mm (about 1') and cut to size. It's Toyota part number 99556-10300 (the 300 on the end is length). And yes, being OE it's ridiculously expensive ($8.53, ~71¢ per inch), but it's worth it to me for the piece of mind...........especially in those hard to access areas.

BTW, this hose is also available in 200 mm lengths (about 8") Toyota part number 99556-10200. Price works out about the same per inch, but I've found the 200 mm piece just slightly too short to make into 2 hoses of death. If you buy the 300 mm piece, you can get 2 HODs out of it (less waste). If you purchase from one of those on-line Toyota parts sites, you can save ~30% on price, but the shipping will usually make up the difference. Tim

The Gates hose is good too (maybe better), but it's just slightly too big OD to re-use the factory spring clamps. I used to think the spring clamps were junk, but over the years I've learned to appreciate them. They keep constant pressure on, so even when the hose softens and compresses the clamps keep it tight. Nothing wrong with the stainless screw clamps, but those usually need to be tightened at least once in the life of the hose or you may end up with leaks. Not such a big deal if the hose is right there and easy to get at, but quite annoying if the hose is in a bad spot (like this one). I've gotten to a point where I don't like working on my vehicles all the time so I try to use the products that give me the least grief. There's also the silicone heater hose now, and that stuff is supposed to be superior (but very expensive). Right now I'm trying that stuff out on my top radiator vent hose. I'm thinking I'll start using that stuff exclusively in the future. If you go with that, you want an inside diameter of 5/16". I don't remember the brand I got, but the factory spring clamps fit perfectly on it. Tim