1993 240 Heater Hoses leaking

SmokinJazz · Post by **SmokinJazz** » 16 Apr 2014, 23:05

I believe the lower of the two heater hoses back by the brake cylinder is leaking, the drivers side of the back of the engine is all wet after I drive for a while and the lower of the two hoses seem to be wet also - so I suspect that is the issue. I plan on replacing both of the two hoses and could use some pointers from those who have done this before. Will I need to drain the coolant before hand so it doesn't leak all over the place? This is a pretty tight place to get into - what all will I need to remove to get to the hoses easier? Any other tips you think would be helpful is most appreciated!

Thanks so much for your advice and assistance.

--Rob

lummert · Post by **lummert** » 16 Apr 2014, 23:30

Is there a heater control valve in one of those hoses?

SmokinJazz · Post by **SmokinJazz** » 17 Apr 2014, 08:39

On these hoses in the engine area, there are only the clamps with the threaded screws to tighten down. I saw a long picture tutorial for the heater core replacement on the 240's and it showed other heater control mechanisms inside the interior of the car - perhaps that valve is inside the vehicle.

Post by **mtd240** » 21 Apr 2014, 17:14

Correct - the heater valve is inside the car. The heater hoses are still a major PITA to replace, even with small hands.

Perhaps now would be a good time to pull the intake manifold, replace the intake manifold gasket, and clean out the PCV breather box

SmokinJazz · Post by **SmokinJazz** » 22 Apr 2014, 22:08

I just got done replacing the breather box - that was a bit of gymnastics (which didn't have an o-ring on it - so I was very encouraged that I found the reason for my engine being wet on that side). But after the test drive, I found it was still wet and found the lower heater hose to also be a bit wet (I didn't notice it before, but did see oil around the breather box) - so I'm replacing both of them when the hoses arrive. How difficult is it to replace the intake manifold gasket? Is there anyway to test if that gasket is solid still or if it needs to be replace? Thanks for the info!

lummert · Post by **lummert** » 22 Apr 2014, 23:12

Did you remove the intake?

SmokinJazz · Post by **SmokinJazz** » 23 Apr 2014, 08:23

No - when I replaced the oil trap, I removed the air intake hose, air mass and the two side hoses completely so I could have a bit of room to maneuver in there. It wasn't too hard to get the oil trap out while to intake was in place. I was concerned the intake connection with the injectors and all would be quite complicated, so I wanted to just keep that all in place. Last winter, I had the air intake hose off so I could access the AC to drier hose on the back of the AC compressor (mine had a hole in it) and I took off the throttle body and cleaned that real good, put it back on with a new gasket - so that is all done. I did do some research about signs regarding a failing intake manifold gasket and saw some video regarding the engine shaking like crazy. My engine is calm as can be - very smooth when idling. I saw some notes about spraying water on the manifold to see if the engine dies - that just seems nuts - how else can it be tested?

SmokinJazz · Post by **SmokinJazz** » 23 Apr 2014, 08:36

ohh - I also removed the little metal can that mounts just below the intake manifold where the left hose on the air intake connects to and also a hose on the back of the manifold - all of that was also removed when I did the oil trap.

voodoorobaz · Post by **voodoorobaz** » 23 Apr 2014, 08:45

Carb cleaner sprayed around the intake and vacuum lines is a great way to test for leaks. Using water however is a terrible idea It's not a very efficient method and water does not compress and can cause extreme damage if introduced into the combustion chamber, carb cleaner burns therefor engine RPM increases if intake leak is present.

lummert · Post by **lummert** » 23 Apr 2014, 09:07

Concerning the intake manifold gasket. If it works, don't fix it. Oh well, I guess this rule applies to many things.