Okay, so replace my wp a few weeks ago due to coolant leak. That leak is now gone. However, I now have a leak in the (I guess) heater hose. It is a 5/8" hose that comes out of the engine, right behind the a/c compressor and runs back into the cab. My question is this, this hose runs out of the engine, across the engine bay towards the drivers side and there is a metal piece that it runs into. To replace this hose, do I try to uncrimp this metal piece and recrimp it around the new hose, or put a splice in the middle of this hose? Have searched autozone/advance/rock auto, and they all sell just a length of hose with a bend in it. Not sure how to make the connection with the replacement hose. BTW, working on a 1987 Dakota 3.9L. Thanks in advance.

 

There should be no heater hose that has a crimp on it they are all held in place with clamps factory one are spring clamps but not a crimp A/C hoses have crimps. I think you are mistaking a spring clamp for a crimp esp if you have coolant leaking out of it . The spring clamps are a pain to remove without a good set of pliers. there are spec tool's for them. When you get it off replace it with a screw clamp. just make sure you are working on the heater hose not the A/C hose. there wer early jeeps that had crimps on some hoses but they were to be replace as a unit all new hoses and crimps

 

I agree it's an odd set up. Definitely is the cause of my antifreeze leak. Will take pics tomorrow in the daylight. But I think the leak is low enough that I can cut the bottom inch or so off and it will be fine. Definitely has a screw clamp on the end at the engine, and a crimp fitting on the other end. Either way, I'll post a pic tomorrow.

 

If in fact it is a heater hose and it has a crimp you can cut the crimp off slide on a new hose and use a screw clamp in place of the crimp.When cutting the crimp becarful not to go to far as to cut in to the nipple the hose is crimped onto good luck

 

Okay, well the good news is the leak was low enough, on the end at the engine, that I was able to cut the bottom inch or so off, and and reclamp the hose. So, no leak there, but still the engine wanted to overheat. Turns out that the radiator cap was apparently old enough that it wasn't holding pressure. Changed it out, along with a flush and refill of the coolant, and now I have no leaks and no overheating problem. I'll go out later and take a pic of the hose. Yesterday, I was only interested in fixing the problem. Never would have thought the cap would make such a difference. But, the resistance between the old and new was night and day.

 

The hose you are talking about that runs from the pass. side (behind ac compressor)across the engine goes into the Heater Control Valve, it has a vacuum hose on top correct? The other hose below it has a crimp connection also if it's original,(I don't know why, but my 88 has it.)