charge air hoses

I need to change the hoses on my 2002 Freightliner Sprinter and want to purchase them from Europarts SD. They indicate that the lower hose going from the output of the intercooler to the plastic bracket needs to be measured to see if it is 2 1/2 or 2 1/8th. Is there anyway to tell this without removing it first? I had planned on purchasing the hoses and taking them to my mechanic to put on, in the hope that I would not have to leave the van at the shop while the parts are shipped.

My van was manufactured in November of 2002 if that helps. I really doubt that the intercooler has ever been replaced.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Jo

Hi Jo,
Take your Sprinter to your mechanic, and have him remove one end of the charge air hose that runs from the Charge Air Cooler to the MAF box.
He can then measure the inside diameter of the hose, and reinstall the end removed and retighten the hose clamp.
Depending on what size he measures, order the hoses from Steve @ Europarts SD and when you have them in your hand, go back to your mechanic
for the complete installation of the new hoses.
Remember, your current hoses are working to get MAP/Boost to your engine, so if they are not damaged during removal, they can be reinstalled back onto
your Sprinter without you having any significant downtime.
Might be something you could even do yourself.
Loosen the hose clamp on the bottom side of the plastic box/bracket for the MAF sensor....pull the hose off and measure it..... reinstall it and tighten the clamp
back up. You will know you have it tight enough if you don't experience any loss of MAP/Boost pressure.
You might also be able to simply measure the inlet fitting on the plastic MAK mount box/bracket, without removing any hoses at all.
Hope this helps,
Roger

Thanks! Dummy me thought it had to be measured from the end that clamps to the intercooler and I didn't think that I could get it off without moving the headlight out of the way. I guess that the ends of the hoses would not be different, huh? Duh!!

The reason I wanted to change them is that I had experienced a loss of boost, and noticed oil around the clamps at the brackets. Tightened them up and all is good but I'm still not sure whether or not there is still a very small leak somewhere. Since I have 115, 000 miles on it, I thought it might be a good idea to just change the hoses.

I also have a very small fuel leak somewhere around the fuel lines where they run close to the fuel rail. It is very small...I see a wet spot there but only get a faint whiff of diesel occasionally. Have one small bubble where one fuel line goes vertical into a fuel clip before running along the fuel rail. I just can't see where it is leaking. I thought maybe just getting all of the lines changed would be a good idea. Or am I just wasting money?

Otherwise, it still runs strong and I want to keep it that way. It is my daily driver and I also use it to take my elderly parents to visit relatives and to doctor appointments in Houston so I like to prevent break-downs as much as possible.

Thanks for your reply! You are always very helpful to people here.

Jo,
I could be wrong, but I believe it's a straight hose with no change in diameter. Double check this.
As far as your fuel leak, you need to get that taken care of.
On a 2003, with no "in tank" booster pump, any sort of leaks (fuel or vacuum) in the fuel system can very quickly
cause the low pump on the front of the engine to starve for fuel and you will be stranded.
Hope this helps,
Roger

Beach, are you certain that you have a fuel leak? The EGR on the 02-03 has a weep hole to allow excess oil vapor to escape. This hole sort of above the oil filter on the EGR. Look up procedures for cleaning the EGR if it is dripping. I haven't heard of anyone having actual fuel leaking in the engine compartment anywhere other than at the fuel filter connections. "Leaks" are usually air getting in the system (mostly through filter connections) allowing the fuel to drain from the system back into the tank, resulting in air bubbles in the clear fuel lines. More than an inch long bubble at the top may result in long crank to start.

The EGR valve was replaced about 2,000 miles ago as it was leaking all over everywhere... and I don't mean the drippy drip that I read about here; it was blowing all over the engine. The mechanic at the dealership didn't clean up anything and I cleaned around as much as I could...including the fuel lines close by. I had a return line pop off at the fuel temp sensor? on the engine block because the white clip was probably not locked properly. It has not come off since and isn't leaking at the seal. I have smelled a sweet smell on occasion in the cabin, and believed it to be fuel as I remember how it smelled after the intake recall was done and the mechanic pinched a hole in the return line and fuel was running out.

The funny thing is, I have rubbed the wet area and it does not smell like fuel there but I don't know what else it is. Guess it could be oil vapor in that one spot. I'll try to take a picture of it so you can see where it is. I will be having the fuel filter changed soon even though it has only been 5,000 miles because I can no longer trust what was done at the dealership last time as something is always loose or not reconnected when I leave. Maybe that is the cause of the very small bubble. Van cranks right up for now.

I have also watched my coolant level and it is not going down nor do I have abnormal readings on the temperature or any signs of leaks anywhere so I don't think that it is coolant. I don't want to spend money unnecessarily, just want to avoid problems if I can and keep my van in good shape.

Thank you Surlyoldbill!