2004 Lower Radiator Hose Mystery

My Sprinter bleeds (Coolant.) Somehow the lower radiator hose (end opposite of the radiator) leaks coolant - and the hose clamp doesn't look like a circle any more.. It's oblong, and crimped in, like it's falling off - and this is THE source of the problem... (identifying the problem seems to have been the easy part.)

What stymies me - is that I (with some difficulty) found a hose that the websites (and manual) think will fit. It's a GATES 23426 - which is about 14" long (kind of J shaped), with a "Tee" about 2.5" from the radiator end. Amazingly - this looks like the hose in the repair manual, and the MOPAR Part number 05103581AA.

Unfortunately - under the hood (on my sprinter), the lower radiator hose is about 6" long, and has no Tee, and (opposite the radiator) joins a metallic "pipe extension" that has the T, and also is a support for the alternator mount (??)

Funny, how the Right side of the engine never seems to appear in any of the drawings in any of the manuals.. If 23426/05103581AA is supposed to be the correct part - what is it supposed to connect to?

If this doesn't make sense to anybody else, I can shimmy under there and snap a few pictures, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much. We've had this rig for not quite 2 months, and picked it up with just under 40k Miles.

profwonka,
Pictures always help. Not to insult you, but are you certain you're looking at the radiator hose? Other hoses can look very similar. Turbo hoses sometimes weep a bit of oil. Hope this does some good. AP/vic

OK. This is my first shot at pictures here, I apologize in advance if the order isn't any good...

Hopefully xx684 is my first picture - as it should show the leak, on the lower radiator hose - opposite the radiator. Notice the hose clamp is out of round, and more "D" shaped - like it's slipped off the pipe. The bracket right next to this connection goes to the radiator.

Picture 685 is a slightly different angle, which shows the entire (short) length of the hose. If the hose had a "T", is should be visible.

Picture 688 is the view from the top (right below the Red Dipstick) is the pipe the lower radiator hose attaches to. The hose clamp you can see - appears to have replaced the "T" in the lower radiator hose.

Picture 690 is a close up of where the pipe in picture 688 attaches to the engine.

Picture 691 is a view looking down the right rear side of the radiator. The bigger, black hose on the left is the Air Intake (from the turbo to the intercooler - I think.) Below is, the more brown looking hose - is the leaker - the Lower radiator hose.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Maybe it just the angle you took the photo, but it looks like the hose clamp in your first picture is damaged.
You might try a second clamp next to the one that is already there. Two can't hurt anything!
Another thought: try wiping off the coolant and look to see where it comes from. It could be leaking from the weld on the steel tube.

Let me start by stating that I know NOTHING about sprinters, and that's the truth. I have no idea if what I say is correct.

Have you tried just loosening the clamp and playing around with it to see if you can locate it better on the pipe it's clamped to? Can you clamp it on better? Back when I was poor, and keeping a 1970's car running, I would cut off the end of the hose and slide what is left back on the pipe, with a new hose clamp. That worked pretty good because often times the end of the hose would be prematurely worn out.

If you do get a new hose clamp, I think you need to make sure you don't get the kind that can cut the hose, i.e. the "threads" on the metal band shouldn't be little slots, they should be indentations in the band. Bands with slots cut in it can damage the hose.

I guess that Hercules was working on your truck and tightened that clamp until the pipe on the left side where the hose is attached to collapsed (first pic). I would remove the hose and check that part first. And lots of corrosion everywhere, looks pretty bad IMHO.

Or is it possible that the new hose replaces the pipe too and connects closer to the engine?

Marcel in AB
08NJ

Thanks for the ideas on how to re-use the current hose... Since this is my first attempted repair - I'm doing things a little bit backwards....

I found the problem, found the part, and ordered the part on-line (before I had the repair manual or the exploded part drawings.) Had to scratch my head a little bit when the part showed up, as it doesn't quite seem to fit. Now I'm curious if it's been repaired previously - which is why the "standard" part doesn't seem to fit.

In any case - I hope to do the "right" repair, and not the emergency repair. Of course, to add a second hose clamp, or open & inspect the condition of the "pipe" - I need to drain the cooling system. Too bad they put the hose clamp on in a "not too easy to get access to" orientation.

profwonka said:

Thanks for the ideas on how to re-use the current hose... Since this is my first attempted repair - I'm doing things a little bit backwards....

I found the problem, found the part, and ordered the part on-line (before I had the repair manual or the exploded part drawings.) Had to scratch my head a little bit when the part showed up, as it doesn't quite seem to fit. Now I'm curious if it's been repaired previously - which is why the "standard" part doesn't seem to fit.

In any case - I hope to do the "right" repair, and not the emergency repair. Of course, to add a second hose clamp, or open & inspect the condition of the "pipe" - I need to drain the cooling system. Too bad they put the hose clamp on in a "not too easy to get access to" orientation.

Click to expand...

Let me repeat again, I know nothing.

It looks like your problem is not with the hose per se, but the "spigot" or whatever its called that the hose clamps on. Regardless, you'll probably need to drain the coolant and put it back in when you're done, so I'd think you need to figure out how to do that (use a baby bath tub or whatever). Your hose might be just fine, except for where it clamps on. The "spigot" looks like it's crushed and deformed. You may be able to just drain the coolant, pull the hose off, straighten out the "spigot" with pliers or whatever, cut the damaged end off the hose, reattach it, put the coolant back in and be on your merry way for the next 100K miles.

I understand your desire to do the right repair and not the emergency repair, but it may not really be that simple. You'll probably get better answers than mine. Let us know how it works out.

The end where the clamp is certainly looks deformed. Perhaps it is not totally on the "spigot" and is simply squeezing the hose. If you do find that the "spigot" is deformed, the next question is whether it will retain it's structural integrity if worked back into shape. If you can reshape it without cracking anything you might be OK but it will bear watching.

Let us know how it works out.

Tim

It's tough to tell from pictures, but it looks like something may have hit or levered against that fitting. I can't imagine just over-tightening the clamp could do that as the pressure created then is pretty uniform. I could be wrong.

If the solution turns out to be straightening a sorta thin metal connector tube I've had some success using a ball-peen hammer. It does depend upon the size of the fitting and what hammers you have. I insert the largest end possible of the hammer into the part and use the hammer handle for leverage while holding the opposite end of the head and working it around to return the part back into shape from the inside. If it's really crushed down I start with smaller sized hammer heads or the rounded end. You can even tap the ball end into smaller fittings if necessary to get started. Of course this method depends upon access and being able to swing the handle.

If the part hasn't been crushed to the point of having tight kinks I wouldn't hesitate to try and straighten it. Just inspect that the metal didn't crack when you're done. The hose and properly tightened clamp around the outside really help to stabilize/strengthen everything. YMMV. Hope this does some good. AP/vic

Hello,

I've been reading this forum for a few months and I learned a lot of things about my 2006 Sprinter van. About the cooland leak, if it's not the clamp I would say the cooland might be coming down the metal pipe from the water pump. Clean good and drive around until the engine warms up and then with a good flash light try to track down the coolant. I just replaced the radiator on my van. First seemed it was a loose clamp but then it turned out to be the radiator plastic pipe. It was the one on the driver side, craked and it leaked very little. Hope this will help. Narcis

3 winners on the advice.

It never really leaked more than a couple of drips, but I had a trip come up - so I had to address it.

Drained the coolant (at the hose clamp) - took off the hose, and it looked like something had WHACKED the pipe real good. - almost like someone lifted it from the frame right near it, and the van fell off the frame and turned the pipe into a "D" shape.

After 20 minutes of careful playing around, I got the end of the pipe semi-round, and re-attached the hose and hose clamp. I've thanked the people who called it in the post.


I'm still baffled why my coolant system is plumbed differently from what the manuals say.

Thanks!