rear heater tubes rotted through

[litesandsirens911]

rear heater tubes rotted through.I was considering bypassing the rear heat,because the tubes to replace are very expensive.but after doing some research,and talking with mechanics,I decided to relace the tubes with heater hose.the section of tube that had rotted through was along the fire wall and came down the right rear of the engine.anyhow i took a dremmel tool and cut out the bad sections of tube on the supply and return lines.a little dificult due to the tight space but didn't take to long.I bought good heater hose and clamps and installed them,I also put on plastic wiring harness over the hose to protect it form road debris.i then put on zap straps and connected the hose to the rear a/c lines so they wouldnt be flapping around.Due to losing alot of coolant I also flushed the whole cooling system(which had needed to be done).and replaced with new coolant.It has been about 2 weeks since I did this repair and all is fine so far.have no leakes.and rear heat works well.the whole process took a few hrs but was worth it to have the rear heat.and was not to difficult.although I live in a fairly mild climate(vancouver island,British Columbia) it is very damp,in the fall winter and spring.so having the rear heat is more to keep things dry and to not get mildew.well if anyone one else has this problem,it is a good DIY fix.

[wellex]

So you ran heater tube from the firewall down to where they connect under the passenger seat there abouts? I need to do the same thing in the near future. Hom much of the original heater line was protruding from the firewall once you cut it? Also how much if any disassembly had to be done to cut them off at the firewall and get the old pipes out?.

[Jeepman]

So you ran heater tube from the firewall down to where they connect under the passenger seat there abouts? I need to do the same thing in the near future. Hom much of the original heater line was protruding from the firewall once you cut it? Also how much if any disassembly had to be done to cut them off at the firewall and get the old pipes out?.

Check your heater pipes. I think you will find pieces of hose for connections at the top. Don't have to worry about cutting any pipes through the fire wall. All in all, there is a fair amount of heater hose in the assembly as is.

[litesandsirens911]

O.K. I cut the heater tube where it starts to bend down,to follow the fire wall.where I still had good tubing left.tight space to cut so be very carefull,and then if you look under the van at about the passanger seat you will see where the heater tube runs into about 8" of heater hose and the heater hose is again conected to heater tubing wich runs back to the rear heater core..So I cut the tubing where I said and then diconected the heater hose under the passanger seat.and ran new heater hose from there back up to where I cut the tubing out.and clamped it back together .I used the good screw type clamps and not the ones that are on the van holding the original heater hose.I then put on the plastic wire harness to cover the whole length of hose as to protect it.I ended up cutting away about 3 1/2 feet of tubing,for both the supply and return lines.the whole fix ended up costing aprox $30 including the coolant which I mixed 50/50.also side note make sure you drain the heater line before you start to make any cuts.so just disconect under the passanger seat and drain from there.

[FamilyGuy76]

Same happened to me. Dealer charged $250 for replacement i think the old line was steel and new one is made out if aluminum.

[AzTraveller]

Same happened to me. Dealer charged $250 for replacement i think the old line was steel and new one is made out if aluminum.

Hmmmmmmm, either dealers are getting smarter, or they're more desperate and are willing to reduce cost of parts. Last mention of aluminum replacements, was over $250, just for parts, not including labor. So, to get the whole job for $250, isn't too bad.

I still like the one where a guy, here on the forum, used copper tubing, some "T's" and some "45 deg" to make his own.

Anyone want to put together a "parts list" for do it yourself from the hardware store? Maybe Glen can make a "sticky" of it for future repair referrals?

[Chrysler1924]

Can someone post pictures of what "bad condition" rear heater lines look like. I mean, I know I can use my imagination... but I'm just curious... I keep looking under 3rd gen vans that I have around me to find an example and yet I haven't found one yet that seems to have what I would even remotely call "rusted through" heater lines.

[FamilyGuy76]

Can someone post pictures of what "bad condition" rear heater lines look like. I mean, I know I can use my imagination... but I'm just curious... I keep looking under 3rd gen vans that I have around me to find an example and yet I haven't found one yet that seems to have what I would even remotely call "rusted through" heater lines.

i have a 4th gen van and the heater lines runs under the passenger side. the main area that gets really bad is the front where the line makes a bend right under the passenger side. i don't know if the 3rd gen is the same though. my line was really bad the rust was bubbled up and i had a small stream of antifreeze leaking out. luckily i caught it within time in the driveway and not far away from home.

[FamilyGuy76]

Hmmmmmmm, either dealers are getting smarter, or they're more desperate and are willing to reduce cost of parts. Last mention of aluminum replacements, was over $250, just for parts, not including labor. So, to get the whole job for $250, isn't too bad.

I still like the one where a guy, here on the forum, used copper tubing, some "T's" and some "45 deg" to make his own.

Anyone want to put together a "parts list" for do it yourself from the hardware store? Maybe Glen can make a "sticky" of it for future repair referrals?

hey, you can't forget duct tape!

[vipergg]

Same happened to me. Dealer charged $250 for replacement i think the old line was steel and new one is made out if aluminum.

thats not bad my dealer wants $400 .