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Topic: Don't try this at home (Read 936 times) previous topic - next topic

Don't try this at home

While under the coach preparing to drain the engine block for a coolant change, I was giving everything under there a good "look over" and noticed a hose clamp was broken on the hose at the back of the water pump. It had been broken for who knows how long, never a leak, hose still looks good as does all the others....but what the heck, this one has to come off anyway as there is no room to get a new clamp on otherwise, while it's coming off I'll replace the hose as well...and since they are 25 years old, think I'll replace all hoses, which I did.

Changing this little 90° dude behind the water pump on a 8.3 engine is something you might not want to tackle unless you are younger, thinner, longer armed than yours truly...it is a bugger! Fortunately I have an old trucker friend who has a pit in his shop and graciously allowed me to use it. This made it easier but still not a cake walk....just no room in that little cavity where goes. This is on the engine end of the pipe that runs from the water pump to the transmission cooler.

After much stretching and twisting of the old body, skinned knuckles, and all else that goes with this kind of a job, I was mighty glad to be done with this part of the coolant and hose change...I almost even uttered a dirty word once! Somewhere out there is the Cummins engineer who designed the little cubbyhole for this hose, and he is probably sitting around tonight smiling, feeling proud of himself thinking "yep, I conned me another sucker."

If you find it necessary, think twice before diving into this hose change, I would never tackle it again...get the billfold out and let some younger type deal with it.


Ralph
96 U270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #1 –
Hair dryer or heat gun softens the hoses up a lot. 

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #2 –
Crap Ralph... makes my arm hurt just looking at the pictures.
Dub McBride 1996 270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #3 –
Kudos Ralph! 
Now take that hose to a taxidermist, get it stuffed and hang it on your office wall. It's a keeper.

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Dub –
Crap Ralph... makes my arm hurt just looking at the pictures.
Yeah Dub, my arms look and feel like I've tried to baptize a lynx...you know, those things Jerry Clower used to call "souped up wildcats." Maybe we'll cross paths again sometime at the Hope wally.
Ralph
96 U270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #5 –
Be watching for you.
Dub McBride 1996 270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #6 –
Thank goodness for the friend with the pit!
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #7 –
What does the short hose that looks smaller on one end than the other go to?
Dub McBride 1996 270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #8 –
Dub, that hose goes on the transmission cooler end of this same pipe. Gates 21400, 2½" on pipe end - 3" on cooler end. As I was filling the system with distilled water for the final flush I discovered my system only holds 11 gallons vs the owners manual's 15. There is no doubt the system was completely drained as all hoses were replaced...no air gaps either, after warming up went for a 50 mile drive with the distilled water, expansion tank was full upon return. Have you ever checked your capacity?...has me wondering if they put 2 different sized radiators on the 270's...never found the owners manual that far off on anything before.
Ralph
96 U270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #9 –
Ralph I think the 15 is more for units that have Aqua Hot-- when I refilled mine it was more than 15 gallon
Chris
1999 U 320 DGFE
Build Number 5523
Chris & Elka Lang
In the field, Lonoke AR

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #10 –
I've drained it and it seems like it was 11 gal or close to it, I lean toward what Chris says and the 15 gal refers to a M11.
Dub McBride 1996 270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #11 –
Quote
for the final flush I discovered my system only holds 11 gallons vs the owners manual's 15.

Here's my documentation from when I changed out coolant last year. I did not change out hoses.
jor

Flushed twice with tap water and once with distilled water.
Added 2 gallons of concentrate and 10 gallons of 50/50.

The capacity is supposed to be 15 gallons so this indicates three gallons of straight water remains in the system after a flush. I also opened the petcock below the coolant filter but only a cup or so drained.

Ryder Fleet Products

Concentrate: V52 CC2820   $40.02
50/50: V52 CC2825      $119.60
Filter: WF-2077      $9.80
TOTAL: $181.37 with shipping
93 225
95 300
97 270
99 320

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #12 –
Where did you find the Gates hose for the cooler Ralph?
Dub McBride 1996 270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #13 –
Quote from: jor –
The capacity is supposed to be 15 gallons so this indicates three gallons of straight water remains in the system after a flush. I also opened the petcock below the coolant filter but only a cup or so drained.

I did not measure it, but my block had a lot more than a cup in it when I opened it's drain, doubt every drop was out but couldn't have been but very little left in there as low as that drain is. By changing the filter after final flush and filling the overflow tank a little above normal, I managed to get 12 gal in after the final flush...6 gal of concentrate, 6 gal of distilled water.

Quote from: Dub –
Where did you find the Gates hose for the cooler Ralph?

I got all my hoses from NAPA as I have a distribution center here in my back yard. O'rileys have the Gates #'s listed on their web page.

My owners manual says 15 gal for the 8.3 and Cat, 16 for the M11....of course they have that "approx." in there and one must consider that.  ::)
Ralph
96 U270

Re: Don't try this at home

Reply #14 –
Always good to be freshened up with hoses, belts ets. Time to get in the road.
Dub McBride 1996 270