That's a pretty basic repair. The step-by-step procedure is loosen the two clamps, pull the old hose off, transfer the clamps to the new hose, slide the new hose on, tighten the clamps, and refill the system.
The tool you need depends on the type of clamps you have. The most common ones use a flat blade screwdriver. Some used by Ford use a pliers to squeeze the ends together. Those clamps work okay but were used to save time on the assembly line.
When you fill the system the goal is to pour in a 50 / 50 mix of water and antifreeze but it isn't that critical. The easiest is to add perhaps half a quart of water, then half a quart of antifreeze, and keep on alternating like that until it's full. You can finish off by adding some to the reservoir. You can also buy pre-mixed coolant that is half water already. They charge too much for that because you're only getting two quarts of antifreeze instead of four.
Keep in mind the lower hose, the two heater hoses, and the water pump bypass hose are all the same age and will be just as rotten and likely to pop a leak. A conscientious mechanic who has your best interest at heart will recommend replacing all the hoses at the same time.
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Friday, July 19th, 2013 AT 4:42 PM
