Rear Heater Lines (1 Viewer)

[Racer65]

The lines to my rear heater is starting to develop some small leaks. I'v been thinking about making some silicone hoses to replace the lines. Can someone comment on how many types of such lines are there across different model years? I know the floor pan changed in '79, so I'm guessing there are at least two different styles. Can anyone think of a reason why substituting the lines with silicone hoses might not be a good idea?

 

[Dizzy]

On my '75, Toyota used a combination of bent insulated brass, and rubber heater hose. Are you talking about just the rubber sections?

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Hi Roger ,

I have replaced a set of the Original Yellow Brass Rear Heater tubes with , Ordinary EPDM Heater Hose which I special

ordered through NAPA , this was some time ago and i dont recall if they offered Silicon like they do Now ?


I was concerned about the Rubber getting Chafed or Punctured from Foot Traffic , across the center console between the

seats , as well as on the passenger side Transmission Hump Incline surface exposed area .


i dreamed up the idea of ARMOR electric cable concept , and purchased Split-Loom ( For automotive wiring ) and simply

wrapped it around the new heater Hose , I taped it only as needed every 6-8" or so , allowing for expansion &

Contraction etc.......


This approach worked well and there were never any issues




i would indeed consider some primary Layer of defense Over your new Soft Silicon Rear heater Hoses



kindly
matt

 

[Racer65]

On my '75, Toyota used a combination of bent insulated brass, and rubber heater hose. Are you talking about just the rubber sections?

No, I’m thinking of making the entire line from front to back with molded silicone hose. It seems like Toyota’s setup is over complicated.

 

[Racer65]

@RAGINGMATT Silicone hose like that used with my drain hoses is very hard and tough. It would never deteriorate or leak. The idea is that I would mold it into the same shape as the original line, so it would follow the incline.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

oh , ok

your post above did not mention Molding , i was thinking you were getting the soft flexible Silicon Hose on a roll and

simply snaking it where it had to go ?



Good idea on the Molding , if you make a Template for each hose and a JiG then there is another Future Problem solved

 

[AntFarm]

@Racer65 I realize this thread is a year old. Not sure if you completed this project or not. I think that replacing the brass pipes with silicone hoses is a fantastic idea and improves that system, not to mention reducing the number of interior coolant joints by at least 4. Like @ToyotaMatt I also used standard heater hose to "upgrade" the insulated pipes with a system that is easier to inspect/repair/replace, with no downside that i can think of. Silicone hoses would be even better. I have the set of the brass pipes that ran from my front heater to the rear that I would be happy to send your way if you need a template to start from. One of them was bent in a slight accident in my garage involving one of my kids and a kayak but since they run parallel to each other they could still be utilized to create a template. I've been looking for a home for them anyway, and I do not have the time to repair the bent one.

 

[Racer65]

@Racer65 I realize this thread is a year old. Not sure if you completed this project or not. I think that replacing the brass pipes with silicone hoses is a fantastic idea and improves that system, not to mention reducing the number of interior coolant joints by at least 4. Like @ToyotaMatt I also used standard heater hose to "upgrade" the insulated pipes with a system that is easier to inspect/repair/replace, with no downside that i can think of. Silicone hoses would be even better. I have the set of the brass pipes that ran from my front heater to the rear that I would be happy to send your way if you need a template to start from. One of them was bent in a slight accident in my garage involving one of my kids and a kayak but since they run parallel to each other they could still be utilized to create a template. I've been looking for a home for them anyway, and I do not have the time to repair the bent one.

The project has been on a back burner, but I collected a template from a 1980 FJ40. What year is your vehicle? I would love to get a template from an older model to compare, since the floor changed from '78 to '79. It's good that you're on the West Coast, since shipping a long / large box from further away will be quite expensive.

 

[AntFarm]

Mine is a 3/79 so it would be the same as your 80. Probably not much help then. I thought about this one some more. Other than some aesthetics which would be hidden under the mat, I’m not sure that having molded hoses would be a big advantage over just straight hoses. I was surprised how nicely the standard heater hoses ran along the hump and through the OEM brackets. It might be the best overall solution to provide the silicone hose in the correct diameter and thickness and allow all years to Trim to Length. As long as the hose is as flexible as standard Gates hoses. I’m very new to Mud so I’ll post pictures of my heater refresh soon.

 

[macdaddy59]

I have a 1976 set of heater hoses you could use as a template.

 

[pardion]

Roger, I have some earlier heater lines you can copy, 2 hours away. John