Heater hose Tees...

[marques]

So I was flushing the coolant in my '08 LX and putting in a new water pump & thermostat & radiator hoses at 100k miles, and decided to preemptively also change the plastic heater hose Tees. Those who have/had a 100 already know those "T"s are a regular maintenance item every 100k miles or so. With age they become brittle and begin to disintegrate. After 150k miles you are pushing your luck. Best case you develop a small coolant leak that you notice and fix in time. Worst case they break with no warning, leaving you stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a major coolant leak.

The 200's also have these plastic Tees, but they are a little different. All three ports are the same size (the ones on the 100's have one port a little smaller). Toyota does not list the plastic T's by themselves in the parts catalog for our trucks. They want to sell you all the heater hoses already assembled with the T's in place (for >$100).

But, it is possible to buy just the plastic Tees. Toyota Part No. 87248-08030 (you will need two). I think they are listed separately for one of the minivans... much cheaper (~$20). This picture is of the old ones after 100k miles. The new ones were identical with the same markings and everything. They were in pretty good shape but if you look closely, the slow deterioration process had already begun where the tubes meet the center section. Very easy 15 minute job. And you have peace of mind for another 100k miles

 

[MScruiser]

My buddy lost his 100 due to a heater tee failure.

 

[TonyP]

Couldn't you just use a metal plumbing T from home depot? Problem permanently fixed.

 

[hankinid]

Couldn't you just use a metal plumbing T from home depot? Problem permanently fixed.

More than a few posts in the 100-series forum as to using PEX brass T's from HD or Lowe's.

Steve

 

[mark71]

My buddy lost his 100 due to a heater tee failure.

Had he already replaced the heater hoses prior and left the old T?

It seems uncharacteristic that Toyota wouldn't address this if it were an issue.

 

[MScruiser]

No; it was not ever fixed, and then failed.

 

[jclarke450]

I prefer to stick with the plastic OEM Ts for a few different reasons. If you cant change these out every 100k then IMO you have the wrong vehicle. My 100 was purchased from a guy who had a failed "T" and his son drove until it mildly overheated. They are easy to do and quick. I don't want to trust some POS piece of brass from Lowe's or Home Depot that was probably made in China to introduce another metal into my engine's cooling system dynamic. Maybe that's the engineer in me. These engines get millions of miles of testing prior to a design being put into production. Why mess with it for a $20 part? My 200 has 165k now and I need to replace these. So thanks for the reminder!

 

[Rigger]

Thanks for posting this. I replaced the tees in the Hundy a while back. I'll get going on these 2Hundy tees.

 

[hankinid]

I don't want to trust some POS piece of brass from Lowe's or Home Depot that was probably made in China to introduce another metal into my engine's cooling system dynamic. Maybe that's the engineer in me. These engines get millions of miles of testing prior to a design being put into production. Why mess with it for a $20 part? My 200 has 165k now and I need to replace these. So thanks for the reminder!

Buy the "Viega" brand and get guaranteed U.S.-made. The engines may be millions of miles in testing, but the other side of the engineer in me also suggests cost savings v. reliability are always part of the decision.

From the standpoint of constant immersion in ethylene glycol / water mix, I would not think twice and pick brass over plastic...and I'm not concerned with the higher price of the metal T.

The oem replacements bought 18 months ago for my LX470 ran $7.30 each at the local dealer.

Brass won't affect your cooling system "dynamic", as Toyota Long Life, Super Long Life, and Zerex Asian coolants are all certified to specs where brass materials are part of the testing.

Steve

 

[bjowett]

Good stuff, thank you for sharing. Looks like the the 2008 and up Sequoia also uses this part number. IMO, PA66 GF30 has a place... but just like the oil filter cap, this is not it.

 

[hankinid]

Marques, thank very much for the T part number. I was at my local Toyota dealer yesterday looking for Ts for my '13. As you wrote, you can buy two but they'll come with hoses and clamps at > $130 per side. Called my parts manager today...she had 1 T in stock and will have the other midday tomorrow. She checked application info for the part number your came up with and noted they're also used in the Sienna and Sequoia.

 

[jblatl]

I did the T's at the 100k mark on my LX470, are there just two T's on the 5.7? I found two, but they are on the front of the engine.

 

[hankinid]

jblatl, check directly over the spark plug on #8 cylinder. Since I'm replacing the plugs, I'll do the Ts as I'm in the general area.

As was posted, 5.7 Ts are different than those on the 4.7.

hth

 

[ForrestGrump]

I'm getting ready to replace my plugs also. I saw this thread a while back and thought about it when my plugs came in. It looks to be a super easy job. Maybe a dumb question, but is there any coolant that comes out that I should be prepared to catch?

 

[TonyP]

There will be some. You can always pinch the hose on either end to limit the coolant loss. Needle nose vice grips with hose around the ends to keep from damaging anything are the ghetto, but effective, way of pinching hoses.

 

[chilibit]

How does the life of the heater hoses compare to the anticipated life of the tee's? Would it be wise to change them out on the same schedule? The PEX fittings feed our drinking water to us and function reliably at much higher pressures.

 

[linuxgod]

How does the life of the heater hoses compare to the anticipated life of the tee's? Would it be wise to change them out on the same schedule? The PEX fittings feed our drinking water to us and function reliably at much higher pressures.

I would worry more about temperatures than pressures. Your hot water at home is probably in the 130-140F range, whereas your coolant could easily exceed 200F or more.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Couldn't you just use a metal plumbing T from home depot? Problem permanently fixed.

Yes, we use a brass t-fitting

 

[Willy beamin]

is this the correct size and good brand? https://www.amazon.com/PEX-Inch-Barbed-Tee-Fitting/dp/B00V67Z1U0/?tag=ihco-20

 

[OregonLC]

Are all branches equal sized on the 200? IIRC, the 100 has one that is 1/8" smaller diameter.