HELP!! Coolant everywhere!!!

[FloridaFJ80]

Well this morning on my way to work, My temp needle sky rockets and the truck is overheating. So I open up the hood I dont smell any coolant and look in the reservoir its empty, i then open the radiator cap and its dry also. So I fill it up, it took 2 gallons of coolant to fill up the radiator. So I continue to drive to work, park the truck and go to work. On a lunch break, I go to the 7-11 and get somethings and come back to work, and I park. Seconds later there is a big puddle under the passenger side of the truck, at first I thought it was the A/C dripping but i didnt have the AC on. So I go over and take a better look and and its coolant dripping pretty bad. But its not coming from the engine bay but rather by where the cats are located. So i get under there and its leaking right on top of the CATS. some hose or something is on top of the heat shield.. SO what do i do, what is going on, why is this hose that is leaking, how can i fix it?? I need your help once again thanks guys in advance.

 

[MLX450]

Looks like this:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=96406

 

[FloridaFJ80]

Yeah it looks like that.. What is up with this heater hose??? What needs to be done.

 

[Cruiser Jimmy]

Humm,
Drop the tranny for easy access or scard knuckles?

 

[Rich]

Advice for the future: Adding coolant to hot engine can result in cracked block or head. Should wait for engine to cool before adding a signficant amount of coolant.

In order to fix your current problem you need to replace the leaking lines. An alternative, if you are willing to give up your rear heater (I would not) would be to bypass the rear heater coolant lines. In the engine compartment on the firewall on the drivers side are two heater connections, one above the other. The top connection is for the front heater and is approx 5/8 inch diameter hose. Beneath that is the connection for the rear heater and that is about 1/2" hose. On the passenger side of the firewall are the heater outlets, again one above the other. Front heater on top, rear heater outlet below that, and again 5/8" and 1/2" hoses. You could remove the plumbing tees on the inlet and outlet sides and use appropriate 5/8 inch hose to connect only the front heater inlet and outlet to the cooling system.

 

[MDarius]

Yeah it looks like that.. What is up with this heater hose??? What needs to be done.

Read the entire thread posted above. Some of these guys bypassed with flexible hose, copper pipe, Gates green stripe, etc. You might just PM a couple of them for more details. Sounds like a nasty job no matter how you look at it though. I suppose if you don't need a rear heater there ought to be a way to by pass the hole mess with a U bend or something. I can't imagine that rear heater gets much use in Florida.

 

[FloridaFJ80]

Thanks alot guys for the heads up. I am going to be tackling the bypass pretty soon, I dont have a use for the rear heater to begin with. Thanks for all the advice and direction...

 

[Grench]

While the coolant is out and you're filthy...

While you have it empty, you might consider replacing ALL the coolant lines. I emphasize all, because there is one that most people overlook that is very likely to leave you scratching your head beside the interstate. At least it did to me.

If your 80 is a 93-97 variety, you will have a 2" long hose coming off the bottom back of the block that you can't see. By now its ballooned up and nasty looking. At first it will seem to be an impossible repair, but there are a few tricks.

Support the front of the truck on jack stands. Lift the DS wheel using a jack, remove the wheel, then lower it down until the brake rotor is just about on the ground. This will give you room to work.

At this point, if you crawl halfway into the wheel well and feel around back in there you can find the hose. It connects to the block on one end and a pipe up the back side of the block on the other. Now that you know where it is, there are LOTS of places where they detail these repairs. They'll have pictures -n- stuff too.

The tricks I found that isn't often mentioned...
Disconnect several of the lines & brackets where they connect to the frame to give yourself that little bit of wiggle room.
Destroy the hose clamps. You aren't re-using these anway as they are factory snap on ones that Toyota put in before the body went on the truck. Munch them up with a tiny pair of dykes.
There are two bolts holding the tube to the engine block going up between the block and the firewall. You'll have to loosen, but not remove, them both. If you remove them, you'll never get them back in. The one is a bear. You'll loose skin on your arm doing it, but with a small wrench it can be done. Knowing that there are two is a plus though.
Disconnect the heater hose on top of the pipe and chuck it. Use a 5/16" elbow and two short pieces of heater hose to replace it.
Do this job with silicone hose and fully sleeved clamps. Silicone hose is $9 a foot or so, but this is a job you'll never want to have to do again.

Good luck with it. This is one of the most pesky repairs I've done.

Grench

 

[MDarius]

Good luck with it. This is one of the most pesky repairs I've done.

Grench

Thus the term, 'Pesky Heater Hose' or 'PHH'. Do a search. There's a ton of info. I just did mine. A pain, but with all the info on the board I think it can be done in 45 minutes or so.

Good luck.

 

[medtro]

Disconnect the heater hose on top of the pipe and chuck it. Use a 5/16" elbow and two short pieces of heater hose to replace it.

I believe they are 5/8" hoses

 

[Grench]

You are correct Sir!

Yep, you're right.

Although I definetely learned something in this particular thread. I had thought that I had changed out pretty much every hose in the coolant system. I had no idea there were more up behind the trany. For some reason I had thought those would all be hard lines. Ack! This ones going to suck too!