TheSamba.com :: View topic - Clamp off leaky heater hose to get home?@@

Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:30 pm

I have a hole the size of a pencil in one of my heater hoses. Because I am an idiot and didn't secure the hose well, and it got abraded by the half shaft. So the van is at work, I'm taking the bus home. Tommorrow I need to patch it up, fill the cooling system w/ water (fortunately we have some empty 5 gal water cooler bottles I can
use) and limp the 5 miles home. I was planning to simply bring two vise grips or clamps, and clamp off the hose before and after the hole. That should get me home, right? Any better ideas?

Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:52 pm

Go to the auto parts store and look for some "rescue tape" or "emergency tape." It's silicone tape that's supposed to withstand high pressure and high temperature for repairs like the small hole in your hose. I haven't used the stuff but I've been told it works well, at least to let you move the van and fix the hose at home.

edited for spelling

Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:52 pm

Clamp them good, it'll get you home.

Half assed gets you half way there. Ask me how I know!

Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:02 pm

:D Actually, clamping them off will close off the coolant circuit, and can lead to a major overheat. Just get a 5/8's coupler at the parts store, cut out the hole, and clamp the coupler in, or, use the tape.
Charles

Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:06 pm

ccisco wrote: :D Actually, clamping them off will close off the coolant circuit, and can lead to a major overheat. Just get a 5/8's coupler at the parts store, cut out the hole, and clamp the coupler in, or, use the tape.
Charles
You sure about that?

The hose schematic indicates the heater is in parallel with the main circuit. Since it gets blocked off for no heat, I am not sure just clamping it off will cause an issue.

Then again, it is better to be safe and use the coupler which is just as cheap as the hose clamps. That way it is just fixed and done with.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:14 pm

Use the vice grips with two paint sticks ( small cut off portions of the paint sticks anyway) in the jaws for a positive clamp down.

OK--consider this picture--and believe me , you don't have to think twice about this operation.

If you clamp off the broken hose it would be just like you shutting the heater valves off, or adding an accessory heater valve.
Every time you shut the heat down for the summer the engine overheats?
I don't think so.
Nyet.

I'd disreguard the prior warning about overheating by clamping the heater hose down-- it's not gonna happen.

Clamp & Go--

Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:25 pm

Going with the coupler makes sense as it's a permanent repair.

When something like this happens you can often keep driving by removing the radiator cap and de-pressurizing the system. (Be wary of removing the cap while the engine is hot as you may scald yourself)

Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:51 pm

by removing the radiator cap your looking to lose a bunch of coolant--it'll blow right outa the expansion tank--

By loosening the radiator cap so it won't hold any pressure will buy you some time.
Do Not Remove it.

In the event of a hose leak anywhere in the system, loosen the cap, and drive.
If the leak is in the heater hose, you can clamp off the lwak while in BFE, and drive.
I don't think anyone would just happen to have a heater hose pipe in stock--but they might very well have a couple of vice grips in their tool boxes--the paint sticks might be a strange thing to have in your tool box--

Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:15 pm

Terry Kay wrote:
I don't think anyone would just happen to have a heater hose pipe in stock--but they might very well have a couple of vice grips in their tool boxes

I thought plugs for the heater lines were pretty indispensable spares for a Vanagon. Guess you never venture very far from home.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 10:52 pm

Not with a Van loaded with plumbing supplies anyway.

I decided to to the job right and replaced all of the vehicles hoses prior to venturing out--all of them.

Oh--I'm sorry.
A bit too extravagant perhaps.

The vehicle's aren't quite big enough to be a rolling hardware store.

Wed Jun 30, 2010 4:13 am

Pick up a 5/8 splice, 2 clamps and cut the hose and splice it like suggested. 10 min. in the parking lot, permanent fix.

Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:38 am

r39o wrote: ccisco wrote: :D Actually, clamping them off will close off the coolant circuit, and can lead to a major overheat. Just get a 5/8's coupler at the parts store, cut out the hole, and clamp the coupler in, or, use the tape.
Charles
You sure about that?

The hose schematic indicates the heater is in parallel with the main circuit. Since it gets blocked off for no heat, I am not sure just clamping it off will cause an issue.

Then again, it is better to be safe and use the coupler which is just as cheap as the hose clamps. That way it is just fixed and done with.

Walt's right, the engine isn't dependent on the heater circuit to cool, it runs parallel t the radiator circuit.

The thing to remember is that the circuit is at equal pressure on both sides regardless of heater valve position, so if you clamp off, you have to clamp off both sides. If you're clamping off, I suggest simply putting the clamps on the hoses right where they leave and return to the engine.

But finding the right-size (5/8" barb) coupler could even be a more-or-less permanent fix until you want to replace the whole section of hose, and it would take some of the slack out of that sagging hose. IF (big IF) your plumbing supply happens to have that size. I find the big-box home supply places tend to be pretty light on anything over 1/2". A poly or nylon coupler is NOT suitable for this application, except as a very temporary fix. Brass would be permanant.

Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:55 am

tencentlife wrote: But finding the right-size (5/8" barb) coupler could even be a more-or-less permanent fix until you want to replace the whole section of hose, and it would take some of the slack out of that sagging hose. IF (big IF) your plumbing supply happens to have that size. I find the big-box home supply places tend to be pretty light on anything over 1/2". A poly or nylon coupler is NOT suitable for this application, except as a very temporary fix. Brass would be permanant.

One should have little problem finding a 5/8 coupling at most any FLAPS. What I have carried for years is two short pieces of 1/2 OD pipe with caps soldered on one end. I can use these to plug either 1/2 or 5/8 heater hoses in a pinch.

Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:18 am

<<Walt's right, the engine isn't dependent on the heater circuit to cool, it runs parallel t the radiator circuit.>>

It's a totally independant circuit,and won't do anything to the cooling system to cause it to overheat.( other than leaking coolant)

<<The thing to remember is that the circuit is at equal pressure on both sides regardless of heater valve position, so if you clamp off, you have to clamp off both sides.>>

No Kidding---

So when you shut down the front & rear heater valves it equalizing the feed & the return line coolant pressure?
Nope--sorry.
It's just stopping the flow on the feed hose--that's it.
There's not one iota of fluid equalization anywhere.
It just put the brakes on the flow.
And for that matter it doesn't make diddley amount of difference if the valve is on the feed side or return.

<<you're clamping off, I suggest simply putting the clamps on the hoses right where they leave and return to the engine. >>

That would be a good as place as any--shut it down at the source.

<<But finding the right-size (5/8" barb) coupler could even be a more-or-less permanent fix until you want to replace the whole section of hose, and it would take some of the slack out of that sagging hose.>>

It's just a rag tag patch job at best.
If your finding that your hose is sagging, it because of one of two things;
(a) somebody was too generous with the length of hose they installed under the Van
(B) the hose is fagged out and gravity over the years is causing it to bag out.
Gweefed out would be a good term .
If the hose is dragging on the pavement, I'd suggest getting some new stuff in there.

Think Dormann at the most prominet parts houses.
Not Pep Boys ,The Zone or any other of the Chinese junk parts purveyor's.
Find a old Mom & Pop place of parts--they'll have 5/8's barbed hose unions in a Dormann drawer.

I think one ounce of prevention is the best move before you push yourself away from the computer and go on any trip.

Change the hoses if you don't have a clue if they have ever been swapped out for some new stuff since the Van was built 20 some odd years ago---
You won't need to be worried about hose unions , splices or how to clamp them off on your next extended cruise.

Wed Jun 30, 2010 3:55 pm

The same thing happened to me: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=253260&highlight=

I drove for several days in 100+ f temps after I plugged the line to the heater core with no ill effects.

Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:47 pm

Well, I got her home, replaced the heater hose, and changed the thermostat from the 200F (?) that came w/ the Zetec to the 180F that Bostig had me buy. No, I didn't put the thermostat in backwards (can you even do that?) Filled with antifreeze, turned on the heater, ran the engine for 20 minutes, until the temp needle was stable (barely above the LED on the gauge), closed up the bleeder screw, all seemed fine.

Except for one thing.

The vents in the dash blow cold air, no matter where the levers are set. I usually push all the levers to the right for full heat.

Before this - I mean, like up to yesterday - I had an issue with only getting hot air, no matter where the levers were set.

Now I only get cold air.

What's going on? Have I run into some bizarre evil Vanagon cooling system issue? Will I have to sacrifice a virgin to fix this?

Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:46 pm

jyl wrote: What's going on? Have I run into some bizarre evil Vanagon cooling system issue? Will I have to sacrifice a virgin to fix this?

Just as with the original problem, why not just call us at the shop? (you paid for this service) and speak to the people that know the system and how it works? Support is one of the things you got with the conversion, feel free to make use of it.

Jim Akiba

Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:44 pm

Should have look closer at you signature line, missed the Bostig conversion. Have no idea about the heating loop on a Bostig conversion, but on a Subaru conversion you can not block off the flow through the heating system, if you do you will overheat your engine. The Subaru people need to come up with a better valve for the front heater core that will bypass the coolant flow when the heat is off. I would guess this valve is out there somewhere on some application, someone just need to find and test it.