The heater hose just above my passenger manifold is leaking coolant when my heat is turned on. It has no real bends, and all the new OEM and aftermarket replacements don't include that clamp, so you guys think I could just use two pieces of heater hose from VatoZone? The cheapest after market price is 30$, which isn't bad, but 30$ for two 1' pieces of heater hose seems retarded. If not, I'll just order it, would just like another opinion.

 

Yes, you can just use bulk heater hose.

 

The hoses are smaller on the heater core end and larger on the engine end, so I think you would be wise to just spend $30 for the factory-style hoses and be done with it. Don't re-use the OEM spring clamps -- use worm gear "Ideal" type clamps when you install the new hoses otherwise you will likely have leaks on the heater core side of the connections.

 

I used the URO Parts PCH500040 Heater Hose Set
URO Parts (1) from amazon.

Same quality as originals and only us$ 18

 

I wouldn't use those clamps anyway. They are identical on the hose it seems, just the metal tube is larger in diameter but has a smaller part that the rubber slides onto. I'll try heater hose first, if not, I'll buy one.


EDIT: nvm. 17$, I bought that.

 

I would get the fitted / formed hoses. Keep it OEM and professional.

 

Screw on worm clamps are definitely the way to go here. I bent up the tubes coming out of the firewall just a bit getting the old hose off, and I had to go back and get rid of the OEM clamps because my tubes were not perfectly round and I had a small leak once the new hoses got softened up a bit, but the screw type claims were able to tighten up to make up the difference in the less than perfectly round tubes.

BTW, I have seen my dad use a spring loaded 3 contact point tool, like three fingers pointed up and out in a triangle relationship called a brake cylinder hone on his drill to clean-up/mildly sand the inside of old wheel drum brake cylinders. In that vein, well sort of in that vain, is there a good way to re-round something like the heater hose tubes coming off the firewall for the heater hoses to round them up again from the inside of the tube pushing them back out where they may have been indented slightly, like with a screwdriver when trying to pry/remove the old hoses? Something that would push it from the inside out and round it up? Is there such a think as reverse pliers, like lock ring pliers that push out? I have seen a thing like this for muffler pipe that my dad had. He had lots of cool tools http://www.ebay.com/itm/3Pc-Tail-Pip...p2054897.l4276

 

Funny, I was sort of wondering that same thing when I changed my heater matrix hoses earlier this month. I think because of the small diameter we would be hard-pressed to find a tool like that -- although it probably exists in some tiny German workshop. And with the aluminum tubes being so fragile there would probably be a high risk of damaging them.

 

This is true.

However if it is an emergency or you dont want to wait for mail, you can get something like this:

Help/5/8 x 3/4 in. plastic heater hose connector (47080) | Heater Hose Quick Connector | AutoZone.com

I cant remember if this is the right size, but I used two of these type things on the D1 and it works great.