Accessing the problem area

We showed how to reach the area concerned last month when changing the vehicle’s air conditioning condenser. Gaining access to the coolant pipe is a similar job, except the radiator and headlamps don’t need to be disturbed this time. We’ll run through the access work briefly here.

1 Top end

The air inlet duct is detached from the air filter box and the fan cowl, then pulled out vertically, followed by the upper fan cowl.

2 Fan tactics

We’ve now exposed the cooling fan but, to remove it, we first lift off the engine cover and disconnect the fan’s multiplug from the harness.

3 Unscrewed

Remembering the fan stud has a left-hand thread, the fan assembly is unscrewed from its hub and withdrawn, but the lower fan cowl still restricts our view.

4 Limbo

We need to drop the underpanel in order to unclip hoses from the underside of the fan’s lower cowl – they’re just snap clips that need a gentle pull.

5 Last part

Screws and clips holding the fan’s upper cowl are removed, and the cowl can be lifted up and out, giving good access to the problem area.

6 We have visual

The problematic steel coolant pipe is arrowed (pictured left). The connected hose runs from the left, down from the steel pipe to the thermostat.

7 Hidden pipe end

Here’s a close-up. The far end (pictured below, arrowed) of the steel pipe curves back along the side of the engine. The thermostat is under those hoses at the bottom.

8 Draining from below

The coolant is drained by releasing the smallest (left side) hose from the thermostat housing stub, as the coolant flows out into a tub.

9 Disconnection

Back in the engine bay, we remove the hose (which is in good order) from between the steel coolant pipe and the orange thermostat housing.

10 Hole in one

The end of the steel pipe (previously covered by the hose) is perfect, but when rust is scraped off above the hose position we find a significant hole.

11 Nearly through

We cut the damaged end off the steel pipe. Steve uses a slim air-powered hacksaw while holding the pipe firmly to avoid disturbing anything upstream.

12 Commited

Here’s the cut pipe end, even the good part was measured at just 1 mm thick. That leaves the horizontal section of the pipe in place to connect to.

13 Lucky dip

We need a one-off hose to fill the gap. So we raid Britpart’s test lab for assorted hoses that have passed pressure test and cut the best to suit.

14 Coupled and sealed

We find and trim a hose with the correct double curvature and end diameters, and secure it to the pipe and thermostat housing with compression clips.