Technical Radiator hose rapid connector

[nigelvan]

Hi all,
Can someone tell me how the 'rapid connectors' on the radiator and the cabin heating are supposed to come off? I tried squeezing the metal clips, pulling them, pushing them in and twisting but that doesn't seem to do the trick and I'm afraid to damage the plastic. I looked around online but can't seem to find more info.
Thanks a lot!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Unless its vital... dont do it. I removed the Panda one and it leaked thereafter. Have you found and released the spring clip. Mine was like a big c clip it just needed to be pulled to the side by a few mm to unlock. Nothing I did fixed it after removal. They come with the hose a new hose and Fiat wanted £102! I bought an alternative for £12. The connector on the Panda is push fit only but felt like it was installed with araldite. New O rings did not solve the leak. I was so worried about breaking my rad! In the end after a couple of hours and careful levering it did come out but in who's dictionary this could be decribed as quick release I dont know. Not quick, not easy not sensible not good engineering not a good idea etc etc. Best of British and Italian luck.

I think you slide a small screw driver behind the metal clip and lever it outwards.

My advice - Cut the hose clip remove the hose and replace the clip with a new one on reassembly.

 

[bugsymike]

I agree with Panda Nut, if you can avoid disturbing the quick release do so, unless you are fitting a genuine new hose. On my 12 plate Doblo 1.6 multijet the oil cooler had leaked into the cooling system which was bad enough but then every hose with "quick release" that I had to disturb, the oil had swollen the sealing O ring which is held in place by a plastic crown inside the coupling. Mine were the metal spring clip type and I prized them off altogether to avoid them pinging off and getting lost and even with a spray of WD40 to free them the fittings were hard to release. I needed two sealing rings for the oil cooler which I ordered from the the Fiat Dealer, when they arrived in a Genuine Fiat Logo sealed plastic bag for nearly £40, I noticed in small print Peoples Republic Of China (PRC)
After that I obtained a O ring making kit from Loctite which you can add to with other suitable size and profile lengths of suitable rubber, I was skeptical at first, but as long as you measure accurately and use the right grade of Loctite adhesive it worked fine and saves money for the future!

 

[nigelvan]

Thanks for your help guys! Since it seems these connections start to leak once you take them apart I will go with the cut the hose clip approach

 

[vexorg]

A small screwdriver will open (and destroy( the metal hose clip. Then put a proper jubilee clip on

 

[nigelvan]

A small screwdriver will open (and destroy( the metal hose clip. Then put a proper jubilee clip on

Yes, I prefer cutting the plied over metal part of the clip with a Dremel, if you have the space. It's easier than trying to pry it open with the screw driver. Since there's two kind of clips on the vehicle from the factory: Ones you can really easily get open by getting a screwdriver in there, and the other ones that have 2 metal parts folded over another that are really hard to get open with a screwdriver.

 

[vexorg]

I’d be a bit nervous of fainting l damaging the house with a dremel

 

[vexorg]

I’d be a bit nervous of fainting l damaging the house with a dremel

I hate autocorrect on the phone. 'hose' not 'house', and no idea what I typed for 'fainting'

 

[RobCa]

Hope the attached photo may help to see how these clips work. It looks like the same type as yours.
They are a pig to get apart if they have not been disturbed for some time.
The metal on this one has been a bit distorted. As you may be able to see, its a loop of stainless steel that naturally sits in an oval shape with the top and bottom in the picture hooking behind a lip on the other pipe. Pressing both protruding metal parts makes it change to a circular shape, removing the obstructions from the lip. They seem to get well gummed up around the seal etc so its a case of pressing the metal clip protrusions and trying to wriggle it about to get some movement. It can take quite a bit of wriggling to get some movement. Once apart I have put silcone greese around the seal and pushed them back together without leaks so far. If they are on the radiator and it needs to be changed then they have to be disturbed.
I agree with the others, if you dont have to disturb them, by taking the hose off the other end, this may be better.

 

[bugsymike]

I had the pleasure of those hose clips, plus as it was on the oil cooler water pipes at the back of the engine on a 2010 1.6 Multijet the hose was made of convoluted plastic so no option to just replace the clip with a jubilee clip!