Technical Unclip heater core inlet hose

[Oz500]

Help please?
I need advice on how to unclip the heater core inlet hose fitting from the heater core.
I have ordered a new (genuine) heater core inlet hose (part 4 in first image; part 1 in second image), and I cannot work out how to unclip the old one.

The attachment seems to have two side metal tabs (slightly different to each other); pushing them in, back (towards firewall/bulkhead) or forwards makes no difference.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Are you just having trouble with the hose clips. Some of these things are spring loaded and require the tabs to be squeezed together to open the clip which has to be slid back on the hose while squeezed. Some R types need a special plier to open. Some need a tool toforce them toopen up, provably another typeof plier. Ihave some US Tool pliersthat were only £5 here. The hoses may well have bonded to the matrix and will require careful levering off. They can be very tight to break the seal
photo if you can post one of your actual fittings would help.
I have a dremmel and mico cutting discs I deploy for these horrid things

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi

On #4 it appears to be a 'plastic union'

And a spring hose clip holding the hose onto the union

What age and motor are we discussing?

I will look at my 1242cc 2018 in 5 minutes


Ive not disturbed these coolant lines..

But the Fuel ones on the FIRE motors are Blue plastic..and just slide

Pics in 5 minutes...

 

[John202020]

Destroy the clips, that's what I had to do they are use once

 

[The Panda Nut]

Because the connector pipe has a collar ring youhave to open the clips quite wide to step over it before sliding them back along the hose

 

[Oz500]

Are you just having trouble with the hose clips.

Not the hose clamps. I have enough experience with the hose clamps. Frustrating little …. that they are
The issue I am having is with plastic fitting that come as part of the hose.
Whilst I *could* cut the brand new hose (clamp) to remove this piece and reuse the old one, it doesn’t make sense when it is literally that connection that turned a $10 hose into an $80 part.

 

[Oz500]

On #4 it appears to be a 'plastic union'

And a spring hose clip holding the hose onto the union

Yes, it is the plastic union that I cannot undo.
As per the second image, the hose comes attached to the plastic union.
Whilst I *could* cut the brand new hose (clamp) to remove this piece and reuse the old one, it doesn’t make sense when it is literally that connection that turned a $10 hose into an $80 part.

 

[Oz500]

Because the connector pipe has a collar ring youhave to open the clips quite wide to step over it before sliding them back along the hose

As per the second image, it is a plastic connector.
I am not talking about the hose clamps.

 

[Oz500]

Destroy the clips, that's what I had to do they are use once

I am worried that in the process of destroying the plastic connector with it’s metal tabs, I will damage the plastic heater core pipe.
Do you have a safe suggestion on how to remove the connector from the pipe?
( I am not talking about the hose clamp that joins the connector to the hose).

 

[Oz500]

 

[Oz500]

What age and motor are we discussing?

2008 1.4L petrol (100hp)

According to Fiat (dealership that is 6 hours away) the union/connector/attachment is part of the hose and should just “undo”. Unfortunately, they don’t see enough 500’s to be able to tell me *how*

 

[The Panda Nut]

I have only seen a few vaiations in these tyes of fitting. One has two tabs ontheside that need tobe squeezedinwards together to release. The other requires the hose to be o pushe on firmly and then while the end is kept compressed ulledoff. Probably another tool type. Sorry previous comments no good.
can you email the makers tech director. That may be the best bet. Panda rad hoses have a small locking clip that has to be levered out a fraction to release. Scaled down, if similar itwould be hard to see. Sorry not to be more help. Are these the same as push fit plumbing. Push on, and push ontorelease whileholding locking collaronto the end of the hose.

 

[Oz500]

The other requires the hose to be pushed on firmly and then while the end is kept compressed pulled off. Probably another tool type. Sorry previous comments no good.
can you email the makers tech director. That may be the best bet. Panda rad hoses have a small locking clip that has to be levered out a fraction to release. Scaled down, if similar it would be hard to see.

I haven’t tried push-pull, thankyou for the suggestion!
It’s heading towards midnight here so I will tackle it again in the daylight.

I don’t suppose that you know where to find the email address of the tech director of Fiat?
There’s a few things I could put in that email

 

[The Panda Nut]

No but if you have the handbook Fiat customer services do have a technical dept. I have found they try and help. Different numbers from dufferent countries. www.fiat.com will probly lead you to this. I love the cars but have issues with the company too... Freephone number goes straight to Italy.

 

[Oz500]

For anyone still wondering what I’m talking about - it’s the black fitting that is underneath the orange pipe connection. It is supposed to come off, as the new heater hose has one already attached.

 

[irc]

As you probably realise, you need to press the 2 metal tabs so that the metal band they connect to comes out of the groove in the plastic stub, allowing the pipe to slide off the stub.
Which sounds easy, but sometimes isn't.
Hopefully pictures will help with the theory. They can put up a fight, but eventually let go.
I have had to resort to using a jubilee (worm drive) clip once in the past, but usually finger pressure works.
Sometimes a third hand is helpful.

 

[bugsymike]

They seem to change the clips on the plastic fittings with each model.
On yours I would say a thin nose pair of pliers from the hose end to gentle squeeze it together enough to take the pressure off then use a screwdriver at the same time to lift the ear on the left hand side a little to release clip to spring open.
The ones on my 2010 Doblo were different again, metal spring loaded clips that had to be eased back, but pinged off in to the distance if not careful. The idea was when fitting it just pushed on a clipped into place, my problem was due to oil from a faulty oil cooler getting into the water the rubber O rings all swelled up so had to be replaced if disturbed as could not be refitted.
This is why I bought an O ring making kit from Loctite as cheaper than Chinese O rings in a Fiat bag from Fiat Dealers!

 

[John202020]

On our 1.2 2009 they are standard "use once" clips replaced with jubilee clips.

 

[varesecrazy]

See thread started by @ormani.
Good pics

 

[Ralf S.]

If I was confronted with that...

It looks similar to the type of fittings that you get on fuel filter connectors on my Stilo (diesel).. where there are two plastic tabs on the connector "block". You press those tabs in, and that flexes a metal circlip/spring so that the prongs of the circlip deform and clear a groove on the receiver, so that you can pull it off.

Looking at this one, and IRC's photos in post #16 above, it looks something similar.. but instead of the press-in buttons you have a metal strap, similar to an ear clamp. I'd guess the connector just snaps on over the receiver and that's that, or the fitter needs to squeeze up the metal clamp, to make the straps tight in the locating groove so that it can't come undone.

My verdict would be that the connector is single use (It's not a service item and the new hose comes with a new connector).

When the new one arrives, you might get a clue from that. If the new one is just push on and forget, then you might be able (if there's space) to press in those metal tabs poking out at "10 to 2" simultaneously, to release the metal strap.

Otherwise I would try to open up the top of the metal clamp, where the tab folds over the top of the "ear". That might allow the strap to come undone, remove pressure on the straps and hence allow the connector to come off.



Ralf S.