Has anyone used the special disconnect tool for disconnecting the heater hoses to their heater? Any specaial tricks? Anyone made thir own tool? All the Ford book says is to push in the hose & put the tool behind the connection & than pull the hose off. For everyones information Gates Rubber Co. is designining replacement hoses for the Aerostar with rear heat & they will not be out for at least a year.They have to design the "Y" connectors & have them put into production along with the hoses. So Ford replacement is the only way to go.

 

Yes, I made the tool to remove the heater hoses using the picture in the '88 Aerostar Factory Service Manual as a guide. Worked slick as a whistle following the service manuals directions. I used a strip of flat sheet metal (actually aluminum scrounged up from work) 16ga. (.060) thick by 1-1/2 wide by 12" long. I bent both ends up forming 1-1/4" legs. On one of these legs, I filed a 15/16" wide slot with rounded bottom end to form the fork used to release the connector prongs.
The other leg served as a handle for pulling once the prongs are freed. I used Ford factory heater hoses as replacements after not finding any with the quick disconnects in the aftermarked, this was five years ago though.

-Mark

 

As far as the hoses with the Y fittings go, why can't you just make something up from the auto parts and hardware store. It looks like you could replace the Y with a 5/8" compression T fitting and some aluminum tube. Then, just piece together the hose using just normal 5/8" heater hose and some hose clamps. Could probably replace the two hoses with the Y in them for about $20. I don't know what the hoses cost from the dealer but I suspect it's more since you can't by anything from the dealer for less than $20. However, I don't think the hoses that go through the firewall could be replaced with plain hose and hose clamps because it doesn't look like there would be any access to tighten the hose clamps. Anybody tried this?

 

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"However, I don't think the hoses that go through the firewall could be replaced with plain hose and hose clamps because it doesn't look like there would be any access to tighten the hose clamps. Anybody tried this?"

I studied replacing the firewall quick disconnects with just hose and screw type hose clamps, but decided the room to work was too tight. Once the old hoses were off, It didn't appear to me that the male nipples sticking out of the firewall were really going to offer the sort of connection I'd feel comfortable with using just hoses and screw clamps. JMHO.

-Mark