3/8 coolant hose!
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 343
Likes: 7
From: Arizona
3/8 coolant hose!
I thought I'd post this in case it helps somebody out.
My truck (1994 F-250 with 351 engine) has a coolant line running through the throttle body and back to the radiator. It has 3/8 inch hose. My hose was getting old and brittle, and I went around to NAPA and Autozone asking for 3/8 inch coolant hose. Nobody had it. Even the dealer didn't have it. I didn't want to use fuel hose because that's for, you know, fuel; I'm not sure how well it would react to coolant.
Eventually, at an independent auto parts store, I found some Gates 19B Plant Master multi-purpose hose. From the Gates web site: "RECOMMENDED FOR: Applications requiring a premium grade braided hose, with excellent flexibility and maximum resistance to air, water, petroleum oils, gasoline, kerosene and fuel oil (to 120°F) and lubricating oils (to 212°F). Excellent weather and ozone resistance. NOTE: Not recommended for constant contact with fuels. Not recommended for Bio-Diesel fuels. TEMPERATURE: -40°F to +212°F (-40°C to +100°C) continuous service." It also has a nifty red protective covering on it.
I've had it on for several months, and so far so good.
My truck (1994 F-250 with 351 engine) has a coolant line running through the throttle body and back to the radiator. It has 3/8 inch hose. My hose was getting old and brittle, and I went around to NAPA and Autozone asking for 3/8 inch coolant hose. Nobody had it. Even the dealer didn't have it. I didn't want to use fuel hose because that's for, you know, fuel; I'm not sure how well it would react to coolant.
Eventually, at an independent auto parts store, I found some Gates 19B Plant Master multi-purpose hose. From the Gates web site: "RECOMMENDED FOR: Applications requiring a premium grade braided hose, with excellent flexibility and maximum resistance to air, water, petroleum oils, gasoline, kerosene and fuel oil (to 120°F) and lubricating oils (to 212°F). Excellent weather and ozone resistance. NOTE: Not recommended for constant contact with fuels. Not recommended for Bio-Diesel fuels. TEMPERATURE: -40°F to +212°F (-40°C to +100°C) continuous service." It also has a nifty red protective covering on it.
I've had it on for several months, and so far so good.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 450
Likes: 3
From: Merchantville, NJ 08109
It heats the air going in, so the fuel vaporizes more readily as it is sprayed into the cylinder, and allows the flame front to propagate across the tops of the pistons more efficiently. Basically, it makes the engine run better... When cold air has the fuel sprayed into it, this causes the fuel to remain liquid longer, which makes it harder to ignite, etc.
Scott(who actually teaches about fuel systems and reciprocating engines)
Scott(who actually teaches about fuel systems and reciprocating engines)
Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 20,786
Likes: 1,751
From: Kentucky
The Throttle body coolant topic has been debated many times with many theories of why it is there.
Cut from my Ford Service manual:
Throttle Body Assembly
The throttle body assembly controls airflow to the engine through a double butterfly-type valve. The throttle position is controlled by a multiple-link, progressive opening, throttle linkage. The body is a single-piece die casting made of aluminum. It has a dual bore with an air bypass channel around the throttle plate. This bypass channel controls both cold and warm engine idle airflow as regulated by an idle air control valve (9F715) assembly mounted directly to the throttle body. The idle air control valve assembly is an electro-mechanical device, controlled by the PCM that meters the amount of air bypassed around the throttle plates in order to control engine idle speed. Engine coolant is diverted through the throttle body mounting pad to improve cold weather operation.
It says nothing about helping warm weather operation. Personally I'll take a cooler air charge any day...
Cut from my Ford Service manual:
Throttle Body Assembly
The throttle body assembly controls airflow to the engine through a double butterfly-type valve. The throttle position is controlled by a multiple-link, progressive opening, throttle linkage. The body is a single-piece die casting made of aluminum. It has a dual bore with an air bypass channel around the throttle plate. This bypass channel controls both cold and warm engine idle airflow as regulated by an idle air control valve (9F715) assembly mounted directly to the throttle body. The idle air control valve assembly is an electro-mechanical device, controlled by the PCM that meters the amount of air bypassed around the throttle plates in order to control engine idle speed. Engine coolant is diverted through the throttle body mounting pad to improve cold weather operation.
It says nothing about helping warm weather operation. Personally I'll take a cooler air charge any day...
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 497
Likes: 4
They carry 3/8" heater hose at O'Reilly's, and those stores are everywhere-like cancer in it's advanced stages. I don't recall the part number, but I've seen it...
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Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,533
Likes: 17
From: SW Florida
I just took that whole thing setup out of mine... one less thing to fail and dump coolant out of the motor. My intake air stays about 10-15 degrees above ambient when moving and idling with the a/c on in the summer I've seen it at 135+ degrees... but I'm in FL so that helps. Lol.
Good job on the repair, that red hose does look good.
Good job on the repair, that red hose does look good.
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