I'll try here since I have an oil burner.. no help from the gas guys......

Looking for some help.. my son bought a 88 Ford F-250 with a 7.3 IDI.. the heater core leaks so the PO just bypassed the heater hoses.. He cut them nice and short and put in a piece of pipe to connect them together. I have a new heater core that I am going to install, but have no idea what size heater hose is needed and if there was a plastic connector that snaps onto the pipes of the heater core or just slip the hose over the end of the heater core and call it good....

Any help/pics would help. I know this is a pretty easy job, just dont want to keep running into town getting parts...

 

My hood was up so I went to take a look

The hoses connect directly to the heater core
If you are standing at the front looking at the firewall the hose on the right goes to the block below the valve cover, the hose on the left goes to the water pump Looks like 3/4 but no markings left on mine. Just take the core and get hose that fits good.

 

I believe its 5/8" but again compare it to what you have.
Also I would recommend picking up some new hose clamps if the old ones are iffy looking or missing.

 

Thanks for the help. New to him and needs a lot of tender loving care... lots to do and I am so glad I found this site. Lots of good info!!

And a contribution while I am here.... if you need to pull the stuck copper washers out of the injector hole, you can twist the air cleaner housing bolt into the washers about a 1/4 turn and pull them out... (That was Saturdays job....)

 

x2 on 5/8"ID but measure on the core.

That's a pretty neat trick to get the washers out!

 

Not to hi-jack, but if thats not rep. worthy, i dunno what is.

I recall tom saying theyre 5/8" as well.

 

I just replaced one of my hoses yesterday, it's not 3/4, its 5/8", might even be able to get 1/2 on there. I had alot of trouble getting the 3/4" i purchased to seal. Actually i started the truck up today and had steam coming out of my defrosters, the hose clamp was loose and filled my heater box with coolant. So it's definitely smaller than 3/4"

 

Good news is you can replace the heater core in just a few minutes and it doesn't cost a lot.
Hose is 5/8" ID; common enough to find.

 

how the heck can you remember something like that????


i have a hard time remembering what i had for breakfast!!!

 

Gentlemen..... that was the easiest heater core I have ever done.. I am afraid it was so easy that I did something wrong....

Have the hoses and coolant.. tomorrow hopefully have a heater and a new wiper motor..

Thanks for the replies!!

 

ford got it rite when they designed the heater core on these trucks. you don't even need to drain the radiator as the core is higher than the top tank. just pop the lines off and stick them into the hood hinge to keep them up and out of the way.

1/2 hour job start to finish, including a beer break!!

 

I cant remember breakfast, but when you live 150 miles from the parts store, you get really good at figuring out and remembering what you need lol