Got F-150 4.6 cooling system leak on the heater line (farthest back line) coming out of the block. Fitting looks to be steel. How does it attach/ do I need to remove the Intake to replace?

 

66 views and no ideas? C'mon fellas.

 

One of the heater core hoses is a steel pipe that runs from the back of the water pump housing, under the intake the length of the valley, comes up behind the intake, then a rubber hose band clamps to that steel pipe and it curves around up to the heater core.

So I am going to take a wild shot in the dark and say that yes, you will need to remove the intake if you are unable to reach the other end of that pipe in order to determine how it connects.
Might try an inspection mirror first to see for sure what you are up against. If it is the steel pipe that is leaking it will need to be pressed in to reinstall it.
As I recall, I changed heater core hoses on my 1997 F150 4.6 Windsor and I did not remove the intake. Different year models may be configured differently, as well as Windsor vs Romeo could be different.

And when you swap out that hose you may want to re-configure its routing because the heater hoses are usually right in the way for changing the back plugs on that side.
Also, enjoy that "quick" connect fitting on the heater core nipple. It is great installing it, but can be a hassle to remove.

 

Right, when I changed all of the coolant hoses on my 1997 Windsor 4.6, no need to mess with the intake manifold.

On the engine-side of the heater hoses, one hose had a worm-drive band clamp on it, that one was easy to get off the engine.

The other hose had a constant-tension spring clamp on it, which unfortunately had the tabs facing backward up against something else. Most of the time spent on the project was figuring out a way to get that clamp off. Ended up using a small C-clamp I had, putting it across all 3 tabs of the clamp, and turning and sliding the clamp's lead screw driver 1/2 turn by 1/2 turn, with C-clamp sometimes slipping off one or more of the tabs, to start all over again.
I put a band clamp on that one then! I figure the original spring clamp was put on on the engine assembly line, then the other end (Quick Connect end), of the hose was just snapped onto the heater core tubing.

I had no trouble getting the QC's off. I looked at the parts store's "Help" parts to see the replacement white plastic "cage" that provides the locking function, to see how it worked, first.
So on the truck, I just pushed the fitting housing towards the firewall, and with thumb and index finger pushed the two "cage" tabs all the way inward, and then pulled the hose fitting housing towards me. The "cage" with the tabs stays on the core end, just expand it over the heater core tubing ridge separately to remove it. That part was pretty easy.
It was that fool spring clamp with unreachable tabs that was the problem for me!!!!

 

Both my "quick" connect fitting on the heater core nipple leak out that pathetic "o" ring inside the plastic. You can get after market quick connects for $7.00 that clamp into old school heater hose, then pull alt and run hose from water pump behind alt to heater core to avoid pulling the engine apart. Things could be designed a little better.

 

You can get the quick connects either way, built into the end of the hose or as a barb on one end and quick connect on the other as you describe.

I also dislike the spring clamps. I have yet to find an application that a worm gear screw clamp did not work better. They always seem easier to install and remove plus they hold more securely.