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Hello I have a 1992 F150 5.0L XLT. I noticed a slight coolant leak coming from this hose/connector to the radiator. What is this type of connector piece called that is circled? The end of the coolant line goes to the throttle body. I'm thinking to just replace the rubber hose and the metal connector piece. Hopefully that will fix my coolant leak. Thank you!

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    Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! Nov 22, 2021 at 0:26
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    To add to the other answers - that particular connector is not something you can replace easily. The crimp connector itself needs a hydraulic crimper to install, which, even cheap, is a ~$200 tool, but decent ones cost in the thousands.
    – J...
    Nov 22, 2021 at 18:08
  • What @J... stated ... Nice add. Nov 22, 2021 at 18:57

2 Answers 2

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You don't have to replace the metal collet (crimped part) with a new one. Just replace the hose and put a jubilee clamp (worm gear hose clamp) in its place. Easy peasy and a whole lot less money. The only way I've seen them come is as an entire unit (hose and pipe with collet installed ... as a single unit). Getting a hose clamp is a very viable option.

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  • Any idea how I would remove the collet? Just yank it off the metal tube or cut it?
    – Max
    Nov 22, 2021 at 18:37
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    @Max - Easiest way is to take use a Dremmel. You just have to split it on one side and it'll come right off. You could probably also use a pair of diagonal cutters and snip away at it in a line from the hose side towards the pipe. It's only made of aluminum, so it will split quite easily. Nov 22, 2021 at 18:56
  • @paulster2 Thanks for your help. Got around to replacing it. Decided instead to just remove hose and metal pipe, then replace with a single hose that goes from the rad to the throttle body. There was another collet down the line that connected to a hose and to the throttle body as well. I figured that at some point that hose/collet would fail at some point.
    – Max
    Dec 5, 2021 at 19:59
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I do like Paulster2's answer, but...

That hose nearly 30 years old. If the leak is as simple as a weak crimp, you would just cut the aluminum ferrule off, cut and remove the rubber hose, and plan on replacing the hose between engine fitting and the end of the steel tube. Inspect the end of the steel tube carefully. If corroded, toss and replace.

With that in mind, you haven't addressed the root cause of the leak. You have to understand how rubber coolant hoses are made.

  1. It's totally possible there is rust and corrosion beneath the crimped aluminum ferrule. That rust and corrosion may be the cause of your leak.

  2. Its also possible that the rubber hose has an internal leak further away from the crimp. Rubber hoses are made with an inner liner, then a braided heavy duty thread support and finally a rubber outer shield. It's certainly possible for the inner liner to be leaking, and the coolant is running down the braided inner to the ends of the hose, and leaking out there. Note, these internal leaks often occur because somebody is using an aircraft type worm clamp, and they place them too tight. If that clamp is over an edge of the fitting (where there is a slight retention ridge to retain the clamp), the inner hose gets crushed, and a rip in the hose occurs. I do know that worm clamp current displayed on the other end of the hose in not original equipment factory release. That hose came originally with a spring type clamp.

Spring type hose clamp

And best to use the original style spring clamps...

It may well be time to just replace the entire hose.

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  • Thank you zipzit. I will definitely replace the rubber hose. Luckily it is only about 2 inches long to the radiator. Also there is definitely rust in that aluminum ferrule, PO likely used tap water for many years and rarely changed the coolant. The radiator petcock did not drain anything when I tried to change the coolant. So I pulled the lower radiator hose.
    – Max
    Nov 22, 2021 at 18:33

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