This is a 2000 Silverado 1500 2WD, with the 4.8L engine, if that matters.
I recently purchased this truck, and it came with 209,000 miles. I decided to do some maintenance, including but not limited to replacing the radiator and all of the coolant hoses. The radiator was leaking transmission fluid from one of the fittings, and those fittings are built-in to the radiator itself.
Anyways, I have run into a problem with regard to the heater core. There are two plastic fittings which attach to the heater core on this model. One is black, and a hose goes from this fitting to a Y-hose. Another is white, and a hose goes from this fitting to the water pump. The hoses attach to these plastic fittings using spring clamps, and there would not be room to get a nutdriver in there to tighten a worm-gear hose clamp.
I replaced the Y-hose and reconnected to the black fitting without difficulty, however the white fitting has somehow become so deteriorated from the coolant that it broke off, with barely any force applied to it. What is left rotates freely on the heater core.
My question is what are these plastic fittings, how can I remove them, and where can I get new ones? Prior to attempting this work, the heater worked fine, and I do not want to mess that up. Any advice would be appreciated.
