Happy owner of a 2001 Stratus with a 2.4 engine that’s run flawlessly.
It’s come time to replace the steel coolant hose that goes along the very populated passenger side of the inner fender. The steel assembly (P/N 04596701AB) is peeling deep with rust, and it requires the engine to be moved to R&R. It’s a challenge even to follow the lines through the maze.
It looks simple enough to substitute the steel assembly with conventional rubber or silicone heater hose, a lot easier and a driveway repair rather than costing several hundred dollars.
Has anyone done this… will it work… any reason not to?
If you think you can get by with substituting the steel line with a silcone hose then go for it. Just make sure nothing can cut/wear the hose, and make NASCAR connections. (two clamps instead of one).
@Tester even double clamping it is not sufficient. If you don’t flare the steel line, those hoses WILL eventually come off.
What happens is this:
With time, the hose slightly shrinks, right under the clamps.
The hose is now “loose” on the steel line, because the clamps are no longer exerting pressure.
It will blow off.
This happened to a van in our fleet. Someone did a poor repair on a trans cooler line. They installed a hose, but didn’t flare the metal line. They thought double clamping it would work. Well, eventually the hose blew off. So much ATF was rapidly lost that the van stopped moving.