# Heater Dorman **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** caravan, dodge\ **Created:** [January 25, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650 "2018-01-25T02:34:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Claudia\_Sosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/41988e/32.png) [@Claudia\_Sosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Claudia_Sosa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650/1 "2018-01-25T02:34:27Z")
2009 I have replaced the Dorman hose (heater) once already with a cheap $8 Y splitter and it broke again. I’ve heard that replacing it with an alunimun “Y” will last longer. My question is, do I need to flush out the antifreeze before I start? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 2:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650/2 "2018-01-25T02:36:58Z")
Flushing shouldn’t be necessary just to replace a broken Y. The reason the plastic one broke might be that the connector was over-tightened. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 2:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650/3 "2018-01-25T02:37:53Z")
No. You’re replacing a cooling system fitting. No need to flush the cooling system. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Claudia\_Sosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/41988e/32.png) [@Claudia\_Sosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Claudia_Sosa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650/4 "2018-01-25T03:04:09Z")
I did but the pinch clamps this time, just in case ---
**Author:** ![Claudia\_Sosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/41988e/32.png) [@Claudia\_Sosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Claudia_Sosa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650/5 "2018-01-25T03:05:01Z")
Thanks, I won’t make the same mistake ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 3:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650/6 "2018-01-25T03:06:15Z")
It’s been my experience that when a fitting breaks repeatedly the root cause is insufficient strain relief. If there’s force on one of the connecting hoses that can be relieved by a slightly longer hose, you may want to do that when you replace the “Y” fitting. No flush necessary. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/heater-dorman/111650/7 "2018-01-25T16:14:33Z")
When the original Y breaks the hoses must be cut off making them too short to connect to a new Y. It’s best to replace the composite hoses as a complete unit.