What's the solution for heater hose install on an SSI?

chrisp · 04-05-2004, 07:41 AM

The drivers side inlet to the SSI is close to where the heater hose passes through the engine sheet metal. What's the trick here?

I did a quick search and couldn't find anything conclusive.

Should I just use OEM style hose and make the severe bend or is there a change to the sheet metal or a fitting I need to add to the SSI?

It looks like the 90 degree fitting from the OEM exchanger may come close to fitting between the SSI and the engine sheet metal. Has anyone used this part before?

04-05-2004, 08:21 AM

Chrisp,
Just did the SSI install a few weeks ago. I cut half the length off of the stock flexable hose and although it still took some muscle it made the the connection nicely. If you haven't bolted the HE up yet, slide the hose on as you lift the HE up.

chrisp · 04-05-2004, 08:49 AM

It's on already but thanks for the tip. I'll try to make this work.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

i did mine last weekend, with the engine out of the car, and although it required some force and cursing, it went on the HE in about 5-10 minutes. is yours still in the car? in which case i can imagine a lot more cursing

chrisp · 04-05-2004, 09:13 AM

Engine is out and going in next weekend. Trying to get all of the heater hose related parts together so I don't need to install once the motor is in.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

done last weekend,

first i pushed the hose through the sheet metal
then pushed it over the fan air outlet
then the 90 degree bent, lot's of cursing
got the hose over the HE on the side closest to the engine,
bit if fidgeting and then it got on it nicely

chrisp · 04-05-2004, 09:59 AM

Yours looks different than mine. My piece of engine sheet metal had a hard metal tube passing through it. The tube extends down towards the SSI and a sharp bend is required to get from the end of the tube to the SSI inlet.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

got a picture of the setup on yours? maybe they did it different , your's is 10 years newer than mine

chrisp · 04-05-2004, 12:05 PM

Sorry but I don't. I was playing with it yesterday and there's a 90 degree bend fitting that I took off of my OEM exchangers that looks like it may fit. This is how close together the SSI inlet and the passage through the sheet metal are from each other. The OEM piece is about 4"-5" long with a 90 degree bend in the middle. To get it to fit I would probably needed to have assembled it in (it doesn't fit now that it's all assembled). I may be able to trim some of the length off and get it to work.