Cracked pipe

[Becky04LS]

Okay, so I know it's been a really long time since I asked one of my questions. I haven't had a problem with my LS till now. I was driving to work when all of a sudden my car started over heating and smoke was coming from underneath the hood. I had to have it towed back to my house! So today I looked and there seems to be a probably 1-1.5 inch crack on a pipe right above my radiator (don't have a clue what pipe it is.) I'm guessing it's the radiator hose? I have some pictures...





Anyway, so my question is how much would it cost to temporary fix this, the cheapest thing to do possible. Like literally put a piece of tape on or something. I am taking it to a mechanic down the street from my house cause my other mechanic is out of the way and it will over heat by then. I'm not really worried about fixing it 100% because I am trading it in.

HELPPP.

 

[RodLS]

Upper radiator hose. Replace it, it's a simple job.

 

[Becky04LS]

Upper radiator hose. Replace it, it's a simple job.

And roughly how much do you think that would cost?

 

[RodLS]

And roughly how much do you think that would cost?

I got mine from Tasca for $65.

 

[SoulSoak]

The radiator hoses aren't cheap due to the fact that they have a plastic internal section unlike most radiator hoses that consist completely of rubber. I know the upper hose is cheaper than the lower, but I believe the upper is still $65-$80 depending on where you shop.

And no you can't temporarily fix it with tape. Be sure to properly bleed your cooling system after installing the new hose. And by all means, avoid contaminating your accessory belt with coolant.

 

[Andrizzle]

I would say you could maybe get to the mechanic by using a duct tape type material.

I don't think OP is asking for a fix for a road trip, but rather to nurse it to the mechanic shop. In which case, I would feel comfortable refilling and trying my luck with tape. Just keep an eye on the temp guage and stop and let it cool if it gets too high.

 

[joegr]

And roughly how much do you think that would cost?

You'll be going back in a few days to have the lower hose replaced too. It would be cheaper to do both now. It would have been cheaper to do them back in April when the thermostat housing cracked. All the plastic in the cooling system (radiator usually excepted) fails at about the same time. I really hope that the outlet pipe and the crossover were replaced when the thermostat housing was. You need a degas bottle too (Motorcraft only) if that wasn't done either.

 

[scjmc]

+1

 

[1LoudLS]

i had this problem, and only went to fix one part, then other parts broke when taking it all apart. it really is best to replace all the plastic parts int he cooling system, they really do have about the same lifespan since they all receive the same conditions.

 

[Becky04LS]

The duc tape actually did work. I was able to get it to my mechanic without any problem. Even the temp gauge didn't even go up above the mid section.

Thanks everyone so much for input.

 

[voyeur]

FoMoCo still uses these plastic/rubber hose hybrids. I saw this on a 2014 (?) Shelby Mustang this past weekend.

 

[SoulSoak]

FoMoCo still uses these plastic/rubber hose hybrids. I saw this on a 2014 (?) Shelby Mustang this past weekend.

View attachment 828463919

Well of course. Why make a more efficient/durable system when your current fragile one keeps your garage full and pockets full from customers lol.

 

[LS4me]

Well of course. Why make a more efficient/durable system when your current fragile one keeps your garage full and pockets full from customers lol.

How else would you make it? A fortune in hose clamps, pot metal (wouldn't stand up to the corrosive effects of coolant) connections and multiple hoses? Seems to me the cheapest solution is the molded rubber/plastic units. The original owner of these cars will probably never have to replace these parts. I have never NOT had to replace a radiator hose at some point. They are, after all, a wear item.

 

[1LoudLS]

^ exactly!!!

i didnt have to replace any of my coolant hoses until well after 140k miles, I would say that is a damn good amount of time for a part to last...




at some point in the manufacturing process, your gonna have to use plastics to build the car faster, cheaper and make it lighter. yeah they could have used materials other than plastic for a lot of parts on this car, but then it would probably a $70k car instead of a $40k car.

 

[Telco]

yeah they could have used materials other than plastic for a lot of parts on this car,

Or, they could have used a plastic that can handle it longer than the plastic Lincoln used...

 

[msgtusmc]

i had this problem, and only went to fix one part, then other parts broke when taking it all apart. it really is best to replace all the plastic parts int he cooling system, they really do have about the same lifespan since they all receive the same conditions.

Joegr's response was better. But a good point.