95 Explorer EB question - PLEASE read.

[mike walsh]

Hi,

Would someone with a 95' Eddie Bauer please look under the hood and look at the hoses coming out of the heater to a vale 12" off it, and the hoses that go from the valve to the engine?

Whaterver that valve is called is doing the same thing as the old one I replaced, des[pite new hose, clamps and a the new valve. It has a small amount of coolant leaking and forming around the lip. I'm wondering if I have the hoses wrong and it creating pressure somehow that causes this. I just looked at a 97 EB but it does not have the valve and I think I might have the hoses reversed from the way it is setup.

I need to know the following from a 95 EB owner [although a 95 of any version might be the same].

1- there are two hoses coming out of the firewall. Does the one closest to the outside go into the top or bottom fitting of the valve.

2- does the hose that comes from the bootom and is attached to the water pump up to the valve go into the top or bottom fitting of the valve.

Thanks in advance,
Mike Walsh

 

[Stephen S]

Mike, I've got a 95 XLT, but they should be the same. When looking at the hoses leaving the firewall, the hose closest to the passenger side of the truck goes into the top fitting on the valve. The hose closest to the center of the truck goes into the lower fitting.

Now on the other side of the valve, the hose leaving the top fitting on the valve goes into the water pump. The hose leaving the bottom fitting of the valve goes to the thermostat housing.

Now you may also have the heater control valve in backwards. The cylindrical part where the vacuum hose attaches should be toward the center of the truck, with the vaccum inlet on top. The little lever type thing will then be on the bottom of the cylindrical part. Then the piping description I gave you will match mine. If your heater control valve is piped up right, then it may still be a faulty valve. Hope this helps.

 

[mike walsh]

I just checked and I do have the forward ones backwards. I'll change them in the morning. Hopefully that will stop what might be a pressure problem that is causing the leak. If not, I'll just return the part to Ford as defective. Given that the dealer just tried to rip me off on my Windsar, I have no problem telling them that even if I ruined it. They told me I needed $1100 of transmission work. I knew the local Mr. Good Lube had stripped a transmission pan bolt and had a leak there. My problem started right after that. Ford tried to tell me the reason I was leaking fluid was because of the gasket going to the motor. Lee Myles charged me $75 to run a diagnoistic [found nothing] and repair the stripped bolt. No leak; no loss of fluid; no more lurching. I hope this recession nails them.

Thanks for the help,
Mike

 

[Stephen S]

Man, there are some theiving dealers out there. Sometimes it seems they're just trying to take advantage of people. It really pays to be informed and knowledgeable about your vehicle.

I hope swapping the hoses around stops it from leaking, but if it was damaged somehow because of the switched hoses, then just putting them right may not fix it. If not, then do like you said and get another one from the dealer.

Happy to have helped!