pfoyle Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 I've done some searching, but time is of importance and I haven't found the info I'm looking for... Has anyone replaced their upper radiator hose (part number 45161AJ00A or 45161AJ060, I think) on a 5th Gen 2.5GT? Mine just burst and I'm supposed to be driving to Vermont tomorrow. Considering having it towed to a dealership/mechanic, but if they can't get to it tomorrow, I'm wondering if it's an easy replacement? Obviously it's pretty accessible, but how tough are the clamps? Would I need to bleed to coolant system after, or just make sure the level is high enough in the reservoir? Any first hand tips or a link to a walkthrough or the appropriate manual pages would be greatly appreciated! I'm not an experienced mechanic, but I can turn a wrench if someone can spoon-feed me the information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeuEmMaiMai Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 use pliers on clamps to remove. Just squeeze the two tabs together and slide down onto the hose about 4in or so Subaru should have hose in stock. the hard part is going to be bleeding the system. you can re use the OEM clamps no problem, They are better than the screw ones as they apply even pressure all around and don't have a pinch point. in a nutshell to bleed after replacement you would 1. with car off fill radiator 2. squeeze upper hose slowly to get more air out 3. add coolant and repeat step 2 above until you cannot get any more air out 4. start engine 5. keep topping off radiator until no more air comes out. You should be able to bleed the system fairly well before the engine gets warm. 6. put rad cap back on 7. add coolant to overflow about 3/4 full 8. drive car a few miles 9. let cool off and then check coolant and add as needed to keep the coolant at the full level when warm. repeat step 8 and 9 each time you drive the car over the next few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 I looked at my 2.5i and it looks pretty easy. It should be an easy job with pliers, cutters (see below) and coolant. My tips The ends of the radiator hose often sticks where they connect and can be difficult to twist them to break them free. Use a razor blade or a cutter to slice the ends of the hose since the hose is damaged anyways. Use a flat screw and to peel it away. The radiator hose is reinforced so a set of house scissor is not going to work. I bleed my radiator in much simpler fashion than above. Fill the radiator with coolant, leave the cap off and start the engine. Initially you will be able add some fluid. Wait for the engine to warm and the thermostat to open. When the thermostat open, you will see the fluid drop, the coolant moving and the coolant itself will be noticeably hotter than before. Refill the radiator and fill the over to high line. Put the radiator cap back. It will probably take a good 10 minutes of idling for the thermostat to open. For your peace of mind, you can check it agains when cools, but it should be bled at that point. If you are not familiar with coolants systems - once system is sealed, do not open the radiator cap with the engine up to temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfoyle Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 This forum is the greatest!!! Thanks to the advice and instructions of Yeu and dgood, I grabbed the replacement hose from Autozone this morning and swapped it in for the burst hose. Installation was smooth, overfilled the radiator a bit, but I'm pretty much nose-blind to the smell of coolant at this point, so no major problems there. Let it idle for 10min, added a little coolant, drove around the block, added a little coolant, let it idle for 5 more min, no coolant needed. Drove 20 miles (1/2 way to work) checked reservoir, still overfilled. Drove rest of the way to work, coolant reservoir still overfilled. Now I'll let it cool down, possibly take a little coolant out, and monitor it closely for the near future. You guys are the best! Fingers crossed my drive to Vermont later today goes as uneventfully as my drive into work! Quick follow up question, if for some reason I did not completely bleed the air out of the system, is there anything to look for to indicate I might have a problem? I'm monitoring coolant temps with my AccessPort, but if there's a localized hot-spot I probably wouldn't see that, right? Any obvious indicators that I might be having a problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Replacing just the upper radiator hose and then refilling will not drain enough coolant to evacuate the block of coolant, so your chances of getting air bubble stuck is minimal to none. If you had done a complete coolant drain like you would when replacing the radiator or lower hose, then the chances are greater but still pretty mimimal with a good and patient bleeding technique. GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeuEmMaiMai Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 op take a garden hose and gently rinse your engine bay to remove old coolant. afterwards you should be able to determine if you have a leak within a drive cycle or 2. as long as you got most of the air out, you will be fine as long as you monitor and add as needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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