How does the heater hose quick connector release? Do you pry up on the blue plastic part or push down? The workshop manual just says to release it without saying how.

I need to remove the top one to get to the bottom one which appeared to leak. The photo is the top heater hose connector taken from the top.

 

Push the blue tabs in then while holding them in pull the connection off there is a tab on the other side so you have to push both in at the same time.

 

Thanks for the info. I was able to clean it enough to see the opposite tab on the top hose; just haven't yet figured out how to push both in the tight confines where my fingers don't fit. I can see why the quick connect for assembly, but it makes disassembly pretty difficult.

I can rotate the connector so the tabs are on the sides when viewed from the top, but so far can't depress the tabs with any of my tools. What I really need is long needle nose pliers with parallel jaws - sort of a needle nose slip jaw tool.

I tried fitting a U of copper wire over the tabs and compressing the wire with a 1-1/4" open end wrench that just slips over the connector body, but that appears to be not quite enough to disengage them. Still scratching my head on what to try next - maybe larger copper wire? What I absolutely don't want to do is break the connector. I might have to make a tool if this doesn't work.

 

Could you get a small C-clamp around it? I also have a pair of parallel-jaw pliers I got somewhere, long ago. Maybe something like that could do it.

 

That is, maybe something like this:
5 Inch Parallel Jaw Pliers

 

Thanks for the link. The pliers would have to open 1-1/4" to go around the connector. I ended up making a tool from junk I had lying around. The first version did get the top connector off but I had to modify it to the second version to get at the bottom connector's tabs because of the tight/almost-no clearance. The bottom connector was a real bear. It was stuck on the pipe pretty tight, and in the process of trying to depress the tabs while pulling on the hose, the 90 degree elbow broke off. I did finally manage to get the rest of the broken connector piece off by pushing it back onto the pipe and pulling it off again.

If anyone reads this later, the hoses come off the connectors much easier than the connectors come off the heater pipes once you slip the spring clamp back on the hose. I'd recommend removing the hoses from the connectors first if you can, especially the right angle lower one.

Since that right angle connector broke off, I am going to pretend that it was the cause of the leak for my piece of mind. All the hoses actually look and feel good, so I hope to replace both quick connectors if I can find them. The right angle one has a part number (PA66-GF30) but the straight one does not; both have "RAY 18" embossed on the bodies.

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-inc...ers-97609.html

or maybe

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-piec...ers-37909.html

 

Cool! I've not seen these before. I'll have to check them both out.

 

I've not tried them for these types of connectors. I do have the long hose removal pliers and they have helped on several jobs on my other vehicles.

 

Got good news from jaguarmerriamparts today when Tom checked the stock and said their upper radiator hose C2C32836 does have the T and the heater hose and it comes with the quick connector on the heater hose. Great. and all for $22.61. I asked about the straight quick connector on the upper heater hose and Tom said they were not available separately but should come with whatever hose assembly goes to that upper pipe. I found C2C24691 in the HVAC section and called back but they did not have that one close at hand but the fellow who answered that time said it should come with the quick connector also so I ordered them both and for $56.33 I hope to be back in business with new heater hoses and connectors all around.

My local guys at Ozark Import Specialists said the radiator hose was not available to them as their supplied didn't stock it, so a big thanks to merriam for stocking these at a reasonable price.