Replace coolant line tee connectors on engine near firewall

desertrunner04

Active Member
Dec 3, 2017
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I replaced the plastic tees and hoses on the 04 Sequoia tonight. There are other write-ups out there so I'll just share the tips that helped me.

Prior to starting I drained half a gallon of coolant from the radiator. I'm not sure it was helpful since I still had coolant come out when I removed the hoses on each side.

There is a plastic connector that goes between two of the hoses and keeps them in place. This can be removed by gently prying straight in on the sides with a small screwdriver to lift up the clasp (size you'd use for eyeglass screws). The clasp has a t shaped center and snaps into the base.

I was able to remove the hoses from the tees without much trouble. Some have found that the tees were almost welded to the hoses. I used a small curved pick to pry the hoses off the metal tubes where they attach. Then I twisted them loose and worked them off.

I left the hoses attached directly to the tees until I removed them from the vehicle. I assembled the new parts mimicking the configuration of the old parts.

On the passenger side front fender I stacked two spare tires, stood on them, and this gave me enough reach to use long straight needle nose pliers to slide the clamp up on the one hose that goes straight down at the back of the engine. That was the hardest clamp to reach. I dipped the new lines in coolant and slid them onto all the fittings then slid each clamp into place. Started the engine and bled the cooling system.

Similar repair on a landcruiser:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/diy-replacing-heater-hose-pipe-ts-important.610334/
 
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