Waterpump: wait or swap preventatively

[rdezs]

2 gallons of concentrate as mentioned above should be adequate. If you replace the radiator, plan on a third gallon of concentrate.

At your mileage the most pressing issue probably is those rear heater hoses. Followed by the plastic t connectors, and then the water pump. Long road trips with Summer coming? I would do the radiator as well as the inexpensive coolant temperature sender directly in front of your driver side exhaust manifold, and of course the thermostat.

I've done a lot of preventative maintenance on my wife's Escalade, as she plans to keep it forever. New front hubs, axle shafts, u-joints, rear axles and bearings, all new brakes, control arms, tie rods, AFM delete, the entire cooling system and using silicone hoses. She's at about 175,000 miles ... And the only thing I found that was really in dire need of replacement, were the rear heater hoses, and the oil cooler lines started seeping at the crimp.

We would without a doubt take it on any road trip at any time with total confidence.

Working on and restoring cars has been a hobby for me going on 40 years, and I have to admit the Escalade has been a bit boring..... Extremely reliable and no drama out of it. Planning on doing the fuel pump with an AC Delco unit probably this summer. While many go over 200,000 on the original fuel pump, I think that's really pushing it. According to GM, the advice for long service life on the fuel pump is to never let the tank get below one quarter. Keeps the fuel pump cooler. Also before 200,000 miles, I will do her power steering pump and hoses.....

 

[Geotrash]

At your mileage the most pressing issue probably is those rear heater hoses.

I share your maintenance philosophy. But this particular item is a new one for me. I mean, I know what and where they are, but I have seen very few cases of them failing with the same frequency, or as early as, the coolant tees at the firewall. My old '02 Suburban is still running around with 308K on the original rear hoses and connectors (I know this because I sold it to a friend back in 2018 and we keep in touch on it). Its original tees at the firewall failed for the PO right before I bought it. My '07 still has the original rear hoses and connectors as well, at 250K miles. I keep a close eye on them but haven't been worried about them, yet I'm willing to change my mind if I learn good new information.

 

[rdezs]

It's actually quite common on the higher mileage. Most postings on it deal with one of those hoses rupturing, and literally emptying all the coolant from the system.... Leaving you stuck wherever you are. Unfortunately, without a coolant level sensor on most of the newer ones, you don't have a clue until you notice you have overheated. And it's definitely not a simple hose repair on the side of the road....

 

[Geotrash]

It's actually quite common on the higher mileage. Most postings on it deal with one of those hoses rupturing, and literally emptying all the coolant from the system.... Leaving you stuck wherever you are. Unfortunately, without a coolant level sensor on most of the newer ones, you don't have a clue until you notice you have overheated. And it's definitely not a simple hose repair on the side of the road....

Thank you. Just to be clear, you're talking about the hoses that run from the coolant tees at the firewall, under the vehicle, to the rear heater core, yes? And also the associated elbows under the rear of the vehicle?

 

[rdezs]

It's a half inch aluminum pipe that carries a coolant back to just above the rear axle. From there to a 90° elbow the base of the heater core behind the right rear tire. Those hoses get all the road spray and everything. And they're crimped on to the half inch piping. I used a compression fitting and converted to an AN fitting to make future repair easy. GM wants to sell you the entire line set, the aluminum piping with the crimped on hose.... No thank you. There's room to access the end of the half inch piping if you drop the spare tire.

 

[Geotrash]

It's a half inch aluminum pipe that carries a coolant back to just above the rear axle. From there to a 90° elbow the base of the heater core behind the right rear tire. Those hoses get all the road spray and everything. And they're crimped on to the half inch piping. I used a compression fitting and converted to an AN fitting to make future repair easy. GM wants to sell you the entire line set, the aluminum piping with the crimped on hose.... No thank you. There's room to access the end of the half inch piping if you drop the spare tire.

Got it, thanks! Looks like Rockauto carries the Dorman replacement kit for $230 in case anyone wants to go that route. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=13960921&cc=0&pt=6900&jsn=328

I'll keep a close eye on the ones on my '07. It was an Arizona vehicle for the first 11 years of its life, then Colorado for 2 and now Virginia for 4 so there haven't been many thermal cycles on those rear connectors, and zero corrosion on the lines themselves.

 

[alvocado]

It's a half inch aluminum pipe that carries a coolant back to just above the rear axle. From there to a 90° elbow the base of the heater core behind the right rear tire. Those hoses get all the road spray and everything. And they're crimped on to the half inch piping. I used a compression fitting and converted to an AN fitting to make future repair easy. GM wants to sell you the entire line set, the aluminum piping with the crimped on hose.... No thank you. There's room to access the end of the half inch piping if you drop the spare tire.

Do you happen to have the Dorman part number for the 90 degree elbows you used at the rear?

 

[rdezs]

I've heard that orrosion is a problem with the aluminum tubing in the areas that use a lot of salt in the winter. That tubing, along with the air conditioning line set, are directly under the passenger side step with no protection. Just like the rear heater hoses behind the right rear tire, those lines under the step get all the road spray up from the front tire.

 

[rdezs]

Do you happen to have the Dorman part number for the 90 degree elbows you used at the rear?

Very difficult to find for some reason. GM does not stock it as a separate part. Only with the entire line set.

Dorman 800-419 Heater Hose Connector 3/4 x 5/8 https://a.co/d/eO3N1Cz

You could always skip the quick connect, if you can find a 5/8 heater hose with a 90° on the end that goes to 3/4 in.... That would slip right on the nipple in place of the quick connect with a clamp of course

 

[rdezs]

Here is the hose I was talking about. It's a 5/8 hose and when it makes the 90 degree it goes to 3/4 inch ID. A bit on the expensive side, should be able to find it cheaper somewhere else.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...WXBSZtvYHjqJWz1wpNammeIN6QCDd5KuXh-4#overview