2.5 Coolant hose from block to Waterpump ready to surrender.

[Con2er]

I have a 1998 SVT, that has seen better days. It has 225K on the clock. It's been parked for the better part of 3 years, but I was taking it out here and there. It developed a coolant leak and I finally got around to working on it. I've had plenty of issues so far, but this final issue might be the one that makes me throw in the towel.

I can't seem to find a coolant hose from the block to the pump that fits. Everywhere on the internet points to the Waterpump inlet hose, but none of them fit. I mean look at this.

If I force it to the pump the hose flattens and kinks. Not only that, but the hose just slides right over the connectors, no friction at all.



I ordered a hose for a 2000 Contour, because it looked alot closer and it is...sort of.

Well, almost. I tried forcing this thing, but it also just slides over the connections, so probably will leak, even if I got it to clamp down. In addition this distribution block in the bottom right is corroded as hell and has a small hole where the hose clamps down. Looks like you have to take the heads off to replace it?



Yes, this engine bay is filthy, but when it was running it still felt good to drive. I took the oil pan down for the first time ever and there was very little sludge in the bottom, no metal, but I did find some foil in my oil pickup. Looks like it came from an oil bottle seal.
My plan was to patch this thing together and use it as a sumplemental vehicle for now. Eventually I was going to do a more extensive restore including transmission rebuild and wireharness repair(replace every wire..), now I'm wondering if these things are lost causes.

 

[Hannotek]

Wow! I know that’s gotta be super frustrating. I also had some similar issues with my ‘99 SE V6 when it comes to the radiator hoses.

I purchased my contour at auction last year for cheap because it was a step away from the junk yard. I liked that it was a stick and it already had 4 wheel independent suspension. So, I decided to try turning it into a rally cross car for my SCCA region. It came with a metric load of issues and almost as much rust!

The first thing I did was gut and replace the entire cooling system because the car overheated a few times on the short drive home from the auction. With the hoses, especially the lower radiator hose, I did have some issues with reach. The one in your first pic above gave me some issues, but I ultimately made it work by ordering a few different hoses from rockauto. If those hadn’t worked, I was gonna get some bulk radiator hose and cut it to fit. Your SVT engine is slightly different from my SE engine, so I’m not sure if bulk rubber hose would help. With that said, on my previous rally cross build (2012 Fiat 500) I installed Mishimoto silicon radiator hoses, and I noticed that they also sold universal fit silicon hoses that you can cut to the length needed for your build. The reason I mention those is because the silicon hoses are much more pliable than the rubber ones, so they may be easier to install than the ones you’ve got. They also dissipate heat really well. I wish they made a fitted set for the contour, but most people don’t know about these cars!

As for throwing in the towel, I’d encourage you to keep at it, but I understand if you don’t. It’s all about what you want from the car. For mine, I wanted to give it a second life on the dirt tracks. That means cosmetics aren’t as important to me as performance. It’s a lot of fun to drive, and I’d like it to last as long as possible. When I think about it like that, and knowing that it’s not my daily driver, I have fun with each problem I encounter.

My contour has been on a lift for nearly two months already! I recently installed some MSD headers + y-pipe, a new under cat, and an oil pan gasket. I did the alternator simply because I had all that stuff off and it was easy to get to. I’m replacing the entire exhaust system piece by piece, and beefing up the suspension with new springs, struts, hubs, and brake calipers. It’s a lot to do, but it’s a lot of fun. This car isn’t worth much as far money goes. But it’s worth a lot to me because I absolutely love to drive it!

I hope you find your spark, either with your SVT or with something new that excites you!

 

[Con2er]

Never got it to work. I found a part number in an Amazon review of all things.


KOV
1.0 out of 5 stars It does not fit on 2000 Ford Contour V6, ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
It does not fit on 2000 Ford Contour V6, because it is too short and it has larger diameter. KM4940 has OEM number 6E5E-8B573-AA and it fits Taurus V6. The correct part for Contour is 6E5Z-8A577-A
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I was like wow finally. Turns out both of those part numbers are tied to the 3.0L hose now. I don't think there is a 2.5L version of that hose left on the planet.

A 2.5L block is a 2.5L block as far as thats concerned. If you know what hoses you bought to put this together I would be very grateful.

 

[svttour]

i may have thrown out a used hose recently. Ill check tonight and get back to you.

 

[Con2er]

i may have thrown out a used hose recently. Ill check tonight and get back to you.

That would be great. The hose I took off was not salvagable.