Powerstroke CAC Hose Replacement

April 15, 2005
Written by: E. Long
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Introduction

This "how to" article was performed on a 2000 Ford Excursion with the 7.3L Powerstroke Diesel. My CAC hose had been leaking for a few months and while nothing severe, it was leaving drops on the garage floor and making a mess of my engine compartment. I was amazed at how much oil was in my engine compartment as I dove into this project!

Goal

The goal of this install for me was to replace a leaking CAC hose.

Required Tools:

(1) 5/16" screwdriver
(1) 7/16" wrench
(1) Degreaser

Products needed:

(1) Replace Ford CAC Hose Part Number# YC35-6C640-KA. Original part number (from the factory in '00) was YC35-6C640-MA.

Time Requirements

About 1 hour

Difficulty

1 out of 10 (1 being easiest, 10 being hardest)

Step 1: Reposition coolant reservoir

1.) Remove lug nut wrench

2.) Remove 2 bolts on left-hand side of coolant reservoir

3.) Remove 3rd bolt on top of coolant reservoir (the lug nut wrench was preventing access from it)

Step 2: Remove the (cold) turbo pipe

1.) Loosen left nut on upper turbo hose (7/16")

2.) Loosen foremost nut on CAC hose (7/16")

3.) Remove hose from around intercooler opening

4.) Remove 2 screws from electric plug hanging over pipe

5.) Move the plug/wiring out of the way of the pipe

6.) Pull the pipe up and twist it to remove it from the engine compartment

Step 3: Remove old CAC hose

1.) Clean off pipe with degreaser (such as Oil Eater Cleaner Degreaser)

2.) Completely remove the hose clamp

3.) Using a flat-edge screwdriver, pry up the edge of the old CAC hose

4.) Pull the hose off

Step 4: Install new CAC hose

1.) Install new CAC hose (small end goes over removed pipe!)

2.) Install hose clamp around CAC hose (line up the hose clamp with the guides on the hose)

Step 5: Reinstall turbo (cold) pipe with new CAC hose

1.) Reinstall pipe in engine compartment leading with the new hose first

2.) Fit the new hose (large end) around the intercooler opening

3.) Fit the pipe into the existing hose at the top of the turbo

4.) Check to make sure the hose clamps will sufficiently clamp at both ends

5.) Check to make sure hose clamp on smaller end of the hose doesn't have its bolt punching into anything (it should be perpendicular to the ground, if possible)

Step 6: Tighten all bolts and hose clamps

1.) Tighten clamp around new hose first

2.) Tighten top hose clamp at turbo

3.) Reinstall wiring harness screws

4.) Reinstall 3 bolts for coolant reservoir (small bolt goes on top, undereath the tire iron for the wheel lug nuts)

5.) Reinstall tire iron

Conclusion

Ford quoted me somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 to do this repair. The CAC hose was only about $10-15 and was extremely easy to do. If you notice an oil leak coming from the front of your Excursion or SuperDuty, take a look at the CAC hose and see if there's a build-up of sludge on it. Odds are that it's probably leaking and just needs a replacement. I replaced this hose at 150,000 miles on my Powerstroke.

Additional Questions or Comments?

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