Dreaded Cracked "Y" Pipe!

[ProLean]

Sooooo....towing my 33' 5th wheel toyhauler (about 10K lbs) from smoking-hot Mesa AZ to Snowflake AZ this last weekend....I seemed to have cracked my PLASTIC radiator upper hose. The truck ran like a champ. This was my first towing experience with the new-to-me 2014 and I was very impressed. It was 110 outside and I know I should not have left with it being this hot but we were trying to make a funeral viewing. Anyway, about halfway up the hill to Mt Ord, i smelled just a slight tinge of sweet coolant and thought it might be the expansion tank burping a little as coolant passed back and forth. The truck ran fine and the gauge never even got close to hot although my coolant temps got up to about 219 and the transmission got to about 210 before BIG fan kicked on and drove the temps back down. I don't think that's too hot for a pull on a very hot day. Oil was at 225 to 230 and I'm not sure if that is too hot but I know its got to go through the turbo so it will be hotter than the coolant.
ANYWAY...go to my destination and dropped off the trailer. Airing my tires down a couple PSI, I smelled the coolant smell again so thought I ought to check it. Opened the hood and I had coolant all over the driver side of the engine bay! I looked and found that the PLASTIC y-pipe on the upper radiator hose had cracked and was dripping coolant. The overall level was still in range and I know the truck didn't get too hot so I feel lucky.
Has this happened to any of you guys? It seems like a somewhat common problem on a 13-14 MY truck. I have MaxCare on the truck but he says hoses aren't covered under extended warranty but since I only have 35,900 mi., it's covered. Is that right?? Especially if this is a known defect/issue with the part?
I have since ordered an aluminum replacement part that I will swap out as soon a I get my truck back. I can't play around with a weak spot in my cooling system in a truck that I to with! Anyone else bought an aftermarket replacement?
Oh and one more question for you guys...why the two radiators in the 13-14 MY trucks?
Prolean

 

[EDankievitch]

Great something else to keep me awake at night.....

 

[TCDiesel]

That Splitter Was problematic in the Durango also... But it only fails in extreme Heat that I now off 100+

 

[mrkstrk]

ProLean, where did you find the aluminum wye? Is it wye and hoses in a complete assembly?

 

[BigPapa]

We are constantly changing out the plastic coolant fittings on our buses with brass due to this issue.

You could build something like this or solder you one up out of copper.

 

[Cummins12V98]

If under 3 years since purchase it would be covered. I would think that would also be part of the PowerTrain. As I have mentioned the MaxCare is NOT the same as the regular 3/36 warranty.

 

[ProLean]

I bought this:

It was $109 at PureDieselPower.com. I still need to get the hoses and the clamps to connect it up but I think this will ease my mind in the long run. Especially here in AZ where most pull are going to be hot. Stupid design from the factory....a cast piece would have solved this a long time ago. Apparently the stock part is on its 3rd version.

 

[sag2]

The OEM hose and wye is only $41 retail. I think I might just throw one in the truck if you were worried. The average weekly demand is 43 so the failure rate seems pretty high for two model years of trucks.
For some reason they felt the need to have the duel radiators to keep things cool. They changed back to single in 2015.

 

[seafish]

I bought this: It was $109 at PureDieselPower.com. I still need to get the hoses and the clamps to connect it up but I think this will ease my mind in the long run. Especially here in AZ where most pull are going to be hot. Stupid design from the factory....a cast piece would have solved this a long time ago. Apparently the stock part is on its 3rd version.

Good call for reliability!!!

 

[BigPapa]

That looks sexy, ProLean.

This has been a problem on the 6.0 Fords for a while. Their hose is almost identical.

 

[jelag]

I was towing my new to me 2013 3500 Laramie Longhorn(54,000 mi) 3 weeks ago and lost power steering... pulled over and the coolant started to pour out.... so we had both the truck and trailer towed... Water Pump shaft sheered off behind the front bearing.... pulley, front of shaft, and bearing was gone... belt shredded...

I was a little upset... Had I done this work at home... about $140 with a belt and replacement coolant... from the dealer it was a ten spot under $600.00 ..... No one could explain how the simple task of removing the air filter housing and changing the water pump was a 2.5 hour operation...

 

[ProLean]

Jelag, sorry to hear that. Failure sucks and its usually at the most inconvenient of times.
I'm driving back up to pick up my truck from the dealer where they installed that new $41 upper hose and when I get home it will be taken off in favor of the new and improved aluminum part. Cummins makes these as medium duty engines so why does RAM use light duty parts??? I guess I'll have a crappy spare that I'll never use.
BigPapa...it does look sexy doesn't it! Haha.

 

[BigPapa]

Ah, I thought it was just the aluminum fitting. Cut the original hose and put it in. Didn't realize it was a complete hose assembly.

 

[gsbrockman]

I was towing my new to me 2013 3500 Laramie Longhorn(54,000 mi) 3 weeks ago and lost power steering... pulled over and the coolant started to pour out.... so we had both the truck and trailer towed... Water Pump shaft sheered off behind the front bearing.... pulley, front of shaft, and bearing was gone... belt shredded...

I was a little upset... Had I done this work at home... about $140 with a belt and replacement coolant... from the dealer it was a ten spot under $600.00 ..... No one could explain how the simple task of removing the air filter housing and changing the water pump was a 2.5 hour operation...

Should have been $0.00 as the water pump is covered under the 5 year / 100k Cummins engine warranty.

 

[gsbrockman]

The OEM hose and wye is only $41 retail. I think I might just throw one in the truck if you were worried. The average weekly demand is 43 so the failure rate seems pretty high for two model years of trucks.
For some reason they felt the need to have the duel radiators to keep things cool. They changed back to single in 2015.

You might want to double check that retail price.........looks like it lists for $97.10

My part number was 52014722AD. I had to replace mine on a hauling trip in Johnson City, TN on March 14th at 222k miles. Luckily.....mine was just seeping, and no tow charge was involved. The local dealer had two of them on the shelf, along with the correct OAT coolant.

 

[Flash1034]

Do the later model trucks still have the Y pipe?

 

[TCDiesel]

No.. Just 2013 3500 ,2013-14 2500-3500.

 

[gsbrockman]

Do the later model trucks still have the Y pipe?

See post #8

 

[ProLean]

It's the fitting and 2 t-clamps. I don't believe the fitting is long enough to just cut and reuse the hoses but I'll check it out when it comes. I'll keep you posted. I'd feel better with new stuff.

 

[sag2]

You might want to double check that retail price.........looks like it lists for $97.10

My part number was 52014722AD. I had to replace mine on a hauling trip in Johnson City, TN on March 14th at 222k miles. Luckily.....mine was just seeping, and no tow charge was involved. The local dealer had two of them on the shelf, along with the correct OAT coolant.

I got the price straight from Starparts. It had superceeded a couple times so price could have changed as well over time. PN was 68166470AF.
Your hose you listed was the radiator inlet and shows a straight hose with no wye.