I want to change radiator and heater hoses

Uh, I find it very difficult to believe that you "do everything yourself except internal tranny/engine repairs" yet are afraid to 'dismantle your car"

I have yet to see a car manufactured in the last 10 years that did NOT require extensive disassembly to perform simple operations like changing sparkplugs, hoses, etc. And lacked simple things like bolt head access holes and such.

It appears that the automakers are intent on lengthing the time needed for simple servicing so as to reduce the number of people who do their own minor service work, and steer more of that work to the dealerships.

Get a factory service manual, read it.

Ted

You don't want to dismantle your car enough to change the hoses, but you don't want to pay a mechanic to do it, either. My advice to you is to sell *all* of your vehicles and take the bus.

I don't know who this poster is, but I posted the original question a couple posts down (only to be met by some smart a$$ who can do nothing but call names.) Please don't assume about mechanical ability. This is simply something I've not encountered before. I've done plugs, sensors, struts, brakes and so forth on this vehicle and they haven't been so involved. Head gaskets don't even phase me, but having to take the front part of the body apart JUST to get to hoses seemed absurd. Hence my question, simply looking for the friendly advice that this forum used to have, and seeing if there was something obvious I was overlooking. I've found so far that it is necessary to remove the lower radiator support just to get to the lower hose. I've not gotten a svc manual for this car yet since I haven't needed it until now (I have the one for my Windstar (based on the previous gen Taurus) and my old Ranger). It's certainly on my list and I guess I'll go that route.

It IS absurd. But it's the Shape of Things To Come, apparently.

I feel your annoyance, you should have seen the permutations I had to go through to replace a 3 inch long water bypass hose on my car when it started leaking - and the leak was on the bottom of the hose right up against the engine block. It took at least an hour to find the leak. I'm similarly annoyed by what the automakers are doing.

Ted

Is there some reason why you want to change them? Hoses (and serpentine belts) seem to outlast engines these days.