Remember my '87 Brat came with the motor in the bed of the truck. I'm at the point where I'm hooking up coolant lines, and I've been looking at this since before I put the motor back in.

 

 

I can see where this might keep from straining the heater core while removing lines. I also think it might be just lazy. Also since they've been cut and spliced at least once, I guess this isn't the first time the motor has been out.

or the heater core has a leak so they abandoned it in place..

 

If you have a way to do a low pressure 10 psi air pressure check of the core, now might be the time.

EA81 heater core lines are two-peice with a coupler in the middle. Those don't look like stock couplers though. They probably rusted out. You should go to the dealer and get all four hoses and new couplers.

 

GD

It's also not uncommon for the heater core coolant control valve to leak by the driver's-side right-foot kick panel...hence the hoses could have been disconnected and capped for that reason as well.

Thanks folks. Hadn't thought about leaks. I think what I will do is replace everything which isn't pretty new and flexible. I still like the Okiefied PVC coupler out of someones double wide. I may keep it, then do the first few heat cycles with no antifreeze, and watch under my dash really closely.

 

GD, having owned GM products all my life, it's hard to imagine factory engineers spending any extra money (two couplers and four hose clamps) if it weren't absolutely necessary for the construction process. Any idea why they did it this way?

 

Bill