Hoses

[PJ Grady Inc.]

The main thing with silicone hoses is to use the correct clamps which have no open serrations for the worm gear as in an indented solid band.
Other things to keep in mind with any re-hosing job are;
1) Align the clamps worm gear exactly as the factory did it to avoid;
a) Dragging the worm gears on road debris or speed bumps
b) Blocking proper access for retentioning later on especially in the water pump area.
2) Clean all corrosion from coolant pipes and inspect for excessive pitting which would require lenghtening the hose utilizied or replacement of the coolant pipe.
3) It is recommended to retention all hoses after a few warmup/cooldown cycles but this is especially important with conventional rubber hoses. One of the advantages of silicone is they are more resilient and don't require retensioning as often.
Rob

A couple things here caught my eye:

1) a couple posts referenced the hoses being installed "correctly". Is there a specific technique to installing silicone hoses? I replaced mine about two years ago and haven't had any issues with them other than the occasional 'packing' issue and having to go back in and re-tighten a clamp or two. Maybe even off the back of the water pump under the manifold. Ugh.

and

2) I did see a nick on the driver's side hose like something did hit it. David T talked about the belt hitting it. Did I not install that right? How do you prevent that? It's not deep but deep enough to notice and see if I need to redo something.

Thanks....

[David T]

The main thing with silicone hoses is to use the correct clamps which have no open serrations for the worm gear as in an indented solid band.
Other things to keep in mind with any re-hosing job are;
1) Align the clamps worm gear exactly as the factory did it to avoid;
a) Dragging the worm gears on road debris or speed bumps
b) Blocking proper access for retentioning later on especially in the water pump area.
2) Clean all corrosion from coolant pipes and inspect for excessive pitting which would require lenghtening the hose utilizied or replacement of the coolant pipe.
3) It is recommended to retention all hoses after a few warmup/cooldown cycles but this is especially important with conventional rubber hoses. One of the advantages of silicone is they are more resilient and don't require retensioning as often.
Rob

Silicone is certainly the way to go but when you use a silicone hose there are some special procedures. NEVER use any sealant or glue. If you have a hard time putting the hose on lubricate with coolant. Silicone doesn't stretch or shrink, the hoses MUST be the exact correct size. Bad news for the automatic transmission cooler unless the hose is made to fit. Silicone hoses want to creep so there must be a bead on the end of the pipe. The hose clamp can't be on the very end of the hose, it needs to be at least 1/4" from the edge. As Rob mentioned, you shouldn't use the ordinary screw type clamps with the holes in them. Silicone hoses last a long time so if you ever have a shop working on the car don't let them cut them off and replace them (unless they need to be replaced).

[WNY1983]

Silicone is certainly the way to go but when you use a silicone hose there are some special procedures. NEVER use any sealant or glue. If you have a hard time putting the hose on lubricate with coolant. Silicone doesn't stretch or shrink, the hoses MUST be the exact correct size. Bad news for the automatic transmission cooler unless the hose is made to fit. Silicone hoses want to creep so there must be a bead on the end of the pipe. The hose clamp can't be on the very end of the hose, it needs to be at least 1/4" from the edge. As Rob mentioned, you shouldn't use the ordinary screw type clamps with the holes in them. Silicone hoses last a long time so if you ever have a shop working on the car don't let them cut them off and replace them (unless they need to be replaced).

I have a complete set of hoses for the engine still in the box if you would like to purchase them. DPI did motor work over the winter. I have now use for them They are black.
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