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recommendations on rad hoses?

P

pstrbrc

CEG'er
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
57
Location
Elkhart, Kansas
Since the reason I'm changing the engine on the 'Tour is because it blew an upper rad hose and warped the head, I'm certainly NOT gonna leave the old lower one in. Especially after seeing what's involved in taking off the old octopus. Actually, I guess it's a pentapus, 'cause there's 5 hose ends, but that just doesn't sound right.
Anyway, Rock Auto gives me a choice of Dayco and Gates. Any nightmare stories about either of these? btw, the Gates hose says "does not include spring." I don't find a spring inside the old one, so what's up wit dat?
 
My guess is the "spring" clamp(s) it uses, you should replace them with worm drive clamps anyway. Either should be fine, you'll still have a fun time putting it in. :laugh:

I didnt remove anything except the heat shield and it was very frustrating. I recommend moving or taking out the PS pump to get to that opening (the hardest one to get to imo.)
 
both are good brands. the spring probably refers to a metal coil that are in many lower rad hoses to keep them from collapsing, since thats the suction hose.
 
Yeah, the spring is to stop bottom hose collapsing on suction. I've seen them with and without. Try without, if Gates made a hose that collapsed easily, you'd be hearing about the lawsuits from burned up motors. If I have a hose with the spring, I will try to put it in the new hose, but I don't lose sleep over it. The end of spring may possibly suck into your waterpump impeller, that may present a much more realistic danger. That may be why they don't use them. Possible liability issue.
 
On a slight aside, I have spent a little time on Contour and Focus zetecs trying to replace at least a couple of the easier hoses with generic bulk heater hose or close. Cheaper and much easier to find. On both cars, I had to cobble up something to make up for the two ends of hose requiring different diameters, that's what forces you to buy the specialty formed molded hose. Contour I replaced formed heater hoses with just the regular stuff, also the small diameter hoses that go to the thermo housing. Used auto trans cooler hose for those. Same places on Focus, also soldered up a replacement pipe out of copper to replace the plastic 3 way "Y" that runs at the top of radiator support. Plastic one broke, new one $25, metal one I made $5. Had to solder up an adapter that switched from 5/8" to 3/4" on that car too. Did some of the same on 2 Tempos, at first, factory type molded heater hoses were unobtanium unless you paid Ford an incredible amount. Auto stores didn't have them.
 
Gates is the OEM supplier for most automakers. You can't go wrong with their hoses and belts.

Also it is usually the upper hose that fails since it handles much higher temperatures. Changing coolant regularly also helps prevent failure. Check out the new heat-sensitive plastic bands from Gates instead of screw clamps. They work amazingly well and no retightening is ever needed.
 
Reuseable upon reinstall?? Haven't seen that. Gates works for me, I purchase their highest price belt, the only one I've seen that seems so far to last like the stock Ford part. Got hornswoggled into buying a Goodyear Gatorback notched belt, it went 2 months and fell apart, there were major cracks at every one of the notches. Then pieces started delaminating from the main body of belt starting at those notched cracks.Belt MADE to fail prematurely, VERY expensive too. Autozone cheap Kelsey Hayes won't even make 1 day it seems. I have stretched some of those to useless in less than 10 minutes, then they swore at Autozone that they never get any complaints. RIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!
 
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