The Ford Barn

Dino's A · 11-04-2021, 10:41 PM

So I noticed my top radiator hose that was about 8 years old
was super soft & flimsy when I squeezed it. It's the repo type
with the red line down the side. It's thinner than regular hoses I've worked with in the past. I bought another one to replace it.

I cut down the length to get it off easier and was rather surprised. From top
to bottom, 1/2 of it was normal. The other half was coated what looked like
a soft black tar, and appeared as it was the hose doing this. It
also had two cracks on the material as well.

The two bottom rubber hoses were fine, however I used the
normal type hoses, not the repo red stripes. My radiator is spotless and use
anti-freeze with a very, very small amount of soluble oil for a pump lube.

What happened? Bad rubber quality with the repo? What stumps me is the
lower hoses were clean and fine & normal.

nkaminar · 11-05-2021, 06:04 AM

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The rubber in the upper hose has deteriorated. Different greases and oils can attack rubber. Also age and heat can effect the rubber. It also depends on the rubber composition. So the lower hoses were better quality and also did not get as hot as the upper hose.

I use a very light coating of rubber grease when installing radiator hoses. It makes the hoses easier to install and remove later and makes them seal better because they conform to the hose clamp better. Too much grease and it gets in the coolant.

11-04-2021, 10:41 PM	#1
Dino's A Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Arcadia, Ca. Posts: 251	Top radiator hose problem So I noticed my top radiator hose that was about 8 years old was super soft & flimsy when I squeezed it. It's the repo type with the red line down the side. It's thinner than regular hoses I've worked with in the past. I bought another one to replace it. I cut down the length to get it off easier and was rather surprised. From top to bottom, 1/2 of it was normal. The other half was coated what looked like a soft black tar, and appeared as it was the hose doing this. It also had two cracks on the material as well. The two bottom rubber hoses were fine, however I used the normal type hoses, not the repo red stripes. My radiator is spotless and use anti-freeze with a very, very small amount of soluble oil for a pump lube. What happened? Bad rubber quality with the repo? What stumps me is the lower hoses were clean and fine & normal.

11-05-2021, 06:04 AM	#2
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,897	Re: Top radiator hose problem Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The rubber in the upper hose has deteriorated. Different greases and oils can attack rubber. Also age and heat can effect the rubber. It also depends on the rubber composition. So the lower hoses were better quality and also did not get as hot as the upper hose. I use a very light coating of rubber grease when installing radiator hoses. It makes the hoses easier to install and remove later and makes them seal better because they conform to the hose clamp better. Too much grease and it gets in the coolant. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.