What quality coolant hose to use?

[belfert]

Does it make sense to buy the best quality coolant hose for a hose for my passenger heating system from my engine?  NAPA has three different quality rubber hoses in 1.5", but none of them are cheap.  The price ranges from $40 to $50 for a three foot stick.  I can order a plain Dayco rubber hose online and get it for $26 including shipping.

MCI recommends silicone instead of rubber hose these days, but Craig Shephard says I will just have leaks with silicone due to the cold in Minnesota.  I can get silicone hose for less expensive than even plain rubber hose.

I have been having a heck of a time finding 1.5" stick hose in the Minneapolis metro area.  All of the truck dealers and truck parts places don't have any in stock.  NAPA can have it today or tomorrow, but they must gold plate the stuff.

[TomC]

Freightliner uses standard rubber hoses.  As an option-they use Gates Blue Stripe hose-which I highly recommend.  They last much longer than rubber (about 10 years), but don't have the cold weather leaking problems that silicone can.  The Gates Blue Stripe hose is the hose I use.  Good Luck, TomC

[belfert]

Where can I get the Gates Blue Stripe hoses besides NAPA?  I am not having luck finding even plain rubber hose in a large metro area.

I'm considering going with Silicone just because my radiator hoses are silicone and they don't seem to leak.  I have also used the thermoplastic Powergrip clamps from Gates where possible and that helps.  (I do have some extra hose clamps and hose in case of issues on the road.)

[JohnEd]

Brian,

I have heard that the silicone will leak every time it is used with a connection to pipe with any rust on it at all.  The suggestion is to use it with "new" materials ONLY.  I run a strip of abrasive cloth around my pipe before attaching my hose.  I have connected up to cast iron that was severely and deeply pitted.  In those cases it was not practical to sand them down smooth with emery cloth...  I dealt with it bu applying JB Weld to the pipe and then slipping the hose up onto the the pipe.  In some cases I let the hose sit there untightened till the JB Weld cured but in others I have just tightened the clamp.  I have disassembled some of those jobs years later and the JB was just a smooth coating on the pipe and all came apart easily and reattached without any leaks.  I think this would be a effective "fix" for the silicone leaking problem and might let you use the absolute best and cheaper product.

John

[junkman42]

Belfert, I am not sure where You are located.  Try McMaster Carr in google or whatever as an industrial supplier they will have what you want, or try the yellow pages.  Motion industries is another good source or even eBay.  The hose You mention is not that expensive.  Also West Marine is another source of quality hose and probably the most expensive.  Any industrial rubber supplier will have what You want.  Good luck.  Regards ,John

[stevet903]

Ryder Fleet Products has Purosil silocone hose for less than $23 for 3 feet . 

http://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/cgi-bin/ryderfp/products/product_detail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1178025598.1242268806@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfadehdllejdecfkmcgfmdfoldflm.0&oid=50035

Steve