Ugly Radiator Hoses!

[outlaw]

Hey guys,
just got the small block running in the chassis, body is not on yet, waiting for other things BUT....i had ordered the goodyear hi miler hoses from summit, and in the meantime i just picked up some hoses from auto zone, you know the ugly rippled ones. well eventually my goodyear hoses came in.....will not fit ...to short...
so i talked with summit and one of their techs said i had ordered the wrong set of hoses for a kit car so he informed me of the proper ones....guess what, they won;t work either ,,,so i've sent the nice blue hoses back to summit for credit...i really would like to run the blue GY hi miler hoses...has anyone used them and if so, what Part Number did you use. if the hi miler is out of the question...any suggestions on ANYTHING other than the "michelen man" hoses i have temporarily installed.. they are soooo ugly....

help

outlaw

[Mr.Fixit]

go to the local NAPA and look through the Gates catalog to find a hose that has the bends you need with the correct diameter(s), or borrow the hook and pull hoses off the wall that look like they might work, measure them and find one that may do the trick. I used to do that and end up buying a hose for some random car that would fit nearly perfect after cutting off that last foot, or similar. Anything except flex-hose, yuk.

[JRoss]

Try cool flex. Hose can be bent to match your implementation, looks good and stronger than your standard hose. Summit and all the big parts places will carry them.

John

[COBRAGAR]

i went to a local auto zone and they let me walk to hose rack and p/up what i needed . to make it easy draw,measure and have a good ideal of what you need theres alot of hoses to pick from.good luck. and hopefully no ugly ripples.

[Tony Radford]

I second the Coolflex suggestion. Look in my gallery at the pic that shows my engine compartment. You can get a look at how my hose system worked out.

[leejleej]

I found these guys, but havent seen an actual installation or any feedback from this site. However, the connectors look very good and I prefer these over the coolflex, which is actually a cosmetic cover.

http://www.pi-thon.com/

I'm also looking into AN fittings for tranny oil cooler. If you get any info, please forward.

Cheers,

Jong

[RallySnake]

Listen to Mr. Fixit,

I did it exactly like he did and they have been working for years. I don't like bright colored hoses, black looks best and doesn't draw your attention from the shiney bits on your engine.

Paul

[A Cobra guy]

I took a different approach. I had a local exhaust shop bend up some of the correct dia. exhaust pipe to make the long runs. Short straight pieces of hose hold everything toether. Painted the pipe the same as the block. Looks good, low cost and no strain on the alum. radiator. (Tip: Put a ridge of some sort at each end of the pipe so the clamps won't slide off when the preasure builds)

HarveyR.

[petek]

I've used Cool Flex and I've used Fixit's suggestion. I'd add to Fixit's suggestion that you can take some card board and make a pattern of what bends and such you need from one point to the other. Take the cardboard cut out with you to the autostore. When I did they knew exactly what I was doing and allowed me to wander behind the counter and check the various hosed.

Don't forget to check the openings (diameters)!

[TonyMadrid]

Take a few lengths of coat hanger wire and cut & bend them to the lengths and shapes that you need. Then go to your local auto store and use the cut & bent lengths of coathanger wire to compare against what they have on their racks.

You may have to settle on hoses that you may have to trim or cut to length.

[rdorman]

You want some Cool Flex? I am taking it off my motor and going to hard lines. Not because it doesn't work or anything. Just that the hard lines suits my tastes better.
Rick