Cool Flex Hose

G_Edmonds · #1 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 10:46 AM

I installed Cool Flex hoses on my build. Love the look and versatility but on the third drive I blew a hose out of the connector. Is this a common problem? Never having used these before I suppose I could have done something wrong
but it seems simple enough. Sure was messy and embarassing with my new girlfriend in tow. Gonna be a pain in the a** to get all the air out again too. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanx.
-Greg

LuvDaBlues · #2 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 11:39 AM

Welcome to the crowd. I blew mine out in front of 70 other Cobra owners at last years Texas Spring Bash. Didn't use enough adhesive (Super Glue) on the end connector. Re-glued and tightened the hose clamps even more. So far so good over a year later.

Ron61 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 11:41 AM

Same here except I had a chrome fitting that one end went on and I could never get it to stick, partly because of the fact I had a sharp bend and the company told me that it is only good for mild and long bends. So I had to go to regular braided hose and that worked fine.

Ron

Xavier · #4 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 11:41 AM

I have been down that same exact road...at rush hour traffic, on one of the busiest hi-ways in the United States...for the same reason.

I fixed it off the shoulder with a screwdriver and some fluid I keep in the car for just such an incident...

I have Coolflex as well..it took me a while to get it to where I am driving in confidence. I seem to be there now.

Tough to explain in a reply - but if the rubber extension is 4" long, you want to make certain the waterneck or radiator outlet goes into it 2", and the Coolflex hose goes in another 2" - not 3/1 or 1/3 - exactly half (whatever length it actually is). Make sure you tighten down the hose ends every tight - and pull on the SOB when you get done with it - really hard - if it comes apart, redo it, it will never survive a drive. Make certain that the hose ends are inside the portion to be tightening down, not on the edge. Again, it will not survive. It won't be hard to do.

One last thing - you did not mention where it is coming off. Is the Coolflex coming out of the rubber or is the rubber comine of the radiator or water neck? If the rubber portion is coming off the neck, make sure your necks have a nice embossed edge so that the hose has something to grip into. Also, you can take some real course sandpaper around it so the rubber has something to bite - just enough to coursen it in the OPPOSITE direction of the hose - NOT enough to grind anything down.

Lastly - make sure the Coolflex is long enough and it is going into the rubber straight on, nothing angled. I cut mine too short and was going in at a slight angle - thus had to get a new hose....You can see how hi my hose has to go up, to bend straight into the outlet of the radiator. Any shorter and it is going in on an angle, which will never survive.

G_Edmonds · #5 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 03:24 PM

LuvDaBlues
Ron61
Xavier

Thanks for the input. I'll try to get a little more manly with the tightening. Can you overdo it? Xavier, the hose came out of the rubber and fitting at the water pump.
-Greg

Xavier · #6 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 09:17 PM

Let me know if you need a nother picture, just remember what I said - both pieces must equally share the rubber and then tightern it down on TOP really tight. Pull the hell out of it - if it comes off - you did something wrong. Can you over do it? When you strip the hose clamp - you over did it. Go get another one for 99 cents. AND USE A NUT DRIVER not a screw driver, for the optimal tightness.

Balance_Point · #7 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 08:48 PM

I hope this isn't too far off track but has anyone tried the pi-thon clamps? They are pretty versitle and may offer a viable alternative.

Xavier · #8 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009, 08:52 PM

I have them but never needed to use them on the application. Its not a clamping problem, its an insertion and where you clamp problem.

You can have the best clamp in the world, and if you do not have the clamp on the hose end correctly, of the Coolflex inserted in the rubber correctly - you are not going to tighten anything.