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Spring in lower radiator hose

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Spring in lower radiator hose

Posted: 11/21/11 8:58amMessage 1 of 6
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Cramerton, NC - USA
Joined: 8/22/2006
Posts: 1094
Vette(s): black 1982 coupe slate gray interior, 350 crossfire, 1985 fuel pump, Steeroids R&P conversion

On my list of winter projects is the raplacement of my lower radiator hose.  In calling around Im having some difficulty locating a hose which has the spring inside.   I was told this morning that even Delco hoses no longer have springs.  Have materials and manufacturing progressed  to the degree that the spring is no longer needed to prevent collapse?  Anyone know a source that carries the hoses with springs? 

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Re: Spring in lower radiator hose

Posted: 11/21/11 9:49amMessage 2 of 6
r
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Bladenboro, NC - USA
Joined: 1/22/2006
Posts: 1058
Vette(s): 1972 conv., sunfire yellow, blk interior, blk vinyl and convertible top. Off frame restoration with American Speed 383 stroker engine producing 500hp plus a 200hp NOS system. MSD ignition. Hooker super competition headers with chambered exhaust.
I found this on the net and found it to be interesting. I haven't seen a radiator hose with a coil in it for 20 years or more.


Original equipment molded radiator hoses often were equipped with a coil inside them. Some refer to this coil as a spring, but it isn't really a spring. Actually just a piece of thin metal rod that has been twisted, it was designed to facilitate the installation of coolant on the assembly line, and nothing more.

When the cooling system of a car is completely drained, or in the case of a brand new car under construction, never had coolant in it, there is a considerable amount of air in the passage ways. Normally, when filling up the cooling system, you start the car to circulate the coolant, displace trapped air, and then top it off. On the assembly line, this wasn't feasible, so air in the cooling system was evacuated by essentially pulling a vacuum on it. This also had the added advantage of speeding up the introduction of the coolant mixture to the cooling system as well. The coil in the lower radiator hose prevented the hose from collapsing under this higher than normal vacuum.

Once the car left the factory, the coil served no further purpose. This is why replacement hoses usually do not have a coil in them. Most cooling systems operate at 12-15 P.S.I., which is controlled by the radiator cap. This is enough pressure to allow a normally functioning cooling system to operate efficiently, yet not enough to cause collapsed hoses or leaks in seals if they're in good condition. If the lower radiator hose collapses, it is normally due to a fault somewhere else in the system, and is not necessarily indicative of a bad hose, although an old hose certainly might be susceptible to collapse due to age. Normally, if the hose is in good condition but collapsing and blocking the flow of coolant, the radiator cap is bad or there's a blockage somewhere else causing pressure to build up in the cooling system.

As vehicles with original hoses began to age, the coil would sometimes begin to corrode and deteriorate, circulating tiny pieces of metal throughout the cooling system. We'll leave it to your imagination what this did to water pumps and thermostats.


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Re: Spring in lower radiator hose

Posted: 11/21/11 10:00amMessage 3 of 6
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Flanders, NJ - USA
Joined: 1/27/2004
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Vette(s): 1982 Black, ZZ4, Hooker Side Pipes, 3.55 Rear, Rebuilt & upgraded 700R4, All new suspension, brakes, & new Charcoal interior.

Jim is right, we don't need no sticken spring in our hoses!

Dave

 

Lifetime Member #116
Dave's '82


   

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Re: Spring in lower radiator hose

Posted: 11/21/11 11:02amMessage 4 of 6
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
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Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Well...maybe...maybe not. If an engine runs a little hot, and pukes into the overflow tank, it will create a vacuum in the system when it cools a bit, thereby drawing coolant from the tank back into the raditater, When this happens, the upper hose will usually be sucked flat for 30 seconds or so, depending on how hot the thing got. Without the spring in the lower hose, it would also collapse. The lower hose can also collapse if there is air in the system, as was explained in Jim's post. Not everyone has a vacuum system to pull coolant back into a drained cooling system, so a collapsed lower hose isn't all that unusual when re-filling one the usual way. Funny thing is, I've got one....and it WILL collapse the hoses without a spring.
So....it's 6 one way, 1/2 dozen the other. I prefer to have a spring in mine, but thass just me.Approve

Joel Adams
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Re: Spring in lower radiator hose

Posted: 11/21/11 8:17pmMessage 5 of 6
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York, PA - USA
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Vette(s): 1969 daytona conv. all original 350 350 380 4 sp w/air..and hard top
I got my hoses from corvette America..it has the GM part number on it and also the spring inside. Rich

My first parade at Carlisle 2010
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Re: Spring in lower radiator hose

Posted: 11/22/11 10:54amMessage 6 of 6
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Cramerton, NC - USA
Joined: 8/22/2006
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Vette(s): black 1982 coupe slate gray interior, 350 crossfire, 1985 fuel pump, Steeroids R&P conversion
Thanks Guys, Ill try Corvette America
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