Thread: Radiator Hose

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Hey guys, anyone ever use any type of sealant on radiator hoses, along with the hose clamp? Been having a problem with the lower hose to water pump connection. This BBC is so tight, that I have to take the radiator out to get to the clamp. Don't want to do that again!

I've used a stainless steel zip tie before on a SBC Fiero. the zip type used on header wrap. easier to yank on the tail of the zip than to reach a screw head.

I'm guessing you have a pinhole in either the hose or the neck on the pump.

Gates makes a hose "clamp" that's a heavy duty shrink tube type clamp. You heat it up with a heat gun to shrink it for the initial fit, then it gets tighter as the cooling system cycles cold to hot. They work real well in areas like yours. They come in all sizes, and I believe that Jegs carries them. You can order them from any Gates hose jobber, but that can take forever. D

Thanks, I did find out the problem, but that Gates clamp does sound like a good fix for a tough area to access.

Originally Posted by drofdar

Thanks, I did find out the problem, but that Gates clamp does sound like a good fix for a tough area to access.

So what was the problem? Care to share?? Enquiring minds need to know!

Yeah...Share the problem/ fix.....

I'm thinking crack or hole in the housing or hose. Let us in on the fix.

Sorry, been gone. Actually, it turned out to be two problems. A plug in the pump had a very slight leak that dripped down onto the upper mouth of the hose, very hard to see. It then leaked from around the hose, so some RTV and reinsertion of the plug fixed that. Its a Stewart Williams high volume pump, and the machining of the plug threads in aluminum causes problems. Also, the lower hose/radiator outlet was leaking. A screwdriver should fix that, but this BBC is so tight in the car that the radiator has to be dismounted and pulled forward so that I can get at it below the fan shroud. PITA for sure.
I'm trying to get the car ready to race, but SAC Raceway got lots of rain last night, so not going today. With this new motor, I need to do some test and tune so the suspension launches straight. I think the first race this year will be mostly a test outing. Famoso does not run enough Test n Tunes, and when they do, it is clogged up with people just out for fun.

Originally Posted by drofdar

Famoso does not run enough Test n Tunes, and when they do, it is clogged up with people just out for fun.

BS! Famosa is the best track in the central valley, hands down.

It's only about an hour from you in Fresno. Sacramento is never prepped as well as Bakersfield, and don't even think about having the need for medical assistance at Sacramento. We had a car roll over in our racing association at SAC and guess what.........Their ambulance had a "dead battery" and would not start! Then the Sacramento track safety crew went to cut the roll cage off the car to get the driver out and all of their Saw-z-all batteries were also dead!

Famosa has "A Real" fire/safety crew and is a great "national caliber" track. They have many different associations that run, we just raced two weeks ago with the West Coast Hot Rod Association and they do not even charge annual dues for "first timers" (you do have to pay dues if you come back for a second race). Lots of guys race at Bakersfield that come from your Fresno/Clovis area.

Yes, thanks for clearing that up. I could not agree more. I hope to race at all the A.N.R.A. events there in 2010. Without a doubt, the best track. However, I have gone down there for TnT and been only able to run 3 times all night because of vehicles using test and tune as a fun night. SAC raceway has a Wednesday night fun drag for street legal cars that only costs $15 for entry. I would like to see Famoso do the same. It would let guys that need track time for serious tuning have more room.