Rad hose Leaking

[Wrightpayne]

All,

 

After my spring maintenance binge (fuel filter, cam belt, cam belt tensioner, water pump, alternator belt, oil/filter, engine mounts, recon radiator and coolant) and passing its MOT I still have a problem - the bottom radiator hose will not seal correctly. Whilst driving, temperature is constant at just over 80 degrees and only leaves a small spot of coolant when I stop. Hoses are Caterham silicone ones on 1.6K series).

 

I originally thought the rad was leaking so had my old rad reconditioned. I re-drilled the mounting points as on the top setting the rad rubbed on the nose cone and on the bottom setting the lower hose pressed against the chassis.

 

I refitted the hoses with the recommended clips (with a stainless sleeve) and tightened them to the point where they felt like they were about to strip. Also used silicone grease between the hose and rad and WD40 on the clip so everything should have tightened up evenly.

 

The bottom hose had been pressed against the chassis for several years and I wandered if the hose had broken down internally and was passing water through the canvas layer in the middle. The canvas was discoloured on the lower part though this could have been caused by leakage via another route. I looked inside the hose when it was apart and couldn't see any cracks or cuts.

 

Next step was to drain the coolant again and fit the old standard black hose (process of elimination).

 

 

Any advice or recomendations?

 

 

Regards

 

 

Ian

 

[robmar]

are you using the mikalor style clamps

 

alledgedly the worlds greatest clamp :S

 

work a treat and you can buy from DT etc not cheap but do the job if you are struggling

[Shaun_E]

I could never get the silicone hose to seal on the submarine pipe even with 3 jubilee clips! I eventually swapped back to the rubber hose. I have now bought some Mikalor hose clamps which should provide a more even clamping force around the hose so I will refit the silicone hose next time I drain the cooling system.

I have also been told that a small smear of silicone sealant will help matters.

 

Don't go to Power Engineering as a) they don't hold them in stock and b) they aren't the cheapest. I got mine from http://www.actionsealtite.com/prod-clamps.asp, but there are loads of on-line places that stock them.

 

Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

 

Edited by - Shaun_E on 29 Apr 2008 09:11:13

[prs]

Smear vaseline over the joint and it will stop leaking

[CAB]

I have just had to replace a 10 month old rubber bottom hose that had delaminated and coolant was seeping out of the end face along the reinforcing fibres. The coolant was forming very small beads on the end face and eventually there was enough for the odd drip to end up on the garage floor. I spent ages tightening up the clips and even tried several at one point. I guess a similar failure could occur on a silicone hose if it is laminated.

 

CAB