Best to stick with oem hose.
Just finished coolant hose replacement DIY
- Thread starter sers
- Start date
One thing that I used for hose replacement was the X-Acto blade #28
These can get into tight quarters (near the firewall) and when new are nice and sharp.
Between this and the AmPro T70710 cotter pin tool (got this from some other thread - props to that user, sorry for no handle)
To help split the hoses.
These have to be used carefully - Don't scratch the pipes with the blades or the AmPro or you'll get leaks.
Using the X-Acto break the mesh web of the hose - don't go lower.
Then you can use the AmPro on the body / edge of the tube to finish the split.
Again - don't scratch the pipes.
I did most of the hoses at once, but picked up the small manifold hoses on another project when doing the VVIS butterfly inspection.
Best fortune for those those that give this DIY a try.
These can get into tight quarters (near the firewall) and when new are nice and sharp.
Between this and the AmPro T70710 cotter pin tool (got this from some other thread - props to that user, sorry for no handle)
To help split the hoses.
These have to be used carefully - Don't scratch the pipes with the blades or the AmPro or you'll get leaks.
Using the X-Acto break the mesh web of the hose - don't go lower.
Then you can use the AmPro on the body / edge of the tube to finish the split.
Again - don't scratch the pipes.
I did most of the hoses at once, but picked up the small manifold hoses on another project when doing the VVIS butterfly inspection.
Best fortune for those those that give this DIY a try.
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Just to reiterate for anyone new reading this for the first time.
Do NOT use petroleum based lubricants or grease on the rubber hoses.
OP [MENTION=22145]sers[/MENTION] has long sold his car, but hopefully whoever bought it or currently owns it does not experience any issues before getting the hoses re-done again. Which, considering the original age of this thread, OP's car should probably be due for a refresh/maintenance.
For everyone else, silicone grease really does make the coolant hose job a lot easier.
So if you go to the store and see that it's ~$4 for a super small amount of silicone grease and think "wow, that's expensive, I'll be able to get by without it", stop and just go ahead and buy the silicone grease, you will thank yourself later.
People complain about the difficulty of the oil cooler hoses, and with silicone grease I, personally, thought they were not a big deal.
Not to get distracted; but, the OP recommended KY jelly which is a water based lubricant which has to be 'rubber friendly' for other reasons. Its should be safe for the coolant hoses; but, silicon grease is probably a better choice because it is not runny like the KY product and does not evaporate like the KY product or the other stand-in, dish detergent.
A lot of the time you will get a blank look if you ask for silicon grease. Silicon grease labeled as 'silicon grease' at the consumer level tends to come in those little tubs for lubricating things like the zippers on wet and dry suits and tends to get nice labels like safe for the aquatic environment with an appropriate price. However, silicon grease is readily available from most suppliers in those tubes labeled dielectric tune-up grease. Pretty much the same stuff at a slightly more reasonable price. A single tube of dielectric grease should last a life time of coolant hose replacements and spark plug boot lubricating and gasket lubricating.
A lot of the time you will get a blank look if you ask for silicon grease. Silicon grease labeled as 'silicon grease' at the consumer level tends to come in those little tubs for lubricating things like the zippers on wet and dry suits and tends to get nice labels like safe for the aquatic environment with an appropriate price. However, silicon grease is readily available from most suppliers in those tubes labeled dielectric tune-up grease. Pretty much the same stuff at a slightly more reasonable price. A single tube of dielectric grease should last a life time of coolant hose replacements and spark plug boot lubricating and gasket lubricating.
For the sake of accuracy, please say silicone grease, not silicon grease.
Silicone spray is easiest to find and apply.
Dish soap or soapy water will work too, but I am unsure of the long term effects of soap...probably nil, but I am not a chemist.
Removing hoses is best with a hook; try for different lengths and angles. I found it really hard to control the depth of a razor blade and if you do gouge a hard pipe make sure you sand it down smooth.
As for the "unbranded" silicone hoses from AliExpress: these appear to be "third shift" products sold by the factory before they acquire a brand and become authorized. An unauthorized product is not to be confused with a counterfeit.
OEM is best, but be prepared for long term backorders and the eventual NLA.
Dish soap or soapy water will work too, but I am unsure of the long term effects of soap...probably nil, but I am not a chemist.
Removing hoses is best with a hook; try for different lengths and angles. I found it really hard to control the depth of a razor blade and if you do gouge a hard pipe make sure you sand it down smooth.
As for the "unbranded" silicone hoses from AliExpress: these appear to be "third shift" products sold by the factory before they acquire a brand and become authorized. An unauthorized product is not to be confused with a counterfeit.
OEM is best, but be prepared for long term backorders and the eventual NLA.
That is an interesting distinction. I had to look it up discovering silicone being reserved for polymers of silicon usually (always?) based upon the siloxane group " A long chain of siloxane groups is called a silicone". Perhaps an American development because the noun silicone doesn't even show up in the admittedly older version of the OED that I have. Interestingly, the old tube of dielectric grease that I have has no reference to silicon(e) only listing the ingredients as siloxanes.
Perhaps it should be called siloxane grease?
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Thank you, Old Guy. I stand corrected. For some reason I always associated K-Y Jelly with Vaseline (which is a petroleum jelly), but after a quick Google search (which luckily did not get flagged as NSFW) I am now a little more educated, lol.
Apologies to the OP.
On the topic of searching for silicone grease, after some effort, I was able to locate some in the plumbing section at a home improvement store.
If you start spotting new and unusual banner adds on your web browser you will know that Google has taken note of your new interest in K-Y products:smile:.
