silicone hose leaks, turbo clamp, & thermostat problems

[brorabongo]

These are the hoses I've got ready to fit........

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT





4.5mm wall thickness.

Hope I'm not hijacking your thread Kirsty. You can shout at me if I am.

[jaylee]

Yep, top notch write up Kirsty! But then that's what i like about this forum, i can understand whats going on & if you don't people take time out to explain...
Unlike other forums i may have lurked on that tend to sound like a Tim Westwood phone in, no one daring to speak plain speak...

Kirsty, i have a cover over this bit... (Which i can see how its easy to miss.)


Is it possible to just stick yer hand under the cover from the bottom & check the clamp situation..??

[rita]

These are the hoses I've got ready to fit........

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT





4.5mm wall thickness.

Hope I'm not hijacking your thread Kirsty. You can shout at me if I am.

The only thing that is missing is the RED

[missfixit70]

Yep, top notch write up Kirsty! But then that's what i like about this forum, i can understand whats going on & if you don't people take time out to explain...
Unlike other forums i may have lurked on that tend to sound like a Tim Westwood phone in, no one daring to speak plain speak...

Kirsty, i have a cover over this bit... (Which i can see how its easy to miss.)


Is it possible to just stick yer hand under the cover from the bottom & check the clamp situation..??

Yup I have a cover too, it's easy to see & probably not necessary to remove it, but I like to be thorough & check everythnig while I'm at it

If some peeps are having problems whilst others seem ok, it may be that there are different constructions of Silicone hoses on the go.

Mine & BDC's are the same hoses & clips, so I don't know why I've had to top up the coolant & chase weeps all winter up til now, but I know I'm not alone with this issue.

[waycar8]

From all the people who Ive talked to and seen all the hoses are the same and come from the same source, only thing I can think why BDC hasnt had a weep yet is that his bongo hardly get used as much as everyone elses due to the fact that he doesnt like driving it incase he gets a dead bug on the windscreen so most likely that his hoses hasnt had as much heating and cooling so alot less contacting and retracting

[munroman]

These are the hoses I've got ready to fit........

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT





4.5mm wall thickness.

Hope I'm not hijacking your thread Kirsty. You can shout at me if I am.

A few of things I have noticed from the pictures:

1) I have not measured the standard hoses, as touch wood mine are still working, but the Silicone hose looks thicker than standard, which would reduce the effectiveness of the hose clip, especially as it looks as if the fabric is like a mesh, (which is good in as much as it will make the hose more supple), but there is a lot of rubber to absorb and spread the clamping pressure.

2) The inside of the hose looks quite dirty, it is possible that there is lots of release agent used as part of the forming process, if this remains in place it will reduce the grip the hose has on the spigot, encouraging movement, and potentially leakage.

3) The inside and outside of the hose also has white dust on it, I would be concerned that this is a peroxide compound from the 'curing' process the Silicone goes through, it would be better not introducing it to the cooling system.

In case of both 2) and 3) I would suggest a good scrub with soapy water and a rinse before you fit the hoses.

Also, it is not recommended to cut off old hoses from spigots, as the knife can leave a nice leak path where it scratches the spigot.

(And fit some red tape over the clips, only kidding Donald!)

[Northern Bongolow]

the hoses pictured look approx the same as the ones i have come across in regard to the wall thickness etc,appart from the brand name they feel quite rigid when first fitted,but tend to become very spongy later with lots of sidewall compression,you end up tightening the clips constantly,is it acceptable to tighten until (FLAT) with a clip

[munroman]

the hoses pictured look approx the same as the ones i have come across in regard to the wall thickness etc,appart from the brand name they feel quite rigid when first fitted,but tend to become very spongy later with lots of sidewall compression,you end up tightening the clips constantly,is it acceptable to tighten until (FLAT) with a clip

Hi Ady, if you can get another hose clip on the spigot that might help, basically it sounds as if the rubber is flowing away from the pressure of the hose clip, if the hose has the mesh type fabric in it there will not be much stiffness in the hose, hence the softness.

When you mention sidewall compression, do you mean that the hose is 'squashy' when you squeeze it, or can you see it with 'non round' areas before it is touched? (i.e. is it distorting in use)

[brorabongo]

3) The inside and outside of the hose also has white dust on it, I would be concerned that this is a peroxide compound from the 'curing' process the Silicone goes through, it would be better not introducing it to the cooling system.

The white dust could be from the jiffy bag they came in, someone decide to burst open the jiffy bag, now there is fluff all over the place. I'll be cleaning them before fitting, thanks for the tip Derek, to be honest I would of just fitted them not thinking about the dust.

Tried one on the new rad, and it slipped on fairy easily......in fact easier than expected.

[Northern Bongolow]

the side wall goes squashy and spreads / collapses more, and sidewall thickness is reduced by approx half!! its new thickness,these silicone hoses are approx 18 months old and done average mileage,if this helps.

[Northern Bongolow]

Tried one on the new rad, and it slipped on fairy easily......in fact easier than expected. [/quote]

this imo seems to be another part of the problem,the internal diameter of some of these hoses are not the exact size needed for the job,but others are, cannot possibly seal correctly can they?? even with the correct clips.a fellow bongo person bought a set of these and nearly half were imo not the correct id.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Maybe this could be split into a second topic from Kirsty's original, as we've got onto hoses
O.K. Silicon hoses and differing internal diameters.
Most silicon hoses are made by hand-winding silicon strip material onto a mandrel, reinforced with a fibre mesh, and re-wound again with more layers of silicon strip, and then heat-cured to amalgamate the layers. The dimensions of the mandrel may vary, and they are sometimes slack in order to remove the hose by hand. They are usually Chinese-made these days, and I have the deepest respect for the skill and conscientiousness of the workers, who are paid very little...The end product is of good quality, but look for Chinese made if you are buying. If labelled "made in EU"...take heed...they are probably made in Eastern Europe for cheapness, and are likely to be of poor quality, as the skill-level and training is....er...unmentionable, and the workers are not conscientious on the whole!...Rubber OEM quality, on the other hand, is likely to be made of synthetic rubber, or EDPM, and possibly extruded or dipped, although limited runs will be made as per the silicon hoses, and spiral wrapped.
The resultant method of manufacture will obviously dictate the final mechanical properties, as will the compound used in either silicon or "rubber" hoses.
It's my belief that , whilst the silicon may appear to "flow" more on tightening, the mesh reinforcement should stop this, and it is the mandrel-hand-forming that may be to blame for weeping, as being hand-made, batches will vary. If you suspect there is a problem, then i might suggest a silicon sealing compound is applied before tightening...left to set, and the coolant added shortly after. Use something that sets fairly quickly. If the hose is very slack, maybe a wrap of silicon rescue tape over the stub, and lube that with a silicon sealant.
AND...decent clips
Has anyone any thoughts on T-bolt clips?
Cheers
Helen

[Doone]

Maybe this could be split into a second topic from Kirsty's original, as we've got onto hoses

One of Kirstys issues was the silcone hose leak, so splitting the topic would be tricky. Instead, I've amended the topic title to reflect the added info now here.

[daveblueozzie]

I have had the silicon hoses the same length of time as bigdaddy, in fact i think Ive got four more than him fitted. never had any problems with any leaks until a couple of months ago, when it started to lose a small quantity over a period of time, could not find the leak no matter how much i looked.
At the hill of oaks Windermere meet the Northern Bleeders kindly pressurised my coolant tank and we started to look for the the tell tale seeping, didn't take long to find about four hoses slightly weeping, we tightened the clips and all seem OK now, have checked since and no more leeks.
BIG THANKS TO THE NORTHERN BLEEDERS, (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE)
I think it must be stressed that you need to check the hose clips (jubilee) on a regular basis.
the hose clips will probably be changed over a period of time with pressure clips.

[al & chris]

Our silican hoses have been on for 15 months now full set. Now just started weeping last couple of months. Tighten on up then another startshad to tighten about 6 of them so far. Prior to this no coolant loss at all.