Silicone Hoses.

[johnnybee]

Hi All,
Anyone know if the silicone hose man is still trading?
I have tried to contact them with no response.
Thanks.
John.

[thedogsbollox]

I tried contacting himm a while back about a bleed hose with no reply either.
I do believe he is a contributer to this site though.
It looks like he is only listing 2 individual hoses and not the set of 4 main ones he used to do. Maybe he is giving it up.
There is another seller on there with the 4 mmain hoses
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAZDA-BONGO-SILIC ... 563af0cbc2

[mikeonb4c]

The more I think about it the more I wonder if silicone hoses are a crucial thing. The rubber ones seem to last 10++ yrs or so and are less troublesome to fit without risk of a leak (after reading stories on here) and don't requ8ire expensive jubilee clips. I sometimes think a low coolant alarm and buying spares of the main risk hoses ahead of trouble might be a better option

[missfixit70]

I don't think Flippa has been on the forum for ages, last I heard from him he was clearing old stock, but i didn't get an answer on whether he was restocking. I did offer him the 3 remaining hoses (17 in total) that he didn't stock when I removed them from mine (I used a second bleed hose to make those 3 - 2 turbo hoses & one up to the header tank behind the heaterducting under the bonnet) & he wasn't interested in pursuing it.
Worth noting that I & several other members have had slight weeps especially in the severe cold from the connections as we've all used jubilee clips rather than the more expensive constant pressure type that should be used with silicon, probably where the spigot shrinks more than the clips (Now known as "the case of the shrinking spigot" ) Tightening them up solves the leak, but it's been an ongoing issue.

[johnnybee]

Thanks for the information.
I take the point about longevity of the standard hoses and the weep of the silicone ones.
I need to have my radiator repaired due to some damage and decided that if a refill of the cooling system was going to be needed I may as well replace any hoses that looked dodgy.
The hoses on the motor have been there since 1995 I assume and have not leaked or split in all that time so I think I will just replace with rubber ones and hope they last as long.
I have to say that they all look OK.
Any suggestions on hoses that tend to give problems?
John.

[mikeonb4c]

Thanks for the information.
I take the point about longevity of the standard hoses and the weep of the silicone ones.
I need to have my radiator repaired due to some damage and decided that if a refill of the cooling system was going to be needed I may as well replace any hoses that looked dodgy.
The hoses on the motor have been there since 1995 I assume and have not leaked or split in all that time so I think I will just replace with rubber ones and hope they last as long.
I have to say that they all look OK.
Any suggestions on hoses that tend to give problems?
John.

There's about 4 of them. Its been discussed before so have a search. I know the main top hose coming out of the head on the drivers side (correct me if I'm wrong someone) is a common one. I also know there is another on the drivers side, about half way back, that has been known to chafe against something and develop a leak (so do a visual check to ensure pipes in that area haven't been chafing, and remedy that somehow). The bleed hose (long thin hose ending with a bung in the dead end - passenger side) has also been known to go, esp. where it has touched the alternator when it is not clipped properly in place, and has suffered chafing - so check and correct again.

PS - There have also been cases of metal pipes corroding so worth inspecting them just in case.

[munroman]

I used to be in the hose business, and the normal rubber hoses are generally fit for purpose, as many have lasted 15 years. (And generally Japanese hoses are of very good quality)

The trend towards silicone hoses started partly when turbocharged engines came out there was a lot of 'heat soak' into the engine bay, and a material capable of standing more heat was needed, and racing type cars started using it, this was then seen as an improvement by the 'boy racer' types and for cosmetic reasons t make their cars look faster!

Though all 'black rubber hoses' look the same, they can have widely varying performance and quality, I for one would be happier using an OEM approved part, rather , and I am speaking in general, not against anyone on here, a silicone product that could have been made in Turkey or China, from materials which can be very poor.

Many of the failure will come about through abrasion, or failure of the reinforcing braid or cloth through vibration, which is purely a service life issue, key to making a reliable hose is having a very good rubber to fabric bond, and again I have seen widely varying qualities, which is then manufactured properly. As relatively cheap equipment is needed to make silicone hose, 'garage operations' are not unknown.

The fact that a hose feels 'heavier' , or is thicker, is not necessarily a good thing, as this might cause stress on other components, or lead to areas of high stress on the hose, which then fails prematurely.

The clip issue is also very relevant, the reason OEM's use high quality self adjusting clips is for the very good reason that they need to be reliable, absorbing expansion and contraction under heating and pressure, whereas the 'Worm Drive' type clip is only properly tight at one temperature and setting, plus there is a thing called 'Compression Set' which means that the rubber will tend to flow away from pressure, leading to the sealing pressure reducing over time. (And leaks, which is what seems to be happening to some Members.)

I will now take my anorak off!

[Ian]

Any suggestions on hoses that tend to give problems?
John.

John, if you look at this schematic, the 4 most commonly replaced hoses are 15-183 (Top Radiator), 15-184 (Bottom Rad), 15-185 (Lower Engine), & 15-186 (Top Engine). We very rarely receive enquiries for other hoses, except for the rear heater hose.

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/Graphi ... _1500c.gif

[mikeonb4c]

I used to be in the hose business, and the normal rubber hoses are generally fit for purpose, as many have lasted 15 years. (And generally Japanese hoses are of very good quality)

The trend towards silicone hoses started partly when turbocharged engines came out there was a lot of 'heat soak' into the engine bay, and a material capable of standing more heat was needed, and racing type cars started using it, this was then seen as an improvement by the 'boy racer' types and for cosmetic reasons t make their cars look faster!

Though all 'black rubber hoses' look the same, they can have widely varying performance and quality, I for one would be happier using an OEM approved part, rather , and I am speaking in general, not against anyone on here, a silicone product that could have been made in Turkey or China, from materials which can be very poor.

Many of the failure will come about through abrasion, or failure of the reinforcing braid or cloth through vibration, which is purely a service life issue, key to making a reliable hose is having a very good rubber to fabric bond, and again I have seen widely varying qualities, which is then manufactured properly. As relatively cheap equipment is needed to make silicone hose, 'garage operations' are not unknown.

The fact that a hose feels 'heavier' , or is thicker, is not necessarily a good thing, as this might cause stress on other components, or lead to areas of high stress on the hose, which then fails prematurely.

The clip issue is also very relevant, the reason OEM's use high quality self adjusting clips is for the very good reason that they need to be reliable, absorbing expansion and contraction under heating and pressure, whereas the 'Worm Drive' type clip is only properly tight at one temperature and setting, plus there is a thing called 'Compression Set' which means that the rubber will tend to flow away from pressure, leading to the sealing pressure reducing over time. (And leaks, which is what seems to be happening to some Members.)

I will now take my anorak off!

What a superb post (not anorak at all - the thing about clips expanding etc. with heat is so obvious when you read it, and yet may explain the problems that silicon hose users have experienced).

You should write this and any other points up for a BF Factsheet on hoses (rubber vs. silicon)

[munroman]

Why thank you Mike ,

The other thing which may be bad about heavy wall hose is that the effective clamping pressure onto a spigot is reduced because it is spread out over a bigger volume, and by tightening the clips more this makes it more likely the rubber will flow under pressure, leading to a vicious circle of leaks and tightening.

I would be interested to hear feedback from those with silicone hoses, as I don't I can only write from 'theory' so I would not be comfortable writing a factsheet without more 'hands on' knowledge from others.

[johnnybee]

Thanks again for information given.
Munroman, I agree with Mike not anoraky at all.
We, especially people like me, need people like you who can explain things.
Ian, Looks like I will be ordering those four hoses from you, but not yet
Lac is going to inspect everything and see if any others look iffy.
So you may get an even bigger order
The money I spend with you
John.

[samuel]

Johnny Bee

You can't go wrong with the standard rubber ones.

I must admit i did fit a complete set of Mick Smarts (Flippa) silicon hoses. Some of you have made comment about possible leaks which i found interesting. We spent a week away on holiday recently during the cold spell. On our return we went to my parrents to pick up our dog Bryher and overheated on the way over. Topped it up, driven regularly soince and have not lost a drop. MMMmmmm!!!

Wishing you and Jan well and happy easter.

Tim, Jill and Sam

[johnnybee]

Hi Tim,
Great to hear from you.
We are all well in deepest darkest Essex.
Hope you and yours in Gods own county are fine too.
How's the sticker business?
I have decided to stick with rubber hoses, cheaper, easier to get, and by the sound of it probably less hassle.
I hope your overheating is not a sign of bad things to come.
See you at The Bash.
Johnny Bee

[samuel]

See you there Johnnie