Silicon radiator hoses "worth it"?

[Tigger]

Hi guys
I'm going to be replacing the radiator, which got me thinking, since I'm there, should I replace the radiator hoses with silicone? I wouldn't bother otherwise. The factory rad has finally given up, so how far away are the hoses? NB8C.
Cheers

[smy0003]

Definitely fit new upper and lower rad hoses. You will either destroy them getting them off, or the corrosion built up inside them will make them leak like crazy when paired with the fresh rad.
Ask me how I know.

Silicon hoses seem to be available only in sets, so it might be beneficial to look up your Mackay part number here: http://www.mackayrubber.com.au/products/

There about $15 each from online retailers.

[Tigger]

That's what I was thinking. If the radiator plastic has perished, the hose rubber may have. Even if it hasn't, extend the service life.
Thanks man.

[CarbonMiata]

Well we have all the colors available and for all the Miatas! Check our website! www.carbonmiata.com

[RS2000]

Definitely fit new upper and lower rad hoses. You will either destroy them getting them off, or the corrosion built up inside them will make them leak like crazy when paired with the fresh rad.
Ask me how I know.

Silicon hoses seem to be available only in sets, so it might be beneficial to look up your Mackay part number here: http://www.mackayrubber.com.au/products/
There about $15 each from online retailers.

The best price I've seen online for Mackay rubber top & bottom rad hoses only is about $80 (I paid $112 at Bursons )

Tigger - if you're interested, I have a full (8 piece) new/unused Mania black silicon NB hose set to sell - $100 including postage

[hks_kansei]

Personally I'm not a fan of silicone hoses.

Silicone doenst clamp as well as rubber, and is more likely to slip off (of course you can change all the clamps to worm drive or t bolt rather than keep the pen tension ones, but that adds cost)
I've also found silicone hosing a lot more likely to kink than rubber since its so much softer.

In saying that, they are cheaper than rubber (on mx5s at least) so that does make up for a lot of the shortfalls.


If you need hoses anyway, and silicone is a lot cheaper than rubber, you may as well do it.
But if your rubber hoses are fine, it's not worth bothering to swap.


There's also the thing of looks, the gloss black that silicone hoses all seem to be looks cheap and nasty to me. (Dont get me started on bloody coloured coolant hoses)

[smy0003]

There's also the thing of looks, the gloss black that silicone hoses all seem to be looks cheap and nasty to me. (Dont get me started on bloody coloured coolant hoses)

What's not to love

[Mr Morlock]

I agree with HKS. I think we can safely say that rubber is still the preferred product. Insofar as colours are concerned some purists have been known to swallow a packet of Quells when confronted with a technicolour under bonnet or interior view.

[aka_juffa]

I have fitted silicon hoses and found them to leak. I have tried a number of different clamps from your el-cheapo ones from super cheap to expensive torque style which expand and contact. Gave up in the end and bought a full set of cooling system hoses from Mazda. No more leaks. If the rubber ones lasted nearly 20 years before I replaced them who am I to disagree with Mazda?

[Tigger]

I read all the pros an cons. Definately not one for technicolour under the bonnet.
Moral of the story, if you're going to use silicone, get better clips, and keep your old runner hoses.

[Jessegroves]

I did a full set of cooling hoses, rad, heater, bypass, and replaced them all with worm drive clamps, every one of my original hoses you could head crack when you bent it, I bought my hoses from mx5mania, but sourced my own clamps from Bunnings, great mod!


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