new radiator top hose leak?

aviper4u · Postby **aviper4u** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:59 pm

hello

i hope everyone is enjoying their easter long weekend

in my every now and then engine bay checks i noticed the radiator top hose swelling so i thought i'd better change it...

well local parts guy didn't have a specific mx5 one but sold me a commodore which seems to be the same size just a little long which i cut with a razor.

now after connecting up all looks good though when getting hot a tiny leak happed on the bottom of the connections which was remedied by adjusting the clamp

after a longer drive and checking again the connections there is a tiny bit damp only on the bottom of the connections?

so my question is, is it common to have to muck around with the brackets/clamps or is the hose a tiny bit different and should get a genuine one?

thanks!

lonesailor · Postby **lonesailor** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:06 pm

I have just replaced my hoses ( along with other things) and have had no problems. Was there corrosion on the t'stat body?, Was the hose a pain to get on? did you lubricate it? , what sort of hoseclip are you using, the original spring one or a worm drive type?. If it were me I would take it off again and check. I would clean up any corrosion on the T'stat housing, and check how tight the hose is to put on, mine were almost impossible without lubrication, I used a smear of dishwash liquid. I would also use a worm drive hoseclip of as small a diameter as possible and use a non perforated one (preferably stainless). Having just had to replace my cylinder head due to a blown heater hose I'm a bit sensitive. What pressure radiator cap are you using? I believe 90kpa is standard. A temporary fix I have used in the past when the hose was a bit big was to wrap some PTFE tape around the barb before pushing on the hose and tightening it. It might get you out of trouble until you can source the correct hose.

aviper4u · Postby **aviper4u** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:53 pm

noice one

there was abit of rubber staining on the t'stat body though it didn't seem rough

actually it wasnt much of a pain to get on

nah no lubrication

original spring type one i am using and re used the originals?

i'll take it of again when i get a chance though i was hoping it might need a couple of heat cycles though the more i look into the more i doubt it....

im guessing ill get some screw able hose clips worst case as sourcing a genuine will take time

radiator cap is the original that came with the aluminum radiator that i changed 5+ years ago

aviper4u · Postby **aviper4u** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:13 am

well after removing everything and comparing the new hose to the old and even measuring they seem the same

but then i got some steel wool and cleaned up the thermostat housing and radiator intake. after doing so i put both the old and the new on and i think the old is a tad tighter and harder to remove so im gonna order a mx5 one and wait...

live and learn i guess...

thanks for advice

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:00 pm

They may just be slightly different internal diameter.

The spring clips are ok, but over time eventually lose some of their spring and dont clamp as well, they're also pretyt fussy about the hose being exact.

Just head to bunnings/supercheap/etc and buy a pair of worm drive clamps and use them.
They'll let you tighten the hose better, and more evenly, so that even if it's a tiny bit big it should still seal.

Size wise, the clamps have listed on them their max and min diameters, just get whichever ones are sized for the top hose. (40mm or thereabouts from memory, but check with a ruler or something)