Need to replace upper radiator hose for Mercury Tracer. Autozone has Dayco and O'Reilly has Gates, price difference is only few dollars.
Which one is better and lasted longer ? Dayco is known to have good quality Serpentine Belts, but I don't know their hose quality.
Dayco is our sponsor, I'm leaning toward Dayco. Am I wrong ?
Radiator Hose, Dayco vs Gates
- Thread starter HTSS_TR
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All the hoses of the 1991 Tracer are original, I need to replace the thermostat and need to remove the upper hose to gain access. I think I may brake the hose if I touch it, therefore I need to have a hose on hand.
I'm not sure which one is better, if they are about the same then I'll go with Dayco.
I had a problem with a Dayco upper hose that I put on the Montana back when I did the LIM gaskets. It wouldnt seal to the plastic radiator.
I eventually went and got a Gates. It was much thicker than the Dayco and sealed right off the bat.
I bought some Dayco for my GP this past summer and was disappointed with the quality and fit. i didn't use them i ordered gates ECR hoses instead, superior fit and felt more substantial. Happy camper!
I don't know about Dayco hoses (never used them; it's amazing how long OEM hoses last these days!) - But I've always been happy with Gates replacements.
I've only used the Goodyear OEM, and the blue Gates Racing hoses in the past (I use the Jeg's black silicone stuff now).
Both of those have been VERY good, and I would not hesitate to use Gates' OEM ECR line if I could not get high performance hoses for my ride. 
Thank you all for candid opinions. I didn't know which one has better quality, almost go with Dayco because they are the sponsor here.
How much would an OE radiator hose cost?
Anyway, I never had problems with any Gates or Dayco replacement hoses.
I don't know how much OE radiator hose for Tracer cost. Bought Gates at Autozone for $9, it's made in USA.
I tend to like the OEM hoses, at least for my Toyota, Honda and BMW they are superior to any aftermarket ones I have bought. The BMW ones have Kevlar reinforcement, and the Toyota ones original to the Sienna at over 100,000 miles were still firm and quite servicable.
One thing though, if you have those spring type clamps they may not fit aftermarket hoses. I bought aftermarket hoses for my Echo and they were slightly thicker. The spring clamps would not fit and I ended up using the traditional worm type.
I just put a Dayco 71682 in my 1995 Escort. Reason I chose it was because unlike most of the competitive hoses, it doesn't require any trimming. That and it was locally available. The fitament is good. The Motorcraft one I saw on eBay was 17 years old, and cost more than twice as much as the Dayco, and didn't come with new clamps.
Only thing I didn't like about the Dayco was that it was made in Mexico.
OEM Toyota.
People saying to use OEM must not know that Toyota, GM - all car makers don't make their hoses. Most hoses and belts are made for OEMs by Dayco and Bando for example. Therefore, you are paying more for the same hose to line the pockets of the dealer.
With that - any hose that is EPDM will give you long service life just as the originals. I have used Dayco, Contenential and Gates with equal satisfaction.
Hoses come from hose companies, but that doesn't mean an aftermarket hose from the parts store is the same as the OE part. There may be variations in fit, thickness, etc., even if the manufacturer is the same.
By the way, it's not just the dealer's pockets at stake, GM's pockets get lined when dealers sell an OE hose...that's why they demand a certain level of "loyalty" and we aren't allowed to just sell aftermarket instead. And ideally the point of selling something is to line pockets... that's why aftermarket hoses are sold for money too. This ain't UNICEF.
I prefer Gates just because they are better at cataloging than Dayco. Dayco had the wrong part listed for years for the upper radiator hose on 02+ 3.0 Rangers, apparently assuming it was the same as prior years (it wasn't).
The material quality is usually fine regardless, it's proper fit and cataloging that's the issue.
I prefer Gates just because they are better at cataloging than Dayco. Dayco had the wrong part listed for years for the upper radiator hose on 02+ 3.0 Rangers, apparently assuming it was the same as prior years (it wasn't).
The material quality is usually fine regardless, it's proper fit and cataloging that's the issue.Originally Posted by 01rangerxl
Hoses come from hose companies, but that doesn't mean an aftermarket hose from the parts store is the same as the OE part. There may be variations in fit, thickness, etc., even if the manufacturer is the same.
By the way, it's not just the dealer's pockets at stake, GM's pockets get lined when dealers sell an OE hose...that's why they demand a certain level of "loyalty" and we aren't allowed to just sell aftermarket instead. And ideally the point of selling something is to line pockets... that's why aftermarket hoses are sold for money too. This ain't UNICEF.
I prefer Gates just because they are better at cataloging than Dayco. Dayco had the wrong part listed for years for the upper radiator hose on 02+ 3.0 Rangers, apparently assuming it was the same as prior years (it wasn't).
The material quality is usually fine regardless, it's proper fit and cataloging that's the issue.
I prefer Gates just because they are better at cataloging than Dayco. Dayco had the wrong part listed for years for the upper radiator hose on 02+ 3.0 Rangers, apparently assuming it was the same as prior years (it wasn't).
The material quality is usually fine regardless, it's proper fit and cataloging that's the issue. - Status
