Radiator Hose Replacement?

I replaced a bunch of hoses on my 1995 Escort last year when I replaced the head gasket. One of them was a really hard to get to lower radiator hose that was much easier to replace with the head off. They were all really swollen, so I figure that it's a good thing that I replaced them, but other than that they were not leaking.
 
Most problematic are the ones that have plastic tees or them like in them. They like to fail there. Most modern hoses are pretty reliable rubber wise. Use oem clamps if you do replace. Most cheap clamps loosen up after a bit
 
They'll fail *if* you let oil drip on them. They get soft and generally give plenty of warning if you inspect them.

Generally only valve covers are high enough to get 'em, and those gaskets are pretty easy to change.
Or diesel fuel. I had a slow weep out of a pump that I ignored w/o realizing it'd take out the small coolant line under it. Oops.

I want to say I had a car where I could feel the outside bend of the radiator hose getting soft. The outside of a turn, where the coolant could erode the hose, like how water can cut rock. Can't remember if I replaced it or just kept monitoring (and just replaced the vehicle instead).

One does wonder. Coolant lines go all over now, almost as bad as vacuum lines of the past. My truck has some small diam hoses piped to the throttle body! and the transmission and probably EGR for all I know. But. Lose one of them and you have only slightly more time than if a main hose goes. I'm not sure if the OEM's put any thought into how to fuse off those less critical lines; I know when I lost mine it simply pumped out all the coolant until it was lower than the leak (luckily it was at head level so it didn't fully drain).
 
Heater hose can rot from the inside because of electrical conduction. I had early 1990s hose form a hard crust with a pattern of cracks about 1/8" inside, while the hose looked like new on the outside. It was EPDM rubber, the same stuff still used, but manufacturers say make their EPDM more resistant to electrolysis now.
 
Hose construction has come a long way. That being said, out here in the desert, hoses are still a maintenance item. I tend to replace rubber hoses and tires every 3 years from the date of installation, regardless of mileage. Their weak points are almost always where the clamp meets the hose, and I always use OE constant tension spring clamps. The hose starts to swell over time, gradually increasing pressure on those points. During a WOT run, it'll tear enough to start losing coolant.

In VA, I don't see it being that much of a problem. Just check to make sure the hose is still flexible, with no signs of cracking or tearing. Once it gets to that point, replace them in pairs (i.e. both upper and lower radiator hoses together).

When you're driving in 120-135°F, a lot of heat builds up under the hood and that's a different story altogether. Sat in traffic with the AC on full blast, you're looking at coolant temperatures in the range of 220-235°F, depending on how long you've been idling. Driving down the road, it'll drop to 212-218°F depending on engine speed. That definitely takes its toll on all the hoses.
 
I have not replaced a heater or radiator hose on one of my cars since the '70's or '80's. But I do still inspect them at every oil change. My inspection method is to feel for bulges and softness around the ends where the hoses attach. When hoses used to fail, this is where they failed.
 
They have a new class of "rubber' for hoses with a 4-letter designation for the chemical compound. Everything else is old fashioned.

The blokes at more than one dealership swore to me that they do not change hoses anymore. That truly met "blew my mind" criteria.

Years ago I changed the hoses in a '99 Jeep Cherokee figuring 150K was enough. I had read that hoses can age from the inside out.

Since the vehicle had only 4 hoses, I went for it.

All I can say is that after I finished, the old hoses lying on the ground looked dry and "greyed". The newly installed hoses (Gates) looked fresh and subtle.
I think the acronym you are looking for is EPDM. Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer
 
I’m still running the OEM hoses on my Club Sport. No issues so I’m trying for 30 years.
 
The plastic intake manifold with the thermostat housing and coolant crossover failed in my 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis before any of the factory hoses failed...

Maybe Ford should have put some of that hose technology into the manifold...
 
The plastic intake manifold with the thermostat housing and coolant crossover failed in my 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis before any of the factory hoses failed...

Maybe Ford should have put some of that hose technology into the manifold...

Hence the class action lawsuit and the switch over to the aluminum crossover manifolds starting mid-production in 2001.

My '01 was an early production, and the first thing I did after purchase was replace the stupid thing before it gave me any grief in the summer. Best two and a half hours and $200 I spent at the time. :)
 
I think I'm a bit late for the CAL, by about 15 years, LOL.

Hence the class action lawsuit and the switch over to the aluminum crossover manifolds starting mid-production in 2001.

My '01 was an early production, and the first thing I did after purchase was replace the stupid thing before it gave me any grief in the summer. Best two and a half hours and $200 I spent at the time. :)
 
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