Need cooling help please

[Mike Christian]

Wow, where did July go? Oh yeah, I remember...fun!

Back at the car, finally, and had a productive day. Water pump installed, thermostat and housing installed, alternator and AC compressor installed, battery hooked up, fuel pump hoses
connected and new accessory belt installed.

It is now just needing replacement cooling hose. I tried getting a couple of the old ones off, but had no luck. They are hard to get to and stuck on the metal sections. Any suggestions?

 

[David mono]

Wow, where did July go? Oh yeah, I remember...fun!

Back at the car, finally, and had a productive day. Water pump installed, thermostat and housing installed, alternator and AC compressor installed, battery hooked up, fuel pump hoses
connected and new accessory belt installed.

View attachment 141210View attachment 141209

It is now just needing replacement cooling hose. I tried getting a couple of the old ones off, but had no luck. They are hard to get to and stuck on the metal sections. Any suggestions?

Wrap a rag around the hose with the clamp out of the way adjust vice grips so they grab and twist a little bit each direction. Or if you can just get your hands on the hose, grab the hose and push it towards the water pump the hose will bulge a little.

 

[Mike Christian]

Thanks for the tips David. These hoses are in really tight spaces..not sure I can get my hands or a tool around them...hmmm.

 

[David mono]

Thanks for the tips David. These hoses are in really tight spaces..not sure I can get my hands or a tool around them...hmmm.

You will have to cut the old hose.

 

[Jean-Marc]

Mike, I am doing the same work as you do, rebuilt the all car. I did it already on other car, and if I may make a suggestion, change all the hoses for new ones, especially Silicone type or rubber if you prefere. Do not reuse old rubbers ones. This will cost you maximum 100$ but you will never enter in a cooling problem in the next 15 years.

 

[Michael]

I agree with Jean-Marc about replacing all hoses now for peace of mind. I’ve just gone through it myself, but Jean-Marc must have a magic source for silicone hose pieces. Replacing all hoses front and back was significantly more expensive than $100…

 

[Rob Hurley]

I agree, you should replace the hoses. To get them off either slice the hose perpendicular to the clamp then peel off with a small long handle flat screw driver. If you are trying to save the hose I have found wedging a small flat screw driver under the hose in several places while shooting WD-40 into the gap tends to lossen the hose.

My 2 cents worth...

 

[Mike Christian]

Thanks everyone! I do have silicon replacements and that is why I am struggling to get the old ones off. I have to look in my tool bins to see what tool(s) I can get in there. I am hoping not to cut, but if I have too....

 

[Mike Christian]

Well, after some perseverance with several tool types - mainly a mix of screwdrivers, some dental type picks, and some squirts of WD40, I was able to get all of the engine bay components out...three metal pipes and several rubber connections. The metal pipes definitely look homemade and are a bit surface rusted atbtge rubber connection and internally. The rubber connections were seriously stuck to the pipes. I took some 220 grit sandpaper to try to clean one metal end up and it responded okay. Pictures to follow.

My next question is that I see two 90 degree rubber connectors going into the center console. Am I right that the center console will need to come out to try to access them? There are shifter cables and wiring in there and access doesn't look that great once the console is removed...

My other question is - does anyone make a set of new engine metal pipes. I have one of the first batch of Superformance cars made and I am hoping that some less "homemade" ones are available.

It just never ends! Thanks

 

[Mike Christian]

Upper pipe is before cleanup...lower pipe has a few minutes of 220 grit work done on the right end of it.

Here are the two rubber connectors that need to come out next (one of the shifter cables is in blue). Oh, and the heater hose is the smaller hose above that brown looking rubber coolant pipe connector - it is nearly pinched shut.

 

[Michael]

Mike, Pegasus has a nice array of silicone hose pieces (45s, 90s, straight, etc.), and nice aluminum connectors. You can actually replicate your configuration without those crusty metal pipes. I just did this on my car. It’s a bit of work to sort it all out, but it’s a nice result. A few pics of how it turned out on my car.

 

[Mike Christian]

Interesting idea Michael! I will check it out. Thanks

 

[Jean-Marc]

Michael, You are right I was a little bit exagerating the cost but I may certify you that I was in the range of 150$. Of course for you american guys it may be difficult but my supplier is Oreca in France, the comany that prepare car for Le Mans and other competitions

Durite eau et air sur Oreca-Store

Vente de durites silicone pour arrivé d'eau ou air pour le moteur de voiture sur Oreca Store. Un grand choix de durites droites ou coudées

www.oreca-store.com

 

[Michael]

Jean-Marc, it wasn’t a fair comparison on my part. You apparently utilized far fewer sections of silicone hose along with longer sections of formed metal pipe. I opted for more silicone hose and minimal pipe.

 

[Jean-Marc]

Michael it is the alternative, in your case you minimize the risk of leaks due to connection and steel collars.

 

[Mike Christian]

Luckily, the central tunnel cool and lines and heater line are great quality aluminum (I think) and do not show any signs of corrosion...whew. all rubber has been removed now. Time to dream up a solution now.

 

[Mike Christian]

Parts are on order! Unfortunately, I am leaving for a few weeks. When I return, I hope to finish this project, give the car a bath, and then drive it.

 

[Mike Christian]

I was able to drop by Hillbank and pick up a SPF supplied metal coolant pipe. It is improved from the one I removed in that it is one piece where the old one was three (two metal and one rubber connector). It is also a thin walled stainless material.

So I now have all the parts (I hope), to put the back end of the coolant system together...and possibly the front connections too.

Back at it in a few weeks...fingers crossed.

 

[Jean-Marc]

Mike, for the pipes in direct relation with the engine, you should leave some distance between the rigid pipes you got and the engine itself. I suggest you to put a Silicon or rubber hose that is at least 2" long. The goal is to absorb the vibration of the engine. Even if your engine has relatively rigid engine mount, it will move during acceleration or deceleration. If there not enough space to accept the movement between your pipes in connection with the frame and the engine, you will get leaks or even bigger problems in time.

 

[Mike Christian]

I will Jean-Marc! I need to see how the new pipe routes and where it ends...