Re: [DML] Clear Cooling Hoses

[Mike Substelny <msubstel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In a former life I was in the plastic molding business.  We molded PVC 
all the time, and going from my cobweb-filled memory I believe it took a 
lot less that 220 degrees to "melt" it.  That's a layman's term, when 
you mold amorphous thermoplastics they don't really change states from 
solid to liquid like ice melting to water, they just enter a plasticity 
region when heated above their glass transition temperature.  I think 
the glass transition temperature for PVC is less than 190 F.  By the 
time your DeLorean reached operating temperature your transparent hoses 
would have become soft and malleable, unable to withstand any pressure.

Also, I have no idea what chemical interaction might occur between the 
PVC hoses and hot ethylene glycol in your coolant.  I have never heard 
of anyone trying anything like that before.  Who knows, that might be an 
adventure even more exciting that melting your cooling system!

Of course the stock radiator hoses do not last forever, either.  If you 
are willing to change out all your coolant hoses every time you run your 
engine for five minutes, those reinforced PVC hoses *could* give your 
engine compartment a pretty nifty look.

- Mike Substelny
satisfied with black coolant hoses for 10 years.


Matt Spittle wrote:

>I was in Lowes Home Improvement yesterday and saw this 1.25" clear 
>PVC braided hose.  It was pretty thick stuff, and rated for 200 PSI 
>at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.  While, I can't necessarily speculate as 
>to what the PSI rating would be at 220 degrees, might the 
>corresponding max pressure be at least 15 PSI?  Anyone familiar with 
>the stuff I'm talking about?  It would be really awesome to have 
>clear cooling hoses.  
>
>It looks like this:
>
>http://plastics.newageindustries.com/nylobrd.asp
>
>  
>




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