Re: [DML] Silicon Water Hoses

["Walter" <Whalt@xxxx>]

I've worked with the green silicone hoses before on cooking equipment. It's
rather expensive, but lasts practically forever. The only problem is that I
can only get it in straight pieces.

I'm wondering how practical and reliable it would be to make curved hoses by
using small straight pieces and connecting them together with copper elbows
& such. I've nearly had to do that before replacing hoses on some of the
modern spaghetti bowl engines. Some of these hoses are so specialized,
expensive and hard to find that you better hope you don't break one of these
while out of town. For example, the right angle hose that goes to the
Delorean header bottle could be made from two pieces of green silicone hose
with a copper plumbing elbow in the middle. That gives the system two more
fittings to leak at, but considering all the others connecting to the
radiator at the front of the car, what's a few more added connections to
convert a system to use standard straight hose pieces that can be bought
almost anywhere?

I remember back in the '70s that it was considered prudent to change the
belts & hoses on any car every 5 years or 30K miles. I remember even
hearing that advice on Motorweek. Given that, I'm still running the
original belts & hoses on my Delorean! I would replace them; I really would
if I only had the time! I've had a hole new set of hoses and a brass
radiator sitting around for over a month. But things break on that car
faster than I can fix them. Just today my automatic transmission decided to
stop shifting out of first gear unless I'm going 40mph. What next?

Walt Tampa, FL