I recently purchased a 68 Vette, many of the hoses are the metal braided like aircraft types. I want to change out the thermostat as it's running hot, the raidator hose is metal braided and it has these hughe nut like fittings. The previous owner was nice enough to leave a set of tools for these in the storage compartment. The hose end to the thermostat has 2 large nuts that appear to screw off, anyone know how to work with these, also do these hoses have much flex in them like the rubber hoses, ie am I not going to bend it?
thanks for advice in advance.

 

Without seeing a picture, my guess is that the upper radiator hose has a decorative sleeve and is clamped to the t-stat hsg rather than threaded on. You might be able to look at a similar one at a local auto parts store to see how it connects.

 

Hi

If its the decorative sleeving only, the big nuts will have some kind of a cutout on the bottom side where a hose clamp with screw is hidden. Unscrew it and the braiding including the fake nut can be slid away .

Good luck. Gunther

 

I don't think they are just decorative.
thanks

 

I agree. I don't think those are decorative. I don't know your answer so I won't be able to help sorry. Does anyone know the name of those fittings and where one can purchase those. My local drag strip requires those on the vehicals. Bonus question: How much can I expect to pay for said conversion to braided hose. Thanks

 

I don't think you have to take the hose off do you? You just unbolt the thermostat housing and remove the thermostat, the hose can stay on (I think).

 

Great idea, duh...

Just curious though how do these couplings work?

 

Most of the larger hoses you see are decorative, however some are not. Does it look like this?


that's a -20 AN radiator hose and it connects to a -20 AN thermostat housing. They are simple nuts and can be undone with a large wrench. I'd put some masking tape on it if you're not using aluminium wrenches so you don't scratch the anodizing. The double nut is where the 2 part hose and is assembled on the hose, only undo the swivel nut (the lower one actually screwing on the thermostat housing)
The hose in my pic is a non removable crimped on starlite connector. I assume you have the red/blue ones that can be assembled and disassembled. The fitting consists of the swivel nut part and a nut, the hose slides into the nut, then the swivel end has a "pipe" that slides into the rubber hose and when screwed in the hose nut it clamps the hose tight. Kind of hard to explain but when you see disassembled fittings you will know how it works.

Here's a collection of fittings, the red/blue ones are the ones you probably have.



the blue nut is the swivel side, that's connected to the T stat housing, the red nut is the one for assembling the hose. Thes are radiused, straight fittings have the red and blue nuts close together.


EDIT, I can see your pic now. The top rad hose is just decorative, it has "fake"fittings which slide over normal hose clampes. the 2 heater hoses (going to the front manifold coolant crossover and the water pump side) are (at least on the engine side) the real deal

 

So if I were to unscrew it rather than just take off the housing for the thermostat I would unscrew the blue one? (my picture).
ps thanks much for the help you guys are great.

 

Some of them look like the old Spectre Torx Flex fittings, I had/have some of them still. They are a compression type fitting and do screw together. Between the red and blue fitting is a plastic compression ring that squeezes around the hose when tightened. I think they may have made them in 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" so the rad hose may indeed screw apart.

 

The look like pipe unions. I think they would screw apart, with the blue half staying with the thermostat housing and the red part staying with the hose...