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coolflex rad. hose

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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 07:57 PM
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Default coolflex rad. hose

Does anyone have an upper coolflex radiator hose (chrome) on their vet and have you had any problems with it coming off? I had mine come off once and ever since I check the clamps before I drive it and they are always loose. My mechanic checked it out again and would not put it back on so he put the original rubber hose on. The companyn just sent me new rubber and clamps for free and they don't understand the problem. The hose looks too good to go back to the old rubber hose. Thanks Doug
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 08:05 PM
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mine has never come off, but I retightened it every time after a drive (at least 3) until I feltyit was on solid.
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 09:06 PM
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I read a post quite a while back about a coolflex hose coming off.
Can't remember for sure, but think it might have been forum member icebugh talking about it happening to him on the way to a car show.
Probably just an isolated incident or we would of heard more about this problem.
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 12:54 AM
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I have been running them on my 96 Impala SS for about 7 years without a problem, never came loose.
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 08:56 AM
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Kool Flex will not come off if installed properly. We installed the upper hose on our two C5's and found out the hard way, what we did wrong.
DexCool is a great lubricant and if the smallest amount is on the inside of the rubber CoolFlex couplers you are going to eventually have either a leak or the entire hose will come off. Lightly sand (400 grit) the plastic radiator nozzle and do the same for the engine outlet nozzle. Clean the rubber couplers and nozzles with denatured alchohol making sure that no DexCool is present when installing the hose. This solved "OUR" problem. We have thousands of miles on the hoses including our heater hoses without a failure after we used this procedure. Hope this helps.
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 11:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Jim Dawes
Kool Flex will not come off if installed properly. We installed the upper hose on our two C5's and found out the hard way, what we did wrong.
DexCool is a great lubricant and if the smallest amount is on the inside of the rubber CoolFlex couplers you are going to eventually have either a leak or the entire hose will come off. Lightly sand (400 grit) the plastic radiator nozzle and do the same for the engine outlet nozzle. Clean the rubber couplers and nozzles with denatured alchohol making sure that no DexCool is present when installing the hose. This solved "OUR" problem. We have thousands of miles on the hoses including our heater hoses without a failure after we used this procedure. Hope this helps.
I had mine come off after getting the car back from the body shop. The rubber that comes with coolflex has some type of coating on it that is like a jelly substance for ease of putting on. This needs to be cleaned off and make sure you dont have a small amount of dex-cool coming from the block or the rad when you put them on.
I have not had a problem since.
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 12:05 PM
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DexCool is a great lubricant...
ding... ding... ding; we have a winner !!!
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 01:13 PM
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Doug,
You need to get yourself one of these avatar's
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 01:50 PM
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I was not happy with mine. It didn't come off but it did come lose.
I finaly tossed it just the other day.
It was just one of those parts that was more work than it was worth.
Best of luck in what ever you decide.
Tim
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 04:55 PM
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C54TIM; though I have had zero problems with mine - this is one mod that I think I wasted money on. The chrome plating isn't all that shiny (from some reason). Maybe I'd of thought more positively if it sold for around $60.
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Mercury
C54TIM; though I have had zero problems with mine - this is one mod that I think I wasted money on. The chrome plating isn't all that shiny (from some reason). Maybe I'd of thought more positively if it sold for around $60.

This is the least shiny thing in my engine compartment. Really poor chroming job. However I think that they're the only game in town.
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 11:12 PM
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There is polished and also chrome..... make sure you have the correct one. I think mine looks very good
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