Radiator hose life expectancy
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 877
Likes: 102
From: TX Hill Country
Radiator hose life expectancy
I'm sure this has been discussed before but I can't find any good answers. I have a 2008 that was built in late 2007. It's only got around 21k miles on it. I just bought it about five months ago and I want to change the coolant as I don't know if it was changed at the five year mark. I haven't physically checked the hoses yet and I do know a lot of the wear is on the inside. If they are physically sound, should I be worried about father time's affect on the hoses. They are around eight years old now.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,949
Likes: 263
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
I'm sure this has been discussed before but I can't find any good answers. I have a 2008 that was built in late 2007. It's only got around 21k miles on it. I just bought it about five months ago and I want to change the coolant as I don't know if it was changed at the five year mark. I haven't physically checked the hoses yet and I do know a lot of the wear is on the inside. If they are physically sound, should I be worried about father time's affect on the hoses. They are around eight years old now.
I was just noticing today that we have a plastic T from the overflow and thermostat and heater core up by the radiator. Just last week my friend's similar plastic t cracked apart stranding us in his Suburban...but, that car has 200,000+ miles and is 17 years old. Luckily the local parts store a mile away had it in stock for $11 and we fixed it in the gas station parking lot with screwdriver and pliers we bought at the parts store.
I've had hoses last for 20+ years (though I usually change them around 10 years and I guess I"m overdue) and when hoses start to go they often bulge first. Or you can do a roadside repair with duct tape on a hose. But these plastic fittings don't give any warning as far as I know so I worry about them.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 877
Likes: 102
From: TX Hill Country
I was in Naval aviation for a lifetime and hoses had a life limit on them. True, pressures were a lot higher and the result could be the loss of life or aircraft, and the environment was a lot harsher. Automotive hose in the past seemed to deteriorate related to age. I just don't know about the modern construction of hoses.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,684
Likes: 107
From: Opelika Alabama
eleven years is really pushing it! 5 is about the norm IMHO. I replaced mine in an 06 I made the T'ed hose my self you can get the T from Grainger and it's like a 1/4 to 3/8. the factory hose is like $80 it was the one of the heater hoses{lower} that was hard to get and it's some ODDBALL size and I couldn't just get a piece of hose that would work. BTW the T was stainless steel but I think the make it in brass too, sorry I don't know why I didn't keep the Part#, maybe I can find it at work tomorow. hoses also don't "wear on the inside" they start to delamiate, and get soft and sqwishey, mordern one are BETTER, but 5-6 years and I would be changing them, mine were 6
Last edited by CMY SIX; Jun 26, 2015 at 10:31 AM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 16,667
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From: Raleigh, NC
St. Jude Donor '15
Modern materials are much better than they used to be, I wouldn't worry about them unless see some sort of signs of failure. I can't say mine are 100% original because I haven't owned the car since new, but the car is 10 years old now and has over 150K on it. I've never had a problem with any of the hoses. There was one or two that were quite difficult to get to that I had to move around during a supercharger install, so I'm almost sure those are original. Still fine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,457
Likes: 297
From: corpus christi Texas
Just in case carry a roll of duct tape in the rear.....My is an 08 68000 miles & they look good to me and my vette is in a car port down here in the heat. And I have headers= more heat.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 57
From: Halcottsville NY
I changed the coolant on my 07', two years ago and the hoses looked and felt fine. I mean, I didn't cut one open to check the inside, but, they all seemed OK. I have 47,000 miles on my Vette and the only thing that did concern me was the thermostat, which, I didn't change. Maybe it'll bite me in the end, but, it runs great and performs flawlessly.
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C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
125K on my '08 C6, 85K on the '08 Caddy, 76K on the '04 Silverado, all bought new and all with OEM hoses. Not even thinking about replacements. YMMV
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Joined: Oct 2014
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Likes: 1
From: Bell Florida
The longest I have run OEM hoses was on a 1980 Mazda. Same hoses up to 186K in 2005 when I got rid of the car. Not suggesting that anyone do that. I probably won't let them go that long on my C6 (If I live that long!)....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,656
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From: ocean springs mississippi
I have an 05 tundra with 175k miles on it. Just did timming belt, h2o pump replacement, ect....changed hoses because i was already in there.....old hoses looked and felt fine still
Racer
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 285
Likes: 6
Replacing coolant at recommended intervals can keep hoses in like new operating condition. That being said, the correct way to check your radiator hoses is to squeeze, any cracking noises indicate the internal cords are failing. This can result in so called bubbles on hose that will pop
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 877
Likes: 102
From: TX Hill Country
Replacing coolant at recommended intervals can keep hoses in like new operating condition. That being said, the correct way to check your radiator hoses is to squeeze, any cracking noises indicate the internal cords are failing. This can result in so called bubbles on hose that will pop
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,949
Likes: 263
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Replacing coolant at recommended intervals can keep hoses in like new operating condition. That being said, the correct way to check your radiator hoses is to squeeze, any cracking noises indicate the internal cords are failing. This can result in so called bubbles on hose that will pop
However, the plastic t's like we have don't show any sign before they break to my knowledge.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 877
Likes: 102
From: TX Hill Country
Are these plastic T's your guys talk about in the hose that goes from the coolant reservoir then T's off to to the engine block close to where the lower radiator hose connects? Does anyone have a part number for a T that will work? I know to get it through GM you have to get the whole hose assembly. When ya'll replace it, do you use plastic or brass? Anyone know the hose sizes so that I can buy the right one?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,949
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From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Are these plastic T's your guys talk about in the hose that goes from the coolant reservoir then T's off to to the engine block close to where the lower radiator hose connects? Does anyone have a part number for a T that will work? I know to get it through GM you have to get the whole hose assembly. When ya'll replace it, do you use plastic or brass? Anyone know the hose sizes so that I can buy the right one?
But his numbers aren't accurate - it's not ¼" hose. Eyeballing it, it seems the hoses from the overflow and to the heater core are 5/8 and T to the thermostat housing is ¾ but I didn't pull the hoses to check that so don't trust those dimensions.
Maybe CMY SIX kept the part number and will chime in.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2012
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2000 Tacoma. Replaced hoses at 100,000ish. Don't think it was necessary, but was changing out the coolant anyway, so may as well change out the hoses. Cheap insurance. Vacuum hoses were going bad in 2014.