These coolant hoses a good idea? Available?
 

In an article by Scott Mueller, on the LT1 coolant system, he says that an option on Caprice police are with the Lt1 was SEO 1T1 (silicone radiator and heater hoses. Apparently, in police service these were intended to last the life of the car. They also included special clamps with a full perimeter band to minimize hose distortion and potential hose damage by the clamp itself.

That sounds like a GREAT idea. Is it, or are there any drawbacks?

Are hoses like that available for our C4s? If so, where?

Jim G

Ive seen those at summit they were goodyear blue silicone

$162 seems a little steep for some radiator hoses...

http://www.summitracing.com/search/d...adiator%20hose

:iagree:

Better deal here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151038502126...84.m1423.l2649

The Summit linked are LT5 packages and shouldn't be confused with the "topic"! I don't know if Summit actually does the L98 and the LT1/4 packages.

There's also "no branding" on the eBay product.The LT5 product is Mishimoto and the Mishimoto brand is generally accepted as a quality product. No first hand knowledge!

WVZR-1 raises a good point. Just like there are quality weatherstrips and cheap weatherstrips, there are probably quality hoses and cheap hoses.

The owner of the Corvette shop in Albuquerque (Scotty's), whom I met yesterday while on my road trip, spoke for several minutes with me yesterday specifically about how bad the cheaper weatherstrips are: leak in rain, doors don't close properly unless you slam (the "rubber" is too hard), windows don't roll up right, etc.

Jim G

I'd agree about quality, but unfortunately I have found price alone is not necessarily a reliable indicator. Since my C4 is a toy and not a daily driver I am willing to try some low cost parts, but do monitor them closely until I feel comfortable with the performance.
In some cases I have been pleased, others not so much.:rofl:

Samco Sport sells a high quality high $$ silicone hose kit for many C4 engines, no L98 though;

http://www.samcosport.com/usa/car_ki...make=Chevrolet

Yes, they do, BUT you have to buy the special clamps separately, so the price is higher than it seems!

Jim G

Did this include the 10mm hose's as well?.. do what make you happy, for me.. the run of the mill (new) hose's work just fine for many years.

:iagree: Gates, or equivalent, will probably last 20 years (+/-).

Although I have a C-5, and this is a C-4 discussion, I'll "butt-in", and say that I have silicone cooling system hoses. I got them from one of the "forum vendors", CCA, if I remember correctly. I use the Gates "power grip" type of hose clamps. (they're like HD shrink tubing)

My C4 is twenty-ONE years old :)

Yes, SOME of the kits include the heater hoses and the clamps for them. The cheaper kits do not.

Jim G

THIS sounds interesting!

I think I understand why the focus on the clamps as well. Normal clamps tend to distort the hoses, and cause the hose material to extrude into the clamps, especially where there are "spaces", like right under the clamp screw. The better clamps distribute the pressure very evenly in comparison.

Jim G

I bought the Samcos and love them, just wish they had the heater hoses.:thumbs:

http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps622999f2.jpg

Which clamps did you use?

Jim G

Against what they recomended I reused my clamps because they were new and in good shape. I was just carefull when I tightened them down. :thumbs:

For my '96 I used Gates hoses for the radiator and heater core but the 3/8 hose from the surge tank to the radiator then throttle body (I did the throttle body bypass at the same time). I used Goodyear Hi miler hose which comes in blue and matches the blue Samco hoses.