How to patch up a coolant hose?

mikebai1990 · 01-03-07, 08:18

We recently found that the Acura had been leaking coolant quite badly and found that a part of the coolant hose had slipped out of it's original secured position. Once out of the position, the hose was situated next to the belt, so the belt wore a hole in the coolant hose.

What products do you think I can use to seal up this damage? I would say the hole is approximately 1 cm x 1 cm, possibly even smaller. I believe that the coolant system undergoes a lot of pressure, so I guess silicone sealant might not do the job. What products would you guys recommend?

2.5RS · 01-03-07, 08:22

Don't patch. Replace it. No question, a patch will be worthless.

- Andrew

jdoria · 01-03-07, 08:23

Buy a new hose.
Dont try to save money there.

Setec Astronomy · 01-03-07, 08:37

You can't do that. You need to replace the hose, cut the end off if the damage is near the end and there is enough extra length, or if it's in the middle somewhere, you could cut out the damaged part and put a piece of metal pipe in. Just get a new hose.

mikebai1990 · 01-03-07, 08:40

I see. Thanks for replies

I was just looking for the easiest way to fix this, but as I see now, it won't be worth the time and effort. I'll get a new hose as soon as possible.

velobard · 01-03-07, 09:47

I once blew my upper radiator hose in the middle of nowhere in Arizona and patched it by spiraling back and forth a couple of times with a roll of duct tape, but I replaced it as soon as I got to the next town. I never traveled in AZ without a few tools, spare water, and duct tape. More often than not I used the stuff to help other people stranded on a 2-lane road in the middle of the desert, but it saved my skin that time.

Accumulator · 01-04-07, 10:05

Similar to velobard, I've effected temporary repairs, but yeah, the real answer is always to replace the hose ASAP.

There are self-vulcanizing (I *think* that's what they're called) tapes..when stripped of their backing material the tape fuses to itself. I've had very good luck with those for repairs like this, but I *do* consider it "luck".

Worth having a roll in the emergency kit...

mikebai1990 · 01-04-07, 07:52

Thanks for the tips. The car was taken to the shop today and will be fixed up by tomorrow.

velobard, I guess duct tape really has thousands of uses, huh?

velobard · 01-04-07, 08:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebai1990

Thanks for the tips. The car was taken to the shop today and will be fixed up by tomorrow.

velobard, I guess duct tape really has thousands of uses, huh?

Yeah, but when I said I did a couple of spirals, in reality I used almost the whole roll. My radiator hose literally blew in two going up a mountain, it completely separated. I was about halfway between Fountain Hills and Payson in Arizona and there's practically nothing out there aside from one garage next to one house visible from the road in a place thats supposedly a town called Sunflower. There's no sign of life out there aside from the one house. The guy makes a living running a tow truck along that stretch of highway. He had a universal hose in his shop that I was able to use. I'm glad I didn't have to make my duct tape special last all the way to Payson.

Accumulator · 01-05-07, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebai1990

. I guess duct tape really has thousands of uses, huh?

Noting that I use very good duct/gaffer's tape, in my experience it pays to keep a roll of *good* (3M) electrical tape handy too. Sometimes duct tape doesn't stick as well as electrical tape to wet/greasy surfaces. I keep all three types in my emergency kit, along with some alcohol-based window cleaner, which is great for preparing surfaces for tape (learned my lesson with the S8's deer incident).

Eliot Ness · 01-05-07, 01:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

......in my experience it pays to keep a roll of *good* (3M) electrical tape handy too.........

When I use electrical tape I expect it to perform, so I wouldn't go anywhere without a roll of Scotch Super 33+ (3M) electrical tape. It isn't cheap, but it is the best that I have found so I don't even bother with the cheaper versions. I was surprised to see it being sold at Wal-Mart in the tool section, I doubt that they sell a whole lot of it but I snagged up a couple of spare rolls.

The same is true for duct and other tapes; you really do get what you pay for. The main reason I carry the electrical and duct tape in the cars are for an emergency hose repair, but it has come in handy for other repairs while out on the road, and my fellow street rod buddies are sure glad that I carry the stuff.

mikebai1990 · 01-05-07, 06:04

Okay. My dad got the car back today. The whole radiator hose change (upper and lower hoses) cost $259 labor and parts. Is this a bit excessive for a regular radiator hose change? I haven't had any experience dealing with mechanics, so I don't know the average labor cost per hour. From the parts I found online, the total cost for the parts (including shipping) was around $35. I was fairly surprised to find it would cost so much. But also to take into consideration would be that the mechanic called the dealer and had the dealer ship OEM parts overnight to the mechanic's shop.

Again, I'm only 16 and don't know much about the labor costs, so maybe this is an acceptable price. Could anyone clarify?

BTW, the mechanic also suggested to change the belts, which we did. Some of the leaking coolant may have leaked onto the belts and the belts were supposedly slightly cracked. $159 for labor+parts.