Does anybody know where one can obtain radiator hoses for "obsolete" applications? Specifically I am trying to find hoses for my '92 Ford L9000 with a 3406c. There are enough tight bends, especially in the lower hose that using some kind of bulk hose isn't really an option.
Universal rad hose won't work? The kind that's flexible.
They have such a thing in like 2.5 or 3"? What about the spring inside to keep it from collapsing? The lower hose comes off the water pump house and makes a hard 90, maybe an inch away from the fan, plus a couple other hard right angle bends that really can't be avoided. The universal stuff I have seen is usually pretty stiff and tends to kink. Is there a line that works better that I am missing?
Could a muffler shop make you a pipe that you could connect with two short pieces of rad hose?
Something like this?
That might work, but it only seems to be available up to 1 3/4 or so, more for automotive applications ?
I can dig for specs, but, if you had part number..... Different engines in that chassis have different hoses. This may not be right.
Have you tried rockauto?
The Ford number on the upper hose is F1HZ-8260-Y. There is no number that I can see anywhere visible on the lower hose. I have a possible part number for the lower of F5HZ-8286-DA. I dug that number up somewhere a while ago, but it may or may not be good.
I never thought of trying Rockauto by application. The Gates number for the lower looks promising, I might order it up a see if it fits. That lower has a 3" coming off the engine and 2.5" on the radiator side . . .
I've gone in the back of parts stores and found hoses for other applications that had a certain bend that I needed and cut off what I didn't want. I've spliced those bends together with exhaust tubing. Probably not ideal to have an isolated piece of steel hanging out in the middle of things from an electrolysis standpoint, but so far it's worked for 5 years.
Isolated piece of metal is fine, but better if it has rolled beads on the ends to keep hose from popping off. I know they make metal fittings so you can use common hose elbows and have the straight sections be metal, but I can't remember where to get them.
When the pressure makes a splice kinda iffy, use hose clamps to hold the hose clamps together. You can use the smaller narrow width clamps, run them lengthwise under the diameter clamps. Pull them around and fasten them, they don't have to be tight. A piece of banding will do the same thing until it rusts out. Barbs on the ends are better, the lengthwise clamps are a belt AND suspenders thing.
I just wire feed a bead near the end of a piece of tubing and buff it.
I've often wondered if that would be a good idea or not but I appreciate that you have done it. The bumpy surface was my main concern, but I guess the sealing is done on the smooth part under the hose clamp and not by the bead itself. I always wished there was a machine that could roll up a bead on an arbitrary piece of tubing.
Get the wire feed set right it will put out a uniform bead then go over it with a flap wheel and wire wheel.
Pexto made lots of different pieces of sheet metal equipment. They made rollers that will make a bead on tubing. I don't know when the last ones were made, but likely over 80 years ago. Usually priced $200+, then you have to get someone to make you the dies unless you get lucky.
That's the only way I can find/ build hoses for my old cranes. They don't make anything like what some of those tight engine compartments had, so you just have to get creative.
I made some out of 2" pipe because I needed to neck down to 1.5" threaded and the 2" could be welded over the 1.5" pipe. The 2" is a hair small so I had a weld on the pio to help it seal. I'm going to redo it later but needed a quick fix.
The back of the Gates book has pictures and dimensions of all the hoses in their catalogue, arranged by diameter. If you can find a store that still has paper books its better than getting a kink in your neck perusing the hose isle.
I have done that a time or two, usually just find 2 hoses, one end of each that has the size and initial bends that you need, then cut the other end off and use a simple hose splicer to marry them up. Hose splicers are easy to find in hot rod type catalogs and already have the beads made on them.
I just got the upper and lower Gates hoses, they look like they will work very well. Thanks for pointing them out!