Bad radiator hoses

[Wayne R]

My 64 Electra convertible  just arrived here a couple of days ago from US,

and the first repair was this terrible rock hard  corrigated   top hose,

take a look at the inside ,rusty old spring inside  i would recommend  not 

using this type,  a new formed hose went  on straight away.

Many other items to do before it gets checked here for road worthy safety certificate.

Edited April 30, 2021 by Wayne R
missed spelt (see edit history)

[avgwarhawk]

Although a very old hose that required replacement probably a decade ago or more, the spring inside does serve a purpose.  Did you flush the block and radiator? 

Edited May 1, 2021 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[Wayne R]

Hello Chris,  thanks ---no i have not yet, can not drive car yet ,just dropped enough  coolant  to replace that top hose, will flush it at later date, as  the coolant smelt and looked like  Preston anti freeze, so its on order here Australia, used it in all my previous Buicks .it is very good.

I also fitted new battery  cables and connections.

Reason i can not drive car yet,  Australian customs in Los Angeles removed all the brake shoes before shipping to ausy,  its a new  law about 2 years ago , any asbestos found in any part of a car, has to be removed, its a crazy rule, all brake hardware left in trunk---really---.

So i am doing that actually now fitting new shoes, and hardware, bleeding ,testing, and although i have worked on many   car makes,

putting all hardware back  one has to be careful  to get it correct. when you did not remove it.  .

If any body asks there is  4 cylinder  plunger pins missing  you are correct,they must have lost them.

Edited May 1, 2021 by Wayne R (see edit history)

[Pete Phillips]

That Australian asbestos law is ridiculous over-kill! What a shame they have to put you through that. I guess you know that it was rare to have factory A/C on a convertible in 1964--I'm impressed by that and by how clean your engine compartment is.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, TX

[Wayne R]

Thank you Peter, yes i realize this car has alot of options from new, you probably remember  me 

when i lived in Sacramento for  10 years, and  listed   quite a few articles  in the Bugle  those years 1991--2001.

This Electra, its a big long story when i   purchase, this car, the previous gentleman    passed away about 18 month  ago, and

his  daughter  did not know  all that much about the Buick, --so it was  sight unseen--   with alot of photos.----always a risk i know.

The main thing is is solid underneath-----O rust  and  very happy with the car when it arrived here-- probably be my last  age is catching up on me.

rear bumper is dented bad    also dash cap is cracked,  so have purchase these 2 better examples  about 1 month away.

Options  are ,

Air Con

Cruise control

tilt steering

power windows include vents

speedo alert

am Fm radio

power antenna

4 note horns

Buick matts

power seats

power trunk lock

tissue holder

Road wheels ---not factory on Electra.

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Wayne R
mispelt (see edit history)

[Jolly_John]

A very striking exterior color, Wayne. Very nice!

 

About the spring in your now-replaced upper radiator hose: I believe this spring only serves a purpose, when the hose itself is being used as a lower radiator hose. Then, this spring prevents the lower hose from collapsing under the suction created by the water pump, as it works to circulate the system's coolant. Sometimes guys toss the spring, or use a lower hose without one, and then experience overheating, when their car is driven at speed. Just a small point to add! John

[Wayne R]

15 minutes ago, Jolly_John said:

A very striking exterior color, Wayne. Very nice!

 

About the spring in your now-replaced upper radiator hose: I believe this spring only serves a purpose, when the hose itself is being used as a lower radiator hose. Then, this spring prevents the lower hose from collapsing under the suction created by the water pump, as it works to circulate the system's coolant. Sometimes guys toss the spring, or use a lower hose without one, and then experience overheating, when their car is driven at speed. Just a small point to add! John

Thank you  John,,---and yes i think you are right about the spring in side  the hoses, i seam to remember

one in the bottom  of--,may have been a 73 boattail i had,     forgot----i have owned   eleven   Buicks. 

[JohnD1956]

I think the spring is used to help these "flexible" hoses maintain their shape on both the top and bottom hoses.  A preformed top hose would not have one, but the flexible top hose has one to stop someone from kinking one of those hoses by making too tight a bend.

[avgwarhawk]

16 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

I think the spring is used to help these "flexible" hoses maintain their shape on both the top and bottom hoses.  A preformed top hose would not have one, but the flexible top hose has one to stop someone from kinking one of those hoses by making too tight a bend.

 

 

The spring keeps the hose from collapsing at speed(vacuum from the water pump).  Usually the lower radiator hose.  

 

Other findings:

Original equipment molded radiator hoses often were equipped with a coil inside them. Some refer to this coil as a spring, but it isn't really a spring. Actually just a piece of thin metal rod that has been twisted, it was designed to facilitate the installation of coolant on the assembly line, and nothing more.

When the cooling system of a car is completely drained, or in the case of a brand new car under construction, never had coolant in it, there is a considerable amount of air in the passage ways. Normally, when filling up the cooling system, you start the car to circulate the coolant, displace trapped air, and then top it off. On the assembly line, this wasn't feasible, so air in the cooling system was evacuated by essentially pulling a vacuum on it. This also had the added advantage of speeding up the introduction of the coolant mixture to the cooling system as well. The coil in the lower radiator hose prevented the hose from collapsing under this higher than normal vacuum.

Once the car left the factory, the coil served no further purpose. This is why replacement hoses usually do not have a coil in them. Most cooling systems operate at 12-15 P.S.I., which is controlled by the radiator cap. This is enough pressure to allow a normally functioning cooling system to operate efficiently, yet not enough to cause collapsed hoses or leaks in seals if they're in good condition. If the lower radiator hose collapses, it is normally due to a fault somewhere else in the system, and is not necessarily indicative of a bad hose, although an old hose certainly might be susceptible to collapse due to age. Normally, if the hose is in good condition but collapsing and blocking the flow of coolant, the radiator cap is bad or there's a blockage somewhere else causing pressure to build up in the cooling system.

As vehicles with original hoses began to age, the coil would sometimes begin to corrode and deteriorate, circulating tiny pieces of metal throughout the cooling system. We'll leave it to your imagination what this did to water pumps and thermostats.

This is just one of many interesting stories about automobiles, the people who build them, and how they were built, brought to you by Automotive Mileposts.

Edited May 7, 2021 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[old-tank]

22 minutes ago, avgwarhawk said:

As vehicles with original hoses began to age, the coil would sometimes begin to corrode and deteriorate, circulating tiny pieces of metal throughout the cooling system.

This enhanced if the wire coil touches the radiator neck and/or the water pump neck.  You just created a battery and the whole system, block and radiator is corroded.