Heater hose rubbing and chafing.

[wilf]

Idly poking around the engine bay last night, I noticed that one of the heater hoses was rubbing against the (LH as you stand in front of the car looking at it) cylinder head.

On inspection, the chafing had started to seriously wear through the hose. It is the lower of the two, just away from the point where they turn through 90 degrees and pass through the firewall. Rubs against the back of the cylinder head above the water transfer housing.

Two thoughts struck me:

a: Should it do this or should I try to reroute it (maybe by shortening a touch where it clamps onto the heater matrix piping)?

b: Worth other FMs taking a quick look at their own as I can see a major water leak potential here.

[DJT]

Hi Wilf,

Some of the hoses supplied seem a little long and require a bit of trimming. The bottom radiator hose is one. The heater hoses you highlight are others. Still, better than being supplied too short I guess......

[wilf]

Thanks, it did look to me as if a little trimming would rectify the issue. Guess I will be wet later tonight............

[KOY 23]

Thanks, it did look to me as if a little trimming would rectify the issue. Guess I will be wet later tonight............

You can do it from the top.

[wilf]

Oh, I know that, but experience tells me that whenever I deal with coolant, I end up wearing some, if not all, of it.

It is a bit like syphoning - I always end up with a mouthful of whatever it is I wish to empty or transfer. No matter how hard I try.

[jakesmig]

Trick with syphoning is to give a little blow up the pipe then a sook and the momentum of the fluid gets it over the rise, simple

John

[wilf]

Well, a quick 20 minute job, and no now chafing. Just cut 1/2" off the end of the hose that goes over the copper heater pipe at the firewall.

And miracle of miracles, I didn't end up wearing any coolant, and the syphoning operation went without mishap.

Same amount of coolant went back in as came out, so fingers crossed no air locks.

[wilf]

Ran her up tonight, no problems, heat where it should be, no airlocks. Settled at her usual temperature just fine.

Must be the third time I have drained and refilled Buttercup's coolant. I don't take any special precautions, no raised front end, just tip it in, and for some reason I never have an airlock problem. Just leave the heater water valve open and it fills a treat.

I wonder what it is that causes people to suffer from airlocks? I do believe that having a header tank (Wards in my case) helps purge air out of the coolant.

It was the same on the old Cobra, never ever had an overheating issue with that, but an awful lot of people did. I just ran a 7 litre V8 through a SD1 Vitesse rad, with a full flow header - worked just fine.

[Stagsongas]

A Header Tank of any kind does put more force behind any remaining air, helping to expel it, whichever way around the hoses are connected on the matrix.