f2racer

iTrader: (1)

I've got about 5 years on the OEM large diameter upper and lower radiator hoses. I know that Samco ($$$) and Mishimoto ($$) make silicone hoses. Has anybody tried some of the cheaper ($) silicone hoses you can find on eBay?

Thanks!

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

If you can't afford 100 bucks for silicone radiator hoses (which don't cost much more than stock), then you might have a problem---- these cars cost $$$ to maintain.

The cheap knockoff hoses have been known to weep coolant out of the pores, we refuse to install them on FDs at our shop on the off chance a customer provides them.

Supernaut

iTrader: (83)

The Samco's aren't that expensive man. Just buy them. Why chance it? Even if you do get some feedback from people about the cheaper hoses, the sampling size would be to small to make a correct conclusion about their quality.

JDM-AREX7

i bought my FD with DAEMON MOTORSPORTS hoses on it (cheap ebay ones) ... no problems yet! They seem pretty good! My bro drives them on his MK4 Supra 2 and they r just fine! ... Nothing to worry about! Even on track days! ...

HardHitter

iTrader: (4)

While we are on this subject, I noticed a very slight pinhole sized hole in my lower radiator hose and was wondering where I can pickup some Samco hoses to replace them?

RXtacy

iTrader: (7)

Google is your friend.
http://www.google.com/products?q=sam...+rx7+fd3s&aq=f

f2racer

iTrader: (1)

How are the Mishimoto compared to Samco?

HardHitter

iTrader: (4)

And to add to this thread:

F2Racer: I don't know how old you are or what you do for your occupation, but you are lucky enough to own in my eyes a collectors item and very rare car. Keep these cars up to maintenance and upkeep and it ALWAYS repay you in the end. A couple hundred dollars is worth it compared to having a cheap set of hoses blow while you're on the streets and being towed home.

DaveW

IMO, the OE hoses are VERY good. My originals lasted over 12 years with no problems. I replaced them only as a precaution. I sure wouldn't replace ones that are only 5 years old with ebay replacements. You would be down-grading!

curacaosfinest

iTrader: (12)

before the v-mount i had them on my car...they worked great...good quality stuff to me...i think it was 4 layers and it was super solid quality...same as the samco hoses my kit has now

ALPSTA

iTrader: (3)

I think people are exaggerating a little. A hose is a hose, it's acceptable for me as long as it does the job, nothing to do with how rare the car is. An ebay hose is $40 a Samco hose is $130. I've got ebay ones but I haven't used them yet as I haven't installed my Koyo radiator yet.

jkstill

iTrader: (11)

Can't agree with that.

It does depend on how you define 'does the job'.

My FD has flexible metal rad hoses, the kind you see on street rods.
Earls and some others make them. Not cheap, but not too expensive, and not likely to leak.
This is a custom vmount setup, and there weren't any off the shelf hoses that fit the bill well.

Physically compare some cheap eBay hoses to Sams or some other high quality brand, and determine which you would prefer to have protecting your engine.

The one non-metal rad hose I have (cuz it is too short for any other kind) is a Sams hose, and it is pretty rugged. Never had any issues with it.

A lesson I learned many years ago ( on a 68 Camaro) was not to go cheap on parts that matter, because it will end up costing you more time and money in the long run.

Radiator hoses matter.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

I'm not a fan of the silicone hoses. The OEM hoses work GREAT, fit great, and will last for a VERY long time, easily 150,000+ miles.

Also, the radiator hoses are BARELY visible under the hood, so the extra "show" from the silicone hoses is lost.

I see zero benefit for running aftermarket hoses. I can buy 2 sets of OEM hoses that will outlast the chassis for the price of one set of silicone hoses.

They cost more, you can't see them, and they probably won't last as long.

Dale

XLR8

iTrader: (52)

Like many things manufactured, not all rubber is the same.

I would go with a quality name over a knockoff any day. If the hose splits or swells & bursts, your engine could overheat by the time you realize, especially under boosting. Why risk it? Especially with such a small difference in price..

Simple peace of mind. If my engine pops, I would at least feel better about knowing it was not by something that I went cheap on, or overlooked.

houseofsmokes

iTrader: (5)

I was looking at aftermarket hoses when I did my new radiator and front mount conversion, but ultimately decided to hack up the stock OE hoses and made those work.

Didn't want to spend the money on Samco hoses when I knew I'd just be cutting them up anyway.
Unless I wasnt thorough enough in my search and didnt find an existing set of new hoses that are already bent correctly for radiator positioning with a front mount?

f2racer

iTrader: (1)

HardHitter, I've owned FDs (2) since 1998. My current one has a little over 110k miles on it's original engine and turbos and still runs perfect. I've done all of the maintenance on the car myself. Although I don't post a whole lot on this forum, I've been around here since 2001 and if you search my older posts you'll see that I know my way around this car. The purpose of the post was to find out if anybody had any experience with the eBay hoses. I'm not adverse to spending money when there is clear benefit.

f2racer

iTrader: (1)

Dale, the originals on mine were toast when I changed them (for OEM purchased from Malloy Mazda) in 2004. Assuming that the car was purchased in 1992-1993 that would make the hoses 12 years old (and well under 150k) at the time. The hoses were very soft and had bulges in them. I actually replaced all of the coolant/heater hoses at the time and the only hoses that I would say were OK were the ones that went to and from the heater core near the firewall in the engine compartment.

curacaosfinest

iTrader: (12)

Ye same story for me...I had to replace my hoses cus they were all kind of messed up...and one of them blew out, and the bottom one tore a little bit when I was take it off the radiator...plus silicone is a better material to withstand the heat produced by high performance cars isn't it? I mean that's the whole reason we do vacuum line jobs with good quality silicone lines, and also intercooler couplers, and in this case the rad hoses...so they can withstand the heat and stress of high performance cars better than the oem units

Please correct me if I'm wrong here^

MIBagentQ

iTrader: (3)

I installed a ebay silicone hose, 3-ply from Zena Racing, works fine, no leaks. I even cut mine to install a T-coupler for my water temp gauge, no problems yet, quality seemed very high. I think the label on the hose was autobahn88 or something similar

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

I agree with Dale and others on this topic. The OEM hoses and the OEM hose clamps are the best, most trouble free option and are guaranteed to last.

That said, I am running silicon hoses on my custom V-mount IC/Rad setup. I had to do that on the inlet/outlet of the radiator since the stock ones routed differently. Cutting the stock hoses made the seal worse since the stock hoses are pre-formed.

A couple of items to look out for on silicon hoses:

- temp ratings. not all silicon hoses are rated for high temps seen in the coolant system.

- hose clamps. stock hose clamps don't work on the silicon hoses. I first tried regular "high quality" hose clamps. After a few heat cycles they would loosen and allow air into the system when the car was cooling down. I did some research and eventually wound up with Breeze Constant Torque hose clamps. They work well and don't work themselves loose.

- fitment. the quality control on making the inner diameters equal to the OEM inlet/outlets are mediocre on some of these hoses. This could allow air into the system when the car is cooling or a minor leak when the car is running and the system is pressurized.

I check these silicon hoses pretty regularly as I don't trust them as much as the OEM hoses.

I find it pretty funny that some of you base your decision on whether they are good or now based on whether they leak right after you install them. The test of time (years) is what you should be focusing on not the placebo effect of how great they look for the few months after you install them.

1.3_turbo

oem hoses are going to be the best design and fit. and will last the longest.

curacaosfinest

iTrader: (12)

ok again im gona have to throw this out there

i had the opportunity to see the renault formula 1 up close and personal...and any hoses or lines that they were using on the motor were silicone, they even had some squares of 4 ply silicone cut out to put in between the wires and where they got close to the body or motor...i asked one of the engineers what those squares were made of (i thought it was some space age stuff that no one could afford, but it was just high temp multi-ply silicone...asked why and he simply said that its one of the only materials that has a bit of give to it while being able to with stand tremendous temperatures

if the OEM hoses are the best as you all say, then why do pretty much all racing teams, including formula cars, use silicone hoses for everything?? and why is it recommended by most high performance companies as a necessity for the track??

i duno, it just doesnt make sense

Sarusanj

iTrader: (9)

True. If you want an idea on how to do things, look at million dollar race cars. I never get why some people are so adamantly for OEM stuff, yet don't run OEM radiators, engines, turbos, ASTs, suspension, bushings, fuel pumps, injectors, headlights, exhausts, intakes, wheels, tires, am I still going?

SLEEPY_FD

I have a set of new OBX hoses sitting in my closet. Quality doesnt look too bad so far. I like how they feel stickier inside than the oem ones. Havent had a chance to put them on since i replaced my old ones not even a year ago. The OEM ones are thicker so i would imagine they would be stronger.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Well consider the usage. Racing vs. Street. Besides the fact that they have 4 wheels, an engine, trans, a race car isn't really a good comparison for a street car.

Custom one-off race setup for 2 chassis used for a short period of time vs. OEM formed hoses designed for thousands of cars to last many miles and years.

What is used for race conditions isn't always appropriate for street cars. Do you run slicks on your street car? Roll cage on your street car? 6 point belts? Open cockpit? Engines that won't last beyond 4 races? Do you use high quality, race specific hose clamps specially designed to cope with those hoses and the heat expansion characteristics in the F1 engine bay?


Go back and re-read my post.
The OEM is the no-brainer way for a reliable coolant hose solution unless you take the factors I mentioned into consideration. I'm using silicon hoses and after some trial and error took the appropriate steps and spent the $ to make sure it was as close to reliable as stock for my custom v-mount setup.


Do you gain anything from using an alternate material?
Does it magically improve cooling?
Does it last longer? Was it designed to last 100k miles?
Do you know the temp range for which the generic silicon hoses you are buying were designed for?
Is the inner diameter of the hose specifically designed to fit on the stock water pump inlet/outlets?