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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - High-quality V8 radiator hoses?

There was a recent thread on radiator hoses, but I don't see it. At the risk of covering the same ground: is there somewhere that sells high quality rad hoses for the Rover V8? I purchased a top hose this summer from Moss UK and it is just a flimsy piece of junk, that I don't expect to last even a year. When I bought the car it had these incredibly robust hoses that clearly were specifically for the V8 motor. Any ideas where to get better ones?
Harry

Harry,
I have a complete set of hoses for a V8--They are Rover items--I am not using them as I have moved my rad foward and am using a 64 mustang rad. I will sell them for $50 includes the two small hoses for by pass and heater. E-mail me at jej@fabco.com if interested.
James Johanski

I have just had to replace my bottom hose because of persistent leaking from where it connects to the radiator. In spite of being otherwise fine the inside bore of the hose is spirally ridged preventing it sealing properly no matter how much the hose clip (or clips) is tightened. According to the bills which came with the car it has only been on the car for 4K miles having been fitted by a well known UK supplier of Kevlar reinforced hoses for the PO. It looks to me to be down to poor manufacturing quality. Unfortunately the new hose (from an even larger - international - supplier) is much less robust but - it does seal OK! Only time will tell how long it lasts.
ian thomson

I got my GATES hoses at the local NAPA parts house.
The parts guy let me sort through the hose isle til
I found what I could use. The top hose was an off the shelf fit but the bottom hose had to be cut and spliced
to get it to fit. All the hoses(including the heater & bypass) plus a fan belt(also GATES) cost around 25 bucks.

Dwight.
Dwight McClain

Dwight,
Could you please post the NAPA part numbers or the model and year of the vehicles whose hoses you used?
George B.

The best radiator hoses by a longshot seem to be the corrugated "flex to suit" stainless steel hoses from Summit Racing. They are rather expensive, but it's basically a buy-once/use-forever proposition. The nice thing is that you can rig the lower hose so as to be out of harm's (i.e., the fan belt's) way by routing it around the rear of the oil pump, instead of its regular location between the rad and the oil pump, which as you know brings part of the hose perilously close to the fan belt. I have found these hoses to be a much better answer than the cheesy type available from Moss UK.
Bill

My usual V8 supplier in the UK (Clive Wheatley) warned me about the current poor quality when I had to replace the bottom hose recently, saying those then available would only last about a year. I had to replace the hose (which was on the car when I bought it and had done 50k/5 years in my ownership) because it had got very soft and pliable, swelled up and the fan belt cut through it. I fabricated a guard, which can be seen on the above web site - select 'Spanners', 'V8 Stuff' and 'Hose Guard'.

PaulH.
Paul Hunt

I've heard about silicone hoses. They're supposed to be good. Who makes them?
.

This thread was discussed between 20/09/2001 and 28/09/2001

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