After recently going by to visit a friend who is crew chief on a local Texas traveling late model stock series (Romco series--they are leading in points), I think I have discovered the answer to the question that many people have asked. They use the "Gates performance universal hoses". It is a universal hose that has the spring moled into the onside of the hose. They come in many different lengths as well as different diameters (many different combinations of different sizes as well!) They have a wide green strip the length to set them apart from regular hoses. I STOOD ON ONE OF THEM AND IT DID NOT COLLAPSE (bowed a little) AND I WEIGH 263!!! Enuff said!

 

yes they are definalty strong when it comes to pressure. but they tear a bit easier then the molded hoses.

 

Hmm... I hadn't heard that.

I think this is one of those cases where the good outweighs the bad!

 

Sometimes you've gotta watch out for those kinds of universal hoses... When I completed my v6-v8 swap, I used one of those as the upper radiator hose to get me going until I had time to find the proper hose. After a short while, the spring in it tucked back towards the radiator side, leaving a section of about 3-4 inches right off of the water outlet with no spring.. You could see it suck shut when revving the motor.. That was a dayco universal flex hose, maybe the gates are different?

 

I can understand that in a regular universal hose, but the hoses I am referring to in the original post, have the spring molded in on the inside. Believe me, I checked it out--they are not going anywhere!

 

Gates make the absolute best belts and hoses that are available. Most companies use recycled rubber to produce their belts and hoses in order to keep their prices down. Gates is not one of those companies. They cost a bit more but they definitely work.

My boss put a Gates serp belt on his S-10. He wasn't paying attention when he put it on and didn't get it slid back all the way onto the grooved pulley. He drove it for about 40 miles and the pulley lip cut about 2 grooves off of the belt. He bought another belt and threw it behind the seat so that when the first belt broke, he'd have a spare. You know that torn belt lasted another 150 miles before it finally broke and even then, that was going down the interstate! His S-10 also has a mechanical fan to add to the stress on the belt.

I'd stand behind almost any Gates product.