I have reached the point where I am so frustrated with this lower radiator hose, I'm asking out of desperation for anyone's help.


I am using a stock radiator in my car, and I *had* been using the '89 F250 7.5L hose and there are not enough swear words to describe the lack of fitment I have experienced with this hose. When I parked my car back in December I found that my radiator was 1/4 full of coolant, the rest had escaped I'm assuming out of the lower radiator hose because it's SO FLIPPING GINORMOUS!

I know some of you have said you had good luck with finding a F250 7.5L hose that worked due to the ends being much larger diameter than the rest of the hose, so you were able to trim off the ends and it works flawlessly...well you lucky ones must have totally different distributors than the stores up here because the hose I am using is the same diameter throughout. I have bought 4 of these stupid things and they're all the same, even from different stores.

What boggles my mind is my dad's IROC is using a 3rd gen radiator and the stock hose that came with his motor out of a '98 Z28. I went and looked at a '98 hose at AutoZone tonight and the one end looks WAY too small to fit on the radiator.



I'm about ready to throw a cheap looking accordian bendy-hose on it


Maybe someone who's had good luck with the F250 hose fitting correctly wouldn't mind picking one up for me at their local store and shipping it to me? I don't know what else to do.




IDEAS/THOUGHTS??

 

This? one of the other hose threads, I think the guy in NJ here used this hose

 

The Dayco 71321 worked out much better for me than the 7.5l hose did.

 

I'm also running the D71321 lower hose

 

I got my lower hose from summit. The aluminum flex hose.

 

I used the stock 4th gen lower hose..? Im also running the 4th gen rad...maybe thats why it worked for me.

But all I did was trim it a hair to give it clearance from the idler arm, and Ive been good to go.

Never really looked into the other hoses.

J.

 

Dayco D71321 here as well. Fits great.

 

Well its about time we did this. I guess I'll be going to get that Dayco hose before I fill my radiator with coolant.

Can someone post a picture of it on your car?

Edit: The link scooter put up is excellent

 

Nick, in the interest of full disclosure, when I pulled the engine a couple of weeks ago, the hose was slightly damp (formed a drop) at the water pump. But, the clamp wasn't quite snug, and I hadn't bothered checking it because I knew I was going to pull the engine (just took me longer to get to it than I had planned).

When I reinstall, I don't expect to have a problem, for what that's worth.

 

What about us guys running Griffin rads?

 

If it's a 3rd gen radiator, use the Dayco hose.

If it's a 4th gen radiator, use the 4th gen hose.

If it's a custom radiator, you're on your own.

 

Same dimensions as a 3rdgen rad I'm sure. I'll try that dayco hose.

 

damn where was this thread 3 weeks ago haha. Im rolling with the 7.5l hose. works ok but doesnt look the best. that dayco hose looks good i think i will be going to get that one

 

Just made sure i tightened the snot out of both of the F250 hoses in my swaps.

 

I picked up the Dayco 71321 tonight, it looks very promising. Thanks for sharing everyone! I'll have some updates with photos this weekend.

 

Yeah the Dayco hose looks the best from the pics I have seen, unfortunately I have the ford hose already

 

I put the new Dayco 71321 hose on tonight and it looks like we have a winner.


I didn't even measure it, I just looked at the picture that was posted in the link in the 2nd post here, and went off that and made two cuts then I was done











You can see that it is just barely touching the bottom idler arm bolt, I don't think it was going to hurt anything but me being the paranoid person that I am, decided I was going to do something about it...






That's about a 3/4" length of heater hose (whatever size the smaller heater core line is), that I cut off and stuck it over the end of the bolt to keep the hose from rubbing on the threads of the bolt. Like I said, it probably would have been fine because it was just barely touching but I took precautions against the possibility of having to mess with a busted hose.

 

I still think the flipped 98-02 F-body hose fits better...

 

that's the air bleed going to a 3/4" heater hose. cant see it but I had made an adapter on the lath using a chunk of brass. turned the ends down and left a flare so they cant slide apart.

 

I did something similar with mine too, but I just bought two brass fittings that screwed together and reduced it from the radiator to the size of the outlet under the throttle body.

 

thats another good option! I had the brass and the lath so I figured why not. the way I see it both ways are better than drilling the pump.

 

with my be cool radiator, my lower radiator hose is like half the length of your new hose.i will try and take a pic today.

 

im currently in the middleof the same problem, igot the 4th gen lower hose. one side (the big side) is just right the other is to small. what im doing is the big side(i assume goes to the thermastat housing) is going on the radiator and the small side im boiling in hot water to get it to stretch the extra 1/4 to now fit on the housing i know timmyboy got it to work with grease i believe but ima try this way

 

I tried to do that with a cone shaped piece of steel and a heat gun with no success.

 

its a process that is done when the hose is made. only one way I know to make it bigger now and that's oil and time. not my idea of a good way to do that. your best bet is grease the small end and work it on the thermostat no reason to get it stuck on a plastic radiator outlet

 

Turns out the Griffin rad I have is for a Ford. So I don't know what I'm going to do for the lower hose. Probably have to bite the bullet and run a flex hose. I have an upper already from a buddy using a custom one on his turbo car.

 

with my be cool, i think i need a small metal tube between the idler arm. I thought it was good but appears to rubber more than i thought.