VY L36 or L67 Lower Radiator Hose Premature Failure

[krusing]

Dear JC Members,

Are you having premature Lower Cooling/Radiator Hose Failure?

I was recently flushing the cooling system, and found that the Lower cooling hose was rubbing against the Front Radial Arm Bracket when the engine was up to Temp/Hot, [after running it, and bleeding it]

It was that close, I wasn’t able to slide a Credit Card between the Hose and Front Radial Arm Bracket,

I sort of figured best to get a new Lower Radiator Hose, as its probably damaged from the edge of the bracket, and it will fail at the worst possible time.

So, I removed and Modify the Radial Arm Front Bush Bracket with a Cutting Blade, then
Grinding Blade, and finished it off with a file [Flat Cross Cut Bastard]

Knowing the OEM Brackets are rolled over the frame, I guess that is why, not to foul the Lower Radiator Hose pass over the top of the subframe.

I have attached a few photo’s before and after.

1. Hose showing Clearance when Engine Cold
2. Modified Radial Arm Front Bracket
3. Modified Radial Arm Front Bracket [different angle]
4. Radial Arm Front Bracket re-fitted showing new clearance with old hose
5. Radial Arm Front Bracket re-fitted showing modification
6. New Lower Radiator Hose Fitted
7. New Lower Radiator Hose Fitted showing the clearance between the New Hose and the Front Radial Arm Bracket
8. Radiator re-fill Container, perfect Fit, Head of Water to Bleed the L36's & L67's 3 x Bleed Screws
9. Old Hose Removed, ok for a Spare ["Straight to the Spare Wheel Well']
10. Old Hose's and Belts tucked away in the Spare Wheel Well.

Hope this saves the member from being stranded.
The little man in the Yellow Van, will love you for carrying Spares for these type of breakdowns.

PS: I was a fan of worm-screw hose clamps, but in this case, I used the OEM’s,
as they keep the tension on the hose when they heat up and become soft/malleable,
I also placed some gasket cement on the inside of the hose before I slipped both ends on, to make sure it seals at both ends, on the block, and on the Lower radiator fitting.

 

[shane_3800]

I've never seen one split due to this.

Maybe after 600,000km but you would've done two hoses by then anyway so it's a moot issue.

 

[krusing]

I've never seen one split due to this.

Maybe after 600,000km but you would've done two hoses by then anyway so it's a moot issue.

So your saying, that a hot rubber hose, that is under pressure rubbing/vibrating on the right angle edge of a body part,
does not have the potential to burst/fail prematurely, and is a moot issue ?

Last year I had the top radiator hose burst on my VE when it was rubbing/vibrating against the underside of the MAF unit,
and that is manufactured in plastic.

 

[Immortality]

You could also shorten the radiator hose, I find after market hoses need trimming sometimes as they tend to be a bit longer than OEM. taking 10mm off the radiator hose where it slides onto the waterpump will get the enough clearance without needing to grind stuff.

 

[krusing]

You could also shorten the radiator hose, I find after market hoses need trimming sometimes as they tend to be a bit longer than OEM. taking 10mm off the radiator hose where it slides onto the waterpump will get the enough clearance without needing to grind stuff.

I did just that for my VE replacement hose,
but sliced 10mm off the Radiator end, which pulled it closer to the radiator, and it gave the clearance of approx. 20mm below the MAF.

 

[krusing]

As my old Mechanic Boss once said to me in the late 70's & 80's,
Which is my rule of thumb.
"If you can not see the under side of the Hose, slide your fingers underneath and feel for any damage, and if you can not slide your fingers past any part of the hose and body, the Hose is too close, and could get damaged and fail"