News:

It appears that the upgrade forces a login and many, many of you have forgotten your passwords and didn't set up any reminders. Contact me directly through helpmelogin@dodgecharger.com and I'll help sort it out.

Main Menu

leaky lower radiator hose

Started by r4daytona, April 24, 2019, 08:39:03 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

r4daytona

My lower radiator hose has a small leak where it connects to the water pump.  I dealt with this last year and am NOT going to this year.  Besides the corbin clamp I also added a band clamp.  Now the casting on the water pump does have its share of pits for all the years, but I wiped it down with alcohol, clean the inside of the hose and use high temp silicone and it still leaked.  Any suggestions?  Something other than silicone?

Birdflu

It makes dealing with it in the future kind of a PITA, but I've used 3M weatherstrip adhesive (the sticky yellow stuff) on pitted/problematic hose connections. With everything clean and DRY, apply the weatherstrip adhesive on the fitting and I.D. of the hose (you don't need a ton), slide the hose on, wipe off any residual adhesive, install the clamp and let it dry. I've never had one leak!  :2thumbs:

r4daytona

Thanks, I'll give that a try.  I forgot, but any suggestion on having the valve cover gaskets not leak?  I've got alum. heads and am using the thicker NAPA gaskets that are on the harder side if you feel them.

Mopar Nut

Use fel pro cork/rubber valve cover gasket and this... let it dry for 24 hrs. or more.
"Dear God, my prayer for 2024 is a fat bank account and a thin body. Please don't mix these up like you did the last ten years."

r4daytona

Got some yesterday along with the Fel-pro performance gaskets. I have to get the 3/16 thick because the roller rockers just tap the top of the valve cover if I don't use them.  I also got the 3M yellow weather strip for the hose.  Of course now because of wiping that stupid leak several times last year the ink off my repro lower hose is gone.  You can barely see it so I'm debating if I should even bother replacing it.  Anyone have suggestion as to who makes the best repo hose with correct ink?  OR, are they all made by the same place and different people just sell them?