Clear radiator hoses?

[lewd lude lover]

i think you will have issues where it joins mate. the engine rocks about in there quite a bit when the hammers down and the rad pipes are rubber flex, partly, to absorb that motion. The problem will also come with use. Your 85c tube will be fine for a few weeks but then its going to fatigue. Translucent materials rarely have the same properties as non translucent unfortunatly.

would look cool though.

[Crazy_C]

Been done for years mate, usually on lowriders. They usually make them out of toughened glass that won't break on specially designed mounts, and the rubber connectors are designed to flex more than standard to compensate for the tube itself not flexing.

[Sailor]

Thank god im not the only one well im going to attempt to make one from a old hose an clear tube an test it on short journeys

Be careful, though.

I seized the engine on an old Merc once, when the heater hose broke. Taking some of the bits in to get replacements, I showed the hose to the dealer.
"What's that," he asked.
I told him.
"I wouldn't put that on my f***ing washing machine!" he laughed.

Yep. A previous owner had thought it looked cool.

[paul72]

So does anyone know what temperature the water runs at in engine plus i found a bloke on net who done it with a honda civic an said it was ok while he was testing it on short runs but never said if it was anygood on a long run

[bb1boy]

I read somewhere that an H22 coolant will run at 210-220degrees at normal operating temperature. I assume they mean fahrenheit, so approx 104 celcius.

[BMCC]

The fan in the 5th gen will come on at 92C I believe. On a long run (motorway) the temp gauge usually sits at 70-80C more towards the 70C though when crusing. The sensor is in the top hose just before it goes into the radiator.

City driving (the old stop start WTF is that pratt in front of me up to!) is different and it will sit closer to 80-90C with the fan cutting in every now and again to bring the temp back down. Never got to 100C on the gauge.

[paul72]

Yeah i always thought cars never got to 100 degrees as thats boiling point so the fan must kick in before

[Mudgey]

Not the H22 but the civic k20a engine in mine runs an 80c thermostat, the water temp sits at 80-83c on average with the fan cut in temp at 95c.

You want to be careful running acrylic tube. They are prone to cracking with both cycling heat due to the stress built up in the tube whilst forming and also from anti freeze & anti algae inhibitors. Thats probably why those guys used glass.

It does look cool though and is used a lot in PC water cooling!

[bb1boy]

Well that's boiling point for water.. engine coolant has a higher boiling point. But yes, a 92c thermo switch sounds right.

[paul72]

So wud we be looking at some sort of toughened glass tube or are there any other clear plastics that can take this sort of heat ?