Silicon hoses

[80Sprint]

Can you only get sets for the Sprint ?

I just want to replace the larger top hose for now and then work towards a full black set as I don't want to spend £125 plus just yet. Alternatively I could make one but would have to use a joiner which I am not so keen on. I suppose I could use this though to get rid of the Kenlowe sensor in the radiator but the kits are about £55.

Has everyone else used full kits ?

[Mahesh]

Have full kit in mine, (the green one )
and am very pleased with it so far.

The set was bought from Roose Motorsport, and
money well spent after talking to a few people
who had quality issues with cheaper options.

I've been looking at silicone hoses over the last few
days to replace the carb breather pipes, looks like they
will have to be bespoke, but it has meant reading up
on many different types of silicone hoses.

Would recommend using std rubber and then going for
a full kit when ready.

[James467]

I met a chap at the NEC who will be able to supply the club with silicone hose kits for all cars.

I am just in the process of contacting him and trying to get stock for the club.

If I were you I would do what Mahesh has suggested and just replace the top hose with a rubber one until you want to replace the complete set for silicone.

[sprint95m]

The hose joiners are perfectly fine if they are beaded (or barbed for smaller sizes).
What is important is to use proper hose clips. To this end I use JCS.

It is straightforward to make a complete set for a slant four engined Dolomite using off the shelf pieces.
I wrote an article on this in Dolly Mixture 141 some six years ago.
For a Sprint,
the top LH and bottom hoses are 32mm, top RH is 16mm, the thermostat housing to "expansion" tank is 6mm or 8mm (early or late respectively)
and the other hoses are 13mm.
The same applies to an 1850, save for the heater bypass which is 11mm.

The best hoses I have seen are Venair (German made, sold through Advanced Fluid Solutions in Essex).
Silicon.com are, being overly kind to them, complete rubbish.
ASH and RMD are fine.

I can provide a copy of the article if you PM your email address.
£125 for a complete set seems rather dear?

I've been looking at silicone hoses over the last few
days to replace the carb breather pipes, looks like they
will have to be bespoke, but it has meant reading up
on many different types of silicone hoses.

You will have no doubt realised this Mahesh, but the hoses you need must be fluro lined
because like rubber, silicone deteriorates with contact to oil.



Ian.

[SprintMWU773V]

Classic Silicone Hoses will do a Sprint set, they are expensive but very original looking and very good quality. A lot of hoses are too shiny or have logos on which I don't like. I've even seen some 'glass' hoses which allow you to look at your coolant or indeed illuminate it, quite cool but not sure it'd look good on a Dolomite. Did see it on an MGZR once, looked quite cool but you could tell the owner had filled the system with K-Seal as it looked awfully dirty.

Regarding a fan sensor switch then the best ones are the ones that go inline rather than reply on a bulb in the hose. Revotec do one, pretty neat and their fans are good too.

[Mahesh]

I concur Ian,

on both accounts, fluro lined, and JCS.

[sprint95m]

I am just in the process of contacting him and trying to get stock for the club.

In 2010 I contacted the Club spares officer about this.
Whilst I was willing to commit the money to get this done, the response was negative,
there is no demand,
we already have kevlar hoses,
there is no storage space,
there are too many models,
they are too expensive, etc etc.

The Club does have all the moulds.


On contacting Advanced Fluid Solutions I discovered that it is actually unnecessary to have any bespoke hoses made for a slant four engined Dolomite
which rather rendered my conversation with the Spares Officer irrelevant .




Ian.