VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Bottom radiator hose colapts

Started the '49 up with the '52 motor in it just to run it for awhile. After about 15 minutes with all the gagues at normal, I looked under the hood and saw the bottom radiator hose was colaptsed. Shut it down to check the water level and didn't get any pressure when I took the cap off. Radiator was full of water and hose filled out again. Started it again and same thing. Would this be the thermostat sticking shut even though the water gauge was on normal? It was not boiling. Was about 40 degrees in the shed.

When I replaced my radiator hoses, the lower hose had a coiled wire inside the hose to prevent it from collapsing.

Bob

49 radiators are not pressurized.

OK. Thanks guys. Guess I'd better get the right bottom hose.

I recently bought a new lower hose made by Gates and was told that they beefed up the reinforcement so no longer but wire coils in them. If that is true finding the a hose with wire coil might prove to be tough. In my case I took a coil from an old hose and put it in. Have had the pump try to pull more water than radiator will flow and that partially collapses the lower hose.

Thanks Chipper. I'm sure I got the one from the '49 motor some place in the shop so will check for it tomorrow. Will use that if it has a spring and in good shape.
Also learned how to spell collapses tonite.

Yep, and gagues is spelled "gauges".

Do people know that the "SPELL CHECK" on their computers also work on this forum??????

Darn, should of thought of that. Too much Jagermeister I guess.

The lower hose I purchased .... with the spring inside, came from NAPA. However, it was 3 years ago or so.

Bob

Thanks Bob. I'll try them next week. Don't want to put a used one on.

Got the new lower radiator hose from the Filling Station and installed. Filled with antfreeze and started it up. The hose didn't collapse but the temperture got real hot. Shut it off to see if the thermostat was faulty and here is what I found.



I put about 20 miles on the motor and ran it maybe another 2hrs and never heated until I put the new hose on. I'm thinking someone left this rag or rope in the motor as I got it as an extra with the car or it was pushed up in the radiator and I didn't see it when I installed it. The thermostat worked in hot water so I restalled it and added antifreeze. Didn't run long and the motor overheated again. Took it apart again but nothing in the thermostat so I'm guessing maybe the water pump or some other place is plugged with more junk. Going to let it sit until it warms up outside and then back flush everything with a water hose. Oh yes, I had to adjust the spring in the hose so I looked in both ends and didn't see anything in the hose. Will have an update later. Might even put it back together again without the thermostat and see if the antifreeze is circulating at a decent pace.

Ain't you glad that someone put the rag in the bottom of the radiator to keep mice and trash from getting in the radiator?
I usually just use duct tape and steel wool.

It's hard for me to believe that there was something in the radiator because how did it get through the water pump in one piece? Maybe it could. All I did was take one hose off and put the other one on. I put the thermostat in some water and put on the stove to open it up and get the junk out.

Went out there and used a water hose to back flush the motor as another guy watched and then the radiator and nothing came out. Put water in with out the thermostat and started it up and it over heated again. After supper I took the water pump off and it was clean. I then drilled a little hole in the hose and as water was back flushing the engine put air into the water hose and did the same to the radiator. I wasn't by the car when I did this so after shutting the water off went and looked under the car and saw some junk under the car. Don't know if it came from motor or radiator but filled with water and no thermostat and the heat gauge only raised about 1/4 up and stayed there so I'm OK but will flush once more tomorrow just to make sure everything is out. Plan on putting the 160 degree thermostat back in. I did remember to drain the car so it doesn't freeze tonight.