[Irelands child]

My upper radiator hose is a Cool-flex and is metal (copper). It sure looks pretty and seems to do the job - but normal copper will work harden from movement, heating and cooling plus from that, get brittle. Has anyone had one of these fail? I took a ride today with the hood off and that hose really vibrates. I've seen many cars with these hoses but have never asked anyone about failures. At this point, I really don't have a problem removing it tho the $90 will of course hurt, but a blown hose in West Overshoe on a Sunday afternoon would hurt more .

Dave W

[T-bucket23]

Originally Posted by Irelands child

My upper radiator hose is a Cool-flex and is metal (copper). It sure looks pretty and seems to do the job - but normal copper will work harden from movement, heating and cooling plus from that, get brittle. Has anyone had one of these fail? I took a ride today with the hood off and that hose really vibrates. I've seen many cars with these hoses but have never asked anyone about failures. At this point, I really don't have a problem removing it tho the $90 will of course hurt, but a blown hose in West Overshoe on a Sunday afternoon would hurt more .

Dave W

if it is the real cool flex, it is guaranteed for life, even the rubber parts

[Irelands child]

Originally Posted by T-bucket23

if it is the real cool flex, it is guaranteed for life, even the rubber parts

It's the real thing - but that isn't my concern - it's like I said, that failure in West Overshoe on Sunday afternoon

Dave W

[T-bucket23]

I have never heard anything but good. I actually went to the CT
factory / store when it was with Total Performance. I asked about it and they said they get very few returns.

[fast68]

ive never heard of these, anyone got a pic of one?

[cboy]

I had a cool-flex heater hose blow off the firewall bulkhead of my '32 pickup three years ago but I can't lay the fault on the hose itself. This was due to long term wear, vibration, and loosening of the hose clamp which I could have prevented with regular maintenance and tightening. But over time, I've become more and more skeptical about using these hoses and on the new sedan/delivery build I've now replaced all my nice chrome heater hoses with old fashioned rubber ones and I also replaced the lower radiator hose with a hand fabricated arrangement which seems to be much more secure. I still have one cool-flex for the top radiator hose but just as you noted, I can see it vibrating like crazy when I'm at speed on the highway so it is always a concern. BTW, I'm still running a full set of Cool Flex hoses on the '32.

My basic conclusion at this point is the Cool Flex hoses (and their clones) have one weakness in their design. And that is the hose clamping system and the fact that every joint has double the possibilities of working itself apart (since every joint now has two clamping surfaces rather than just one with a traditional rubber hose.) I guess my bottom line would be...if you run these hoses (which lots of folks do), just include tightening of the clamps on your routine maintenance list.

[edstcr&c]

we have an upper and lower hose from cool flex on our 1937 chev which we have over 30,000 miles on. i do agree that you do have perform maintanance to tighten once a year, but i am real sure that copper stays soft a lot longer than s/s because of the work hardening factor of stainless steel, which will get brittle a lot faster than copper. we did have a s/s upper that cracked and sprayed antifreeze all over the weind blower on our engine.

[Irelands child]

Originally Posted by edstcr&c

we have an upper and lower hose from cool flex on our 1937 chev which we have over 30,000 miles on. i do agree that you do have perform maintanance to tighten once a year, but i am real sure that copper stays soft a lot longer than s/s because of the work hardening factor of stainless steel, which will get brittle a lot faster than copper. we did have a s/s upper that cracked and sprayed antifreeze all over the weind blower on our engine.

Thanks all for your responses - Friday or Saturday I will be going to the Cool Flex shop in Willimantic Conn. (WinTec) for other reasons and will ask them as well - then will post here

Dave W

[39 OLDROD]

Originally Posted by Irelands child

Thanks all for your responses - Friday or Saturday I will be going to the Cool Flex shop in Willimantic Conn. (WinTec) for other reasons and will ask them as well - then will post here

Dave W

Dave I have seen a lot of these run and have not heard or seem any problem with them. The poster that said good ol rubber for him must not know the Cool Flex has rubber bushings in them. The only problem I have had is on my top radiator hose and that was because AFCO made the top fitting about 1 1/2" instead of 1 3/4" like the rest but after I tighten the clamp up I had no more trouble. Oh have you ever tried to pull the hard hose out of the rubber after you run it and got it hot and tight if not try it some time yea you can blow one of the radiator or heater fittings BUT it don't blow of the hard hose

good cruiseing OLDROD