Technical Lower radiator hose anti-colapse spring

I've been reading that older Pontiac engines should have an anticolapse spring in the lower radiator hose to keep it from sucking flat during hard acceleration. I went to my local Napa and ask them if they had any of those Springs and they told me that they do not sell them anymore. I asked the guy why that was and he said it's because they come apart and go into the radiator and the water pump and cause damage. This seems kind of unusual to me if the spring was made out of stainless steel. What are your thoughts?

 

My thoughts are the story he told you is BS. That said, I've never seen a spring sold to fit the inside of a hose, but I have bought lower rad hoses with a spring in them. Most recently an off topic Ford Taurus.

 

Get a new hose with the spring included. No offense to parts store workers, but some I run into don’t know much about cars in general. A 1957 anything throws them for a loop.

 

Now days its 2010 or older !

 

I've encountered several springs that are half gone, the rest of it must have gone through the water pump. They were made of steel, not stainless. But if you maintain the cooling system, a steel spring will last a long time.

With modern pressurized cooling systems, hose collapse isn't much of an issue, usually. Older cars, yeah, a spring is a good thing to have.

maybe you can find an NORS hose that has the spring in it?

 

A few years back I remember buying a lower hose that came with no spring. I took the spring out of the old hose and fit it into the new one. I think they just look for ways to cut costs these days.
Don’t get me started on wiper blades that last about 2 months.

 

NAPA online states “out of stock” only.

 

Napa doesn't show a radiator hose for a 57 pontiac online . 3 attempts to find radiator hose draw a blank, not even flex hoses. Evidently the parts houses don't show them separate but you can find them online. radiator hose spring - Google Search

 

Back when I was messing around with turbocharged setups, we had various springs to tune the blow-off valves. you can buy them on AmazingBay but they're kind of spendy.
You don't really need the compressible factor of 'spring steel'. You just need the 'coil' so you can simply wind your own out of coathanger wire or 3/32" stainless rod. Just wrap it around a shovel handle or Tabasco bottle of the right girth.

 

I have a rusty old radiator hose spring in my trash can, I think...I can dig it out for you....

 

The spring in the lower rad hose was there only for the vacuum cooling system fill on the assembly line at the factory. After that, it served no purpose. With the today's advent of high volume water pumps, it's a different story I suppose. If your bottom hose sucks shut, you have other cooling system problems. I work at what used to be a Goodyear belt and hose plant. When the totes of same hoses came down the conveyer, the hose going to the Car plants had the spring and the hoses that went to the dealers for dealer replacement and the parts houses did not have the spring. It was one man's job to make the springs, It was an automatic coiling machine. There were galvanized, brass, rarely stainless, and some just plain steel.

 

Funny how all the lower hoses I purchased for my off topic Chevelle of had springs in them.

 

You'd expect that with a Chevrolet. They need all the help they can get!

 

My numerous grand prixs, gto, firebirds, Bonnevilles etc all had springs in the lower hose's....

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I've seen lower hoses collapse, and don't recall ever seeing an OEM lower that didn't have the spring...

 

When I worked at a Napa store back in the 80s-90s, we had the springs. And I can remember seeing a car with the lower hose sucked flat. He added a spring and it helped but within a couple of months, he ended up changing the radiator. It was plugged enough that the pump would suck the hose flat without a spring.

I think too small or plugged radiator may add to the condition that causes the hose to get flattened. If everything is perfect, they may not be needed

 

National Parts Depot Has them. Item# 8A286-1A. Price $ 6.04. each.

SPRING, LOWER RADIATOR HOSE

FULL DESCRIPTION


Item # 8A286-1A
Brand: Cobra Automotive
Units: EACH


$6.04


In Stock!


SPRING, Lower Radiator Hose, Helps to keep the hose from collapsing especially under high RPM usage, 13 inch long x 1.625 inch O.D.

NPD Part Number : 8A286-1A
Manufacturer Reference #'s: 100-RHS-SB,

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I bought two 3- long universal stainless water hose springs for the long hose in my Mysterion with its rear mounted radiator. Don't remember wher I got them but don't recall having any problem with an internet search.

 

I'm having a hard time finding longer lengths of these springs. Everything is 15" or less, anyone got a lead on it?

 

Hav you tried Mc Master-Carr? I would think for a rear radiator the main length the car would be a metal tube. EMT electrical conduit has been my go too metal.

 

Yes, I looked at McMaster, no luck. I'm trying to connect a rear radiator to a round frame tube on each side, need about 24" for each side. I know I can use a pair of 12", but if I can find a single for each, so much the better. Thanks.

 

?

 

Used to be able to get straight lengths of hose at NAPA. Not vary bendable but durable. Maybe try a hydraulic supply shop?

 

In a pressurized cooling system, there would have to be a hell of a restriction (pressure drop) in the cooling loop somewhere for a hose to collapse. This is a symptom, not the problem. Perhaps in the old flathead Era cars this was an issue but I can't see it being one in a system with 12 psi or greater pressurization unless the radiator is clogged up. I think this is a wife's tale that keeps being carried forward.

 

I have no data to back this up. I'm pumping coolant through the frame on my project like Willys36 did, and it's a long path through it and the radiator and back to to the engine, so I think there is a great deal of system resistance. For me, I'm going with, "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." Maybe I'm wrong, I welcome more info on the validity of the need for these things. They sure are getting scarce.

 

The more curves in the hose, the less benefit a spring is. It's the long, straight sections that seem to collapse. But like rockable said, restrictions play a big part. If you can reduce the use of long straight sections of hose, you will also reduce the chances of sucking a section flat due to restriction.

 

You are correct that longer runs and more turns will create additional pressure drop. For most well functioning pressurized systems, it is hard to imagine that hose going flat. Don't blame you for wanting the "insurance" on your system.

 

Thanks Mark. I may wind up some SS TIG wire....