Rad Hose for a GMC/Chevy Conversion

[RyanB]

Hey all... I am not VERY close to start up with my truck... planning on turning the key this saturday for the first time!



Anyway, before that I have to figure out the rad hose situation. What is everyone using for the hoses? I have gone a little different way than most of you all in the fact that kept my kept my large 4-core rad from my 350 and it fits perfectly into my Duramax intercooler.



Just wondering if anyone can give me idea's on hoses.



Thanks... Ryan

 

[RyanB]

Anyone have any idea's? I have found adapters that will step up and alow me to use the Cummins hoses but I have to have two to make them work per hose! I was thinking last night that I could also just use a piece of the stock GMC hose and use it as a bushing/adapter and then maybe just double clamp it. I have also heard of guys using some sort of glue/adheasive to bond the two hoses technically making on hose. Anyone know if there would be any problems with that?



Thanks again... Ryan

 

[Msilbernagel]

Ryan,



It's probably dependent (somewhat) on physical routing - and that's highly dependent upon your choice of radiator and mounting.



Still, in mine, they put together three pieces: a bit of hose that comes off the engine and bends toward the driver's side of the radiator (input on mine). It (by recall) does several inches and stops. Then is a straight section of metal tubing that the hose goes over and clamps to - perhaps 6-8 inches? Then a hose that travels the remainder of the way and turns into the radiator intake (top/drivers side of rad).



Seems to work fine, and looks to have solved the odd length that happened when putting an '04 HPCR in a '93 GMC Sub with a '96 Dodge diesel radiator and intercooler...



I could probably get you a picture with my cellphone if that would be helpful.



Mark

 

[RyanB]

yeah a picture would be great! have both the stock Cummins hoses beside me right now and they are very close to being the right size and shape other than the ID's on the ends. I think I may just do the double up thing and get a stronger style of hose clamp!

 

[Msilbernagel]

yeah a picture would be great! have both the stock Cummins hoses beside me right now and they are very close to being the right size and shape other than the ID's on the ends. I think I may just do the double up thing and get a stronger style of hose clamp!

Ryan,



Here you are:



#ad




#ad




#ad




#ad

 

[DKarvwnaris]

If you have access to a bead former, you can always make your own adapter tubes to put in between the hoses. With beaded ends on the tube, it will be no different than a factory cooling system as far as needing "special" hose clamps. To buy one for a single conversion is a little rough on the wallet, but once you have it, you'll find a lot of uses for it. Heater hose, Radiator hose, filler necks for the gass tank etc.

Beadform is the name of the one I have. It is by far the best one I have seen yet.

If you can use factory dodge hoses, it will be easier to get the majority of the hoses plumbed in that way, they conform to the engine better than most pieced together sections you'll be able to scab together. Use the Bead former and some aluminized muffler tube to stretch the distance in the straight sections to whatever dimensions you need as the pics above illustrate.

 

[MPalachuk]

In the past I have used exhaust pipe that a shop can bend to the design you need and they can bell it for a larger hose, I also had them put a small bell at the end to heep the hose and clamp from sliding off.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

In the past I have used exhaust pipe that a shop can bend to the design you need and they can bell it for a larger hose, I also had them put a small bell at the end to heep the hose and clamp from sliding off.

Muffler shops are good if you have a template to take them. Try to have them use aluminized material to reduce rust, and mandrel bends, not press bends if at possible. You don't want to end up with a restriction in the flow

My only reservation about having them put a bell on the end, verses an actual formed bead set back on the hose a little bit, is this. The bell's edge can cut into the hose if the hose flexes for whatever reason, which you won't realize until you are looking at the cut from the outside of the hose.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

The dude that put a 6BT in his Dakota (which recently just fired off for the first time!) used aluminum pipe and silicone hose (same stuff the ricers use for intercooler pipes) with t-bolt clamps.



That's what I plan on doing with my conversion... but I probably won't run aluminum. I used to have access to a bead roller... I made a custom one-off intercooler pipe for my '94 with it... worked slick as heck.



Matt

 

[RyanB]

Thanks for all the help guys! I think I am just going to try and do the double up method and see what happens. I am running an open thermostat so pressure build up won't be as bad as it would be with a normal stat. I talked to a guy this morning about this and he said that if I double it up and use a rubber adheasive and a t-bolt style clamp it should work just like normal!



Ryan

 

[DHartley]

Ryan I went to the rad shop and got bigger necks for the rad and am going to change them out . a friend told me thats what he did on his first gen into a 78 chev. Dana [ he had the rad shop do it, but its no biggie to solder a rad]

 

[RyanB]

Well that would be an option for me but my rad has plastic tanks so that makes it hard to do that. I have few options to make this work!



Ryan

 

[DVolk]

radaitor hose

Any good radaitor shop can swap out the out lets on the radaitor

with basicly any size you want ,so why mess around with adapter if you really dont have to do so . Then for a hose you can buy either a flex hose

or you can go with sevral other types as well check out www.macsradaitor.com

 

[DKarvwnaris]

Any good radaitor shop can swap out the out lets on the radaitor

with basicly any size you want ,so why mess around with adapter if you really dont have to do so . Then for a hose you can buy either a flex hose

or you can go with sevral other types as well check out www.macsradaitor.com

You can't change the outlets on a plastic radiator when the hoses connections are formed as a single composite piece of the tanks themselves. Sure a brass or solid aluminum radiator with no plastic tanks can be refitted, but thats not what he's dealing with.



Flex hoses are a pretty backwoods solution to something like this, If I was going through the time and money of repowering a vehicle, I'd want either a solid mandrel bent coolant pipe with beads on it or a form fitted hose that is not going to kink over from a high flow water pump like a cummins can do, especially on the inlet side hoses if you have to put an abrupt 90 degree curve in it. There aren't many flex hoses made anymore that are OEM quality, most are thinner than form fitted hoses, mainly so they can be form fitted etc.

 

[DVolk]

radaitor hose

I agree with you a hundred percent about plastic tanks ,personely i dont care for them ,they tend to be leakers on the seams of the tanks .



On the hoses , Ive seen on Trucks a stainless flex set up that looks nice ,but im unshure if it hold up to daily use ,but actually ,if a person follows the big truck manufactors way of running hose is the best bet ,run hard line then the rubber were flex is needed

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I agree with you a hundred percent about plastic tanks ,personely i dont care for them ,they tend to be leakers on the seams of the tanks .



On the hoses , Ive seen on Trucks a stainless flex set up that looks nice ,but im unshure if it hold up to daily use ,but actually ,if a person follows the big truck manufactors way of running hose is the best bet ,run hard line then the rubber were flex is needed

Funny, I have 260,000 miles on my plastic tanked radiator in my dodge, not to mention the numerous other conversions I've used them in. Not one of them has leaked since installed. (with the exception of a used one we bought out of a wrecked truck with a busted header plate).



Isn't the hard line with rubber ends what I recommended above?. .