I searched but found nothing on the subject. Does anyone know whether these can be rebuilt to keep the original look ? The new ones at Superformance are steel braided. I noticed a slight leak from the clamped fittings after all the contortion they performed during the alternator replacement. Thanks, Skipp
If you're referring to the upper and lower oil hoses that connect to the oil cooler, be aware that if you buy, they're different for different Dino series (e.g., a E-series hose does not fit an M-series). And yes, all the repros I've found are steel braided rather than the correct rubber.
Take them off and bring them to a business that makes hydraulic hoses and fittings for trucks, backhoes and heavy equipment. They usually have a variety of fittings and hoses available and often make them on the spot.
The hoses are totally re-buildable and the real value is in the fittings which you have. A hydraulic shop will be able to replace the hoses. Metric hoses can be a little harder to find off the shelf in the US but they can be ordered. Try starting with a Parker Hydraulics dealer. The real key is in finding a guy at the counter who is helpful and has a bit of a feeling for old cars. The kiss of death is someone who looks at your hoses the same as those for a fork lift or front end loader. With the correct person you will be fine.
Thanks for your input. Will they not being using the same hoses as for their regular jobs, i.e. Forklifts ? How do I specify what I want ? I have no idea what to request.
All you need to tell them is that you need hose rated for engine oil. The comment about forklifts was that if you just take them the hose and tell them 'rebuild this' you will get back a hose that is functionally perfect but may be braided steel, blue cloth braid, yellow, green, whatever. They are used to rebuilding parts for machines where originality means NOTHING so unless you have a willing participant you will be out of luck. What you need is a person working the counter who is willing to go through the catalogs and source a hose that is functionally correct but also looks as close to original as possible.
