Still don't necessarily agree in ad hoc replacement of ALL hoses just cause one looks bad. Especially the big C cup titties. I think Watson means position 18 BTW.
Yes its a feel thing, not sure of the number as whatever material is used will distort at different rates. I HATE work gear clamps I use these on mission critical stuff that can not be accessed. PowerGrip® SB Clamps | Gates Corporation You mean that oil heater? LOL Mine is coming off and going to aux cooling, remember it was 90 degrees by me yesterday I rarely see temps below 65. ; OK all I need to do is get a full set of used OEM hoses from a 348 and a 355 Anyone who can get me a full set I will give them back a brand new set made out of the highest quality silicone and nomex materials. It will take about 10 weeks to make molds and dial it in. I dont have OEM 355 hoses mine were replaced with some aftermarket at some point
I did this early this spring.... been awhile. I think you are correct. #18 is the hose that kinked on me.
I have several thousand in stock up to 3 inch in 1/4 increments You heat them up with a heat gun, each time you start the car they will dynamically tighten again. Great for places you cant access. They grip like a mutha and have 300% more sealing area then worm clamps To get them off simply use a soldering gun and cut them off with the hot tip
Might be the coolest thing I learned all year! Thanks. Can I really use these when I do the engine out this winter?
I am I run them on my diesel, 250K miles no issues Must use new hoses so the "form" to the wateroutlet. Old hoses are destroyes where the work clamp has been digging into it. Like a fat dude with pants 2 sizes too small LOL I may have video somewhere or I will make one Here you go Get to about 3 min in to see them installed NO thats not me [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDeWev6iXEg[/ame]
Another basic video: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O91YqHbp8c]Gates PowerGrip SB Heat Shrinkable Hose Clamp - YouTube[/ame]
Have any of you priced out the complete factory replacements? They are not far off from the price of the silicon hoses. I assume all of the hoses on my car are original, I have no paperwork ever stating they have been changed. They get old and hard as a rock as they age, Its not a bad idea to change them when they are this old. Its just safe to swap your rubber once in a while. Tires sure as hell don't last 20 years and still be worth using. I know that they formulate Rubber differently for the application so tires and coolant hoses are different, but its still rubber and it ages. Engine heat coolant heat, oil and fluids on them. Why not swap them someday?
I had the 355 radiators changed out for Saldanas a few years back and when I did I bought the SR hose kit, even though only the 4 short rad supply/return hoses were changed. When I do the major in a year or two I'll have the remainders replaced. These SR hoses look/feel like they could stop a .22 LR bullet... They might even have Kevlar in them!
Well is there a better way than even the SRI hose for less money? If I remember correctly or think I remember the way the SRI hoses got started was to solve the problem of standard hoses left unmaintained in the extreme heat of the engine valleys of some Ferrari models. These valley hoses would rupture and take hours to repair due to the tedious time it took to remove plenums. From that the SRI zero failure option was born. I'm pretty sure the Gates SB heat shrink clamps can be used over braided stainless steel lines. These typical lines can be used for coolant, oils and fuel with a temp range of about -100 to 450*F. The cost of these hoses in straight sections is pretty cheap. I actually have never thought of using SS braided line for coolant hose like the valley hoses. What do you guys think of that? Is that the cheapest heavy duty solution?
If I was changing the radiators I would change the hoses as a matter of course. Your there, Its apart just replace them at that time. I used to work on airplanes and everyone that does understands some jobs its better to do some other things while your there just to save you the headache of a failure down the road. This pertains to consumables not so much components, and yes parts that you change can fail but more often than not they do not fail.
The problem here is that there are some people here stating that the $1000 hoses are so much better than the OEM hoses (which on the whole have lasted 15~20years and most are still working fine), and are better than the $200 hoses, but there's actually no evidence to back up these claims because the hoses are still new on the car. It could be that in a few years time people who have used the $200 hoses start suffering failures and end up regretting it. By the same token, they may find that their $200 hoses are still going fine 30 years plus down the road. It could be that in a few years time people who have used the $1000 hoses start suffering failures and end up regretting it. By the same token, they may find that their $1000 hoses are still going fine 30 years plus down the road. It could be that both the $1000 hoses and the $200 hoses are still going strong 30 years down the road. At the end of the day, nobody right now knows for definite which hoses are going to be the best in years to come, only time will tell. The concern I would have is, how much of the $1000 hoses is actually "Ferrari tax"? Unless there is a massive difference in the quality of the hose material (and I mean massive, not just that they're slightly better), I'd query how one manufacturer can make the set for @ $200 when another makes them for @ $1000 as that's quite some difference. When it comes to Ferrari's, it's all to easy to be suckered into thinking that because something costs more, it automatically must be better, but that's not always the case, and there are plenty of people who decide that because a part is for a Ferrari, those owners can pay far more for their parts (Ferrari themselves are guilty of this: A generic part with a Ferrari badge on can cost far more than the exact same part with a FIAT badge on it). It's the owners choice as to which hoses they decide buy and fit, but as I say, it's a bit too early to start declaring that one set of hoses is far better than the other - Come back in 15 ~ 20 years time, then we might have a better indication of which hoses were better!
Your statements are true we do not know. I think this goes back to the thread about what is a major? For many owners 15-20 years is lifetime on a car. So are people using hoses as lifetime? I think some people are. I think that's why the little valley hoses get so beat up. How are the SRI hoses supposed to be used? If they are lifetime that's a bargin price. Why are people reusing hoses over 3-4 major service intervals? Maybe just changing hoses every major using cheaper hose will out last the major service interval and you are fine. Then you can go back to the random autoparts store find a hose with the bend you want and just buy it and pay no Ferrari tax at all.
From Ricambi's website: Do not be fooled by coolant hoses that look fine on the outside, it is the inside that matters! Simply stated, the best coolant hose money can buy. At Scuderia Rampante Innovations we designed this hose to far exceed any requirements we have on the Ferrari's and to last multiple services if installed properly. This is not a "siliconized" consumer grade hose, this is 100% Silicone, as good as it gets in every respect
FWIW, the SRI hoses exceed the performance and physical definitions of * SAE J20 R1 * SAE J20 R1 H.T. Class A * TMC RP303B Grade I and Grade II * Mil Spec A-A-52426 They are Aramid reinforced for temperature ranges in excess of -53dC to +175dC and resistant to the oil, grease contamination that can occur in a tightly packed engine bay, like the 348/355. For an F355 kit, the cost reflects the custom mandrels needed for the S-hose, and (I assume) the two reducer hoses on the heat exchanger. As others have noted before, you *must* crank the stuffing out of the clamps to ensure these silicone hoses remain firmly fitted. As much as feasible, they need an initial torque of around 70 ft/lb. (DISCLAIMER: I can check with SRI on this number... but I think that was the recommended amount)
I basically agree with Phill's position as it is similar to mine. Is better quality really an issue if the OEM hoses last for 20 years (30 on my 308)? Do we know for sure than any of these new hosed would last that long? I would also suggest that a Gates rubber hose produced today is of better quality that the OEM hoses fro, 20 or 30 years past. But it's not just hoses. It is the entire automotive industry. No one ever considered changing oil in their daily drivers every 3k miles before Jiffy Lube appeared on the scene. And Gates, change the belts very 3 years. Heck, my 89 3 series went 7 years and 125k miles on the original belts. By 96 3 series when 18 years on the original belt before it was totaled. My 02 Toyota truck 155k miles and going. And then there are the fuel stabilizers like Stabil. Check out the MSDS, Stabil is 95% heating oil, i.e. kerosene. The reality is that much of this stuff just feeds on your paranoia. Anyway, back to hoses. I have attached a couple of pictures of a section of hose that was replaced during a major on my 308 back in 2010. The hose is original, 25 years old. Pictures are Top left, outside of hose with hose squeezed. Top right, inside of hose. Bottom, inside of hose after cutting , squeezed. Note that there is no cracking inside or out and no significant buildup crap on the inside. Of course, you mileage may vary. My 308 is a 1 owner car so I know it's history. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hello Phill, I think that you're missing a few details. The $200 kit does not have the $350 items (145015), of which two are needed for the 355. The $200 kit lacks a few other pieces as well. So, in a nutshell, and with both kits being equal (number of parts, not materials), your 200 bucks is actually over a grand.
John, I hear what you are saying. What is a good test of an old hose? How can we tell if we have a still serviceable hose? You can't tell by looking at it. I happen to have a perfectly good looking piece of hose off my 20k miles 550 but when you squeeze the hose you can feel something internal cracking like the glass fibers in the hose. There is no evidence of this on the inside or outside of the hose. Now after cracking all the internal fibers the hose does not make anymore noise when squeezed. If I handed you the hose you would think it was perfect. I'm not putting it back in my car that is for sure. Why would anyone leave a hose 20 years? Isn't that just asking for trouble? Hoses are disposable like gearbox oil and timing belts. Why are we basically thinking about lifetime hoses? Are we buying indestructible finest quality SRI hoses that have become fashion dressup for our engine compartments as well as a long-term benefit just so we can truely have a lifetime hose? The worst part of any used hose is the connection end that often gets hard and memorizes a set. Does the SRI hose lack memory and increasing harness because it is all silicone? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
My 11 year old (at the time) Mondial 8 blew one of the couplers under the belly pan. An then, about a year later blew the upper radiator hose (elbow). I had a 4 year old 87 Fiero GT blew its heater hose as well. Roll of the dice I would say... Image Unavailable, Please Login
I definitely did not go for the SR hoses as a lifetime product. If you go through your service records, you can see when hoses were replaced. Some may not have full service records to know this. I lived in Colorado for 23 years and worked in Boulder for 8. I came to trust Dave Helms with my 328 service and know that he cares about quality and reliability. He personally owns a 355 and is always looking to make the car go longer with less frequent service needs. He takes care of very rare cars, was "the man" at Ferrari of Denver, for a long time, and has been, or is, the go-to mechanic for the Colorado Grand. He's not going to retire early off of hose sales. That's good enough for me. I'm glad that the discussion has been a positive one giving owners multiple sources of hoses to look at and consider. Hopefully no one has a breakdown because of them. Best. Robb.
That's a whole other issue. When was the last time people replaced Ferrari heater hoses? It is indeed a roll of the dice if maintenance is ignored.
Agreed! I think the answers will be more obvious once we know how the hoses are to be used. What is the recommended change interval? Should hose change just be part of a 5 year major? Can SRI hoses be used as lifetime hoses? The answers are simple when the hose is 15 bucks on your Toyota but that hose in my picture above from my 550 Ferrari wants over $250! There is a great temptation to let that hose stay another 5 years. Maybe that's how you get in trouble. We all know to change great looking T-belts in 5yrs but we just have not established similar rules for hoses. I have some prototype SRI hoses on my other 550 and Dave handed them to me and said give these a try. At the time there was no instructions for use or use recommendations they were prototype. So what is the scope of use for the current SRI hose?
