Looking for Gates "Green Stripe" hoses

GT car parts in AZ. I gave you the number in a PM I sent you

 

I got my green stripe hose from these guys: http://www.imperialinc.com/.

 

O'Reilly Auto Parts

 

I used the Weatherhead Hose from Napa. It will take a huge amount of abuse and is about equal to the high pressure blue hose that the Heavy Equipment places sell, except its black.
This is a hellish job but can be done alone, ask me why I know. I used the weatherhead hose for the vacume line also and it seems to work OK.

 

When I re-did my cooling system, it took me about two weeks to source Gates Green Stripe in the needed 1 5/8" size (roughly 40.6mm). I found it at Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts. NAPA 'claims' to sell Gates Green Stripe, but they don't know the Gates line well. NAPA tried to sell me their cheaper (and lower grade) hose, claiming it was made by Gates. Gates Green Stripe is made in the USA, and the hose they were pushing was made in Mexico and didn't have a green stripe (the stripe indicates its durablility in the Gates product line). Plus, they were charging Gates prices for an inferior hose.

Green Stripe comes in three-foot 'sticks'. Having to buy more than three of these from any one supplier is ridiculous. At Bumper to Bumper, they would sell me as little as six inches if that's all I wanted, and they had a chop saw on the premesis to make very clean and neat cuts while you waited. I did every hose 'section' in my car with six feet of Gates. I have not done the heater hoses yet, however....All Gates hoses have a five or six-digit part number which indicates grade of hose and internal diameter. If you can source the part numbers you are looking for, and can't find anyone to sell it to you reasonably, drop me a PM and I'll try my local Bumper to Bumper for you.

 

I don't think you can get the Gates Hose in 5/8 diameter and in 12' length. At least not around here. The heater hose is an important one to do. Mine was in very bad shape and looked about ready to go. I wouldn't put this off for very long. This is not a repair you want to do on the road.

 

I want to do some preventative maintenance on my 328 and replace those long hoses, I see both 5/8 inch and 1 5/8 inch mentioned above, I presume it requires 5/8 inch ID hose ?? Is it the same diameter and length for the 328 ? And what is total length required ?

thanks

 

Imperial is a bit of a pain in that they do want you to sign up for an account which means they will pester you with sales flyers and actually call your cell phone once a month to see if you need anything. They are really into bonding with the customer. If I needed bonding I would become a Saturn owner and go to the summer picnic. In retrospect I would give them my junkmail address and a bad phone number. I just wanted some Green Stripe hose! That being said, my local big truck parts house told me the hose was back ordered which means my order was sucked into a black hole. Imperial had it to me in three days.

 

You will need 5/8 Inside for the heater hose and 1/2 Inside for the vacume line. I bought 16' and had enough to do all the other heater hoses in front of the windshield. I don't know what the actual length should be but it is somewhere around 12'.

 

I find that if you call Gates and tell them what you need that they are very helpful in telling you what local dealer has stock or has recently purchased some. Get ready because the green stripe is pretty pricey but it is the only stuff that really fits well. I use a little dielectric grease to help it on and it makes a huge difference. While you are at it be sure to check the other lines including the fuel lines (ALL OF THEM) lots of leaks and fires out there.

 

Is anyone using the same green stripe heater hose as their brake vacuum line as well? Is there concern over wall integrity and possible collapse under vacuum? Were the same hoses used as original equipment?

Thanks.

Jim S.

 

I got my green stripes from a local commercial hose supplier. Just look in your yellow pages under hose - pretty simple