I am going to replace my lower radiator hose. It has a small leak in it because it has come into contact with one of the cooler lines, and over time melted through.

The manufacturer of the new hose recommends/requires a protective sleeve to be installed over the hose. I have been looking for that sleeve but I haven't been able to figure out what to use.

Does anyone know what and where I can get a protective sleeve?

 

I'd love to know what that is too and where to find it.... I just transplanted the one from my original one when I did my replacements this past year.

 

Just got done telling another guy what I did to my upper radiator hose cause I don't like how it looks like it rubs on the battery.
No matter how far back I push it in the battery tray.
So you know how the upper radiator hose has the loom on it over the AC Compressor?
Well I just found some in the boneyard and used it both on the upper and lower radiator hoses.
I did not like how the lower one kinda rubbed on the steering box.
I never had a problem but envisioned having one at some point in time.
Boneyard is full of that crap. Hell I don't think they should even charge you for it.
Almost any car that has some in a similar diameter should work.
Might have to find some that conforms more to the shape of the hose to.
But the 2 pieces I grabbed, no idea from what, worked well enough.
I don't have a shot of the lower hose but here is one of the upper.

 

I've taken the old radiator hose & cut it to the length I've needed, then cut it the long way and then zip tied it around the new hose in the high wear area.

 

When I replaced my hoses with Gates "direct fit" hoses, they said the same thing about a protective sleeve. My lower hose never had one that I remember, but the upper one always has.

Hood made contact with upper hose, and lower hose was rubbing metal lines and stuff.

I solved the problem by carefully, in small increments, trimming one hose end at a time until the hoses were positioned without interference with anything. As someone mentioned in a thread on here somewhere, watch out for the bends and diameter changes toward the end of the hoses. Don't trim into those.

 

This is a clever solution, Thanks! I will try it out.I also may have some extra hose clamps that I could use instead of zips. If not, zips will work just fine for a while, as long as there is no leaking coolant. Heat + Plastic + coolant = prone to failure in extreme conditions.

Thanks again

 

oh I just thought you were referring to the lower radiator hose...not the top. The top is easy to find...but that mesh like sleeve on the bottom I have no idea where to get that. So I that's why I transplanted it from the old one just in case. Heck...when I did mine not long ago the lower hose was still in fairly good shape but it was so old that it actually had the spring in it... so obviously it had been a minute...lol... I was just replacing them both as cheap insurance when upgrading my radiator to a new high-flow desert class one last fall.
Just for some extra protection from rubbing on the metal lines from the steering gearbox, I just sliced a couple pieces of rubber tubing length-wise and fitted them snug around the lines. They haven't moved. So I'd say problem solved.

 

BTW.... that mesh like sleeve does NOT just slide right on there... the way the weave pattern is in it...it felt like one of those chinese finger trap puzzles to work it all the way in place.... lol

 

I am only concerned with the lower radiator hose. My top has the protective sleeves shown in the pictures, as well as the original hose guides that attach to the AC compressor, so that is well protected and routed.

 

I've always just used a split piece of the old hose I took off.....