| Author | Message | ||
     Roderick Waite Frequent User Username: rodwaite Post Number: 78 Registered: 1-2012 |
Having spotted a few drips of suspiciously green oil on the garage floor, investigation showed it was emanating from one of several hoses on the right hand side of the engine, all secured to pipes with jubilee clips - so not high pressure. With some difficulty, tightened all the clips I could reach and waited a day. No more drip. BUT I had noted that the hose rubber was hard, so looked into replacing them - 4 are associated with the accumulators, and 2 with the steering. I discovered they're priced around £40 each (plus delivery to me in France, which adds about £4 per hose. Ouch! Has anyone come up with a satisfactory alternative, please? They're quite short, and small bore, non-high pressure, so I'd expect them to be relatively easy to get? And nowhere near £40 a foot, hopefully! Thanks! Rod '84 Spirit | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 314 Registered: 6-2009 |
Rod, For the low pressure accumulator-to-reservoir return hoses you should be able to use any SAE J30R9 fuel hose in the correct inner diameter. This is resistant to mineral oil as well as petrol. The steering hoses should be the same as transmission oil cooler hoses since these cars use Dexron transmission fluid for the power steering. These hoses should meet SAE J1019 specification and can carry either transmission or power steering fluids without issue. Actually, looking at this Materials Compatibility Chart it looks like the transmission oil cooler hose could be used for both of your applications. Both of the above noted hose types have cost per foot far, far less than the amount you've quoted for a single OEM hose. Brian | ||
| Roderick Waite Frequent User Username: rodwaite Post Number: 79 Registered: 1-2012 |
Thank you Brian - this is precisely what I hoped to find out! We will proceed for the higher spec. The hose bore measures at 10mm (ie: the diameter of the metal tubes they connect). All we need now is a car lift ... ! Stay well Rod '84 Spirit | ||
| Roderick Waite Frequent User Username: rodwaite Post Number: 83 Registered: 1-2012 |
Evening all ... I see I failed to report back on my problem! I obtained a coil of SAE J1019 10mm hose for £24 delivered to France, enough to do all 6 low pressure hoses with some to spare. With new stainless clips ... the old clips were ordinary steel, the last one being absolutely solid (isn't it always the way?). Trying to loosen it, broke the bakelite cover of the connection piece on the accumulator. Can't have a new cover, have to buy the whole thing - which is a part exchange item. £200 including delivery and the charge (£25) pending return of the old unit. Moral is not to break the thing in the first place. On the other hand, I did save over £200 on the hoses ... can't have it all, I suppose ... All now OK and Echo is happy again ... Rod '84 Spirit | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1012 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi rod, I believe they are the same as the Citroen ones and you'd think France would be littered with them and you could shoe one to take the part off! Alternatively, I May have a used one here if you haven't already ordered one. | ||
| Roderick Waite Frequent User Username: rodwaite Post Number: 84 Registered: 1-2012 |
Good morning Paul. Never thought of that! Just took it that Citroen pressures are very different so all the parts would be too. Oh well - I did get one of the costly ones, now fitted, but didn't send the old one back as the carriage cost made it not worth while. Live and learn (hopefully!). Stay well Rod '84 Spirit | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 355 Registered: 6-2009 |
Rod, For the return hoses, where calling them "low pressure" is an overstatement, there is essentially no pressure involved. For this application it would be possible to use completely unreinforced hosing made of mineral oil resistant material. However, since reinforced SAE J1019 spec hose is available virtually anywhere, cheaply, and it works it's the "go to" alternative. Brian P.S. All you've got to worry about as far as high pressure hoses are two things: Is the burst strength at least a bit above system operating pressures (most are) and is the "carrier tube" part compatible with the fluid it will carry. These days PTFE core steel braid reinforced high pressure hoses are the thing to use whether you have an HSMO or RR363 system, since the PTFE is inert. |
