clear rad hose!?!?

[@mgaw23]

I came across this one day and I wana do this so bad but I don't know how and where I would get this

[a.graham52]

that is kinda cool.. idk about functional but still cool.

[sleepyalero]

honestly, very interesting! i wouldnt mind doing that to my car actually, its kinda neat. plus helps you watch your coolant much easier on if its dirty or is contaminated with oil or something. i found a thread on a honda forum from a google search that may become helpful to you.

I saw this in the latest edition of Honda Tuning, one of the guys had a Civic with clear radiator hoses. I figured I could do the same, and very cheaply. The total came to $33.00. Time spent 1-1 1/2 hours.

Heres what you need:
1. 5/16" Interior diameter clear hose (this came from the plumbing dept. at Lowe's, part # 22273). I got 2', this was a bit much, but extra is better than too little. This is totally clear tubing.
2. 1 1/4 ID vinyl tubing (this also came from Lowe's plumbing dept., part # 35768). I got 5' of this and had very little left over. This is clear tubung with a mesh of nylon to support the tubing.
3. Hose clamps for each line. I used a total of 4 1 1/2"-3/4" clamps. Get these at any car parts store or possibly at Lowe's
4. Antifreeze. Get any type you want, but I like the new Prestone LowTox. It's better for your dog when I pour it all over the ground!
5. Tube cutter or exacto-knife.

What to do:
1. Drain all your antifreeze out. There is a small petrooster on the bottom of the radiator. Turn this and stuff will pour out, it's magic! You should put a pan under this!
2. Disconnect your radiator hoses. I did the low and high side coming from the radiator and the over-fill container hose.
3. Measure out your hoses. The big hoses (1 1/4" ID clear tube) make the high and low side from the radiator and the smaller one (5/16" ID clear hose)makes the over-fill hose. I did this by a kind of trial and error. The first hose I connected to one end, ran the hose to see how long I needed, then cut and fit the hose. Use the clamps that you bought to secure the hose in place.
4. Do this for the other big hose and the small over-fill hose.
5. Make sure all your connections are tight.
6. Fill with your antifreeze that you bought.
7. Admire at what you have made!

As for which hose to start with, I did the over-fill hose first as it was the easiest. The next easiest was the low side coming from the radiator with the upper hiose being last/hardest. The hose I used was very sturd and very hard to kink. I ran the car pretty hard to see if it would collapse and it did not. I did have a hose start to pinch, but I used the old Honda clamps to make this part more sturd/not pinch and it worked out fine. All in all, I think it looks very good for an hour/hour and a half of work and a very small amount of money!
It was getting dark as I was testing and getting all the air bubbles out, so I will post up pictures tomorrow.



of course dont go buy his tube sizing and how much needed, you will have to measure your car cause this was for a civic, not an alero.

[AleroB888]

Offhand, I don't think I would use vinyl tubing for safety reasons. On a showcar, maybe. It's notorious for hardening over time, even when used with plain water. Alcohol will attack it as well.

[zzyzzx]

These clear hoses won't last.

[Chris2000]

Friend had these. They functioned fine, but they cracked from temperature changes.

[cavaliers60]

There's a company called Killerglass that makes clear radiator hoses. They are a little more expensive, but I would guess they would last a lot longer. They also come with LED kits which is kinda neat.

[a.graham52]

as your coolant gets oil and dirty, so will this isides of these hoses. and i wouldnt trust them on a daily driver anways. the factory hose has fiber woven throughout.

[Redog]

Originally Posted by cavaliers60

There's a company called Killerglass that makes clear radiator hoses. They are a little more expensive, but I would guess they would last a lot longer. They also come with LED kits which is kinda neat.

Exactly.

I sent them a letter about ASS a few years ago, never heard back though