News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

1941 Cadillac lower radiator hose

Started by Jeff Hansen, August 15, 2017, 09:10:44 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Jeff Hansen

Who is selling the correct lower radiator hose for 1941 Cadillacs?  If I recall, this has a bit of a curve to it so it would be a molded hose.  Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks!
Jeff
Jeff Hansen
1941 6019S Sixty Special
1942 7533 Imperial Sedan

Barry M Wheeler #2189

Jeff, I always got mine at NAPA. As I recall, you may have to trim a little. I thought I put a new one on... Barry
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Bill Ingler #7799

Jeff: Try to find a auto parts store that carries Dayco Coolant Hose 71867 and take your old hose to the parts store and see which end of this elbow hose below matches your old hose. I was told several years ago that one end of Coolant Hose 71867 was very close the bottom elbow hose used on 1941-48.   Bill

Bobby B

Jeff,
Hi. I used a Gates 20589 on the '47 for the lower hose. Of course it has to be cut, but the bend seemed just right. Don't know if this would apply to the '41.
             Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

Bob Schuman

Bobby/s number for a Gates hose is what I have used, you use only part of the hose. It is the same for 1940-48, maybe earlier.
Bob Schuman
Bob Schuman, CLC#254
2017 CT6-unsatisfactory (repurchased by GM)
2023 XT5

Jeff Hansen

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your replies!  This is the kind of information I am after.  I will try both hoses and report back as to what I find out.

Barry, that's good to know you replaced it.  I noticed on my way to and from the Grand National that when the car was idling at operating temperature and not in motion, the bottom radiator hose would leak at the water pump end.  Not knowing the age of the hose, I didn't want to tighten the clamps too much for fear of tearing the hose since I don't have a spare.  I just went out and tightened both clamps accordingly.

Since I don't have a spare lower hose for my '42, either, this is a good opportunity to figure this out.

Thanks again, everyone!
Jeff
Jeff Hansen
1941 6019S Sixty Special
1942 7533 Imperial Sedan

Jeff Hansen

#6
I finally got around to doing this; sorry for the delay.

I tried the Gates 20589 (Napa 7443) simply because it was readily available to me.  The contour is correct as Bobby and Bob indicated.  In fact, you may be able to get two lower hoses from a single 20589. See photo of current hose placed next to the Gates unit.  I will use this on my 60S.

Bill, I didn't try the Dayco hose you mentioned just because, as I mentioned, the Gates one was more readily available to me.  If anyone has experience with the Dayco hose, please post information on that.

Thank you, gentlemen!
Jeff
Jeff Hansen
1941 6019S Sixty Special
1942 7533 Imperial Sedan

Jeff Hansen

One question I forgot to ask...

Do any of you gentlemen use a spring in the lower hose?

Thanks again!
Jeff
Jeff Hansen
1941 6019S Sixty Special
1942 7533 Imperial Sedan

Bill Ingler #7799

High Jeff:  Yes I have one in the 47 and I also had one in the 41. Do I need it ? I was told when I bought the car years ago that if the correct thickness of rubber for the lower hose was not used then the water pump could cause enough suction to partially close that hose. Never ran the car without the spring. Not that hard to make so I guess I like to error on the side of caution so I use the spring.  Bill

Virgil Perkins

Jeff,
I recently replaced my water pump (modern kit) and put a spring in the lower hose, as it looked kinda flexible, got it from NAPA, took the spring out of another new hose. Rather "have it and not need it than the other way round". Virgil
Virgil Perkins

C Gorgas

I strongly recommend the spring in the lower hose. Even though my hose had a spring it was collapsing some and I ended up putting a corrugated hose on. Solved the problem but would not pass car judging. Chet 25441   

Glen

#11
The symptom of a collapsing lower hose is overheating at road speed.    The higher RPM of the engine causes a stronger suction from the water pump.  If I can crush the hose by squeezing it with my hand it is a problem. 
I make my own using any heavy wire.  Clothes hanger wire is good, but tends to rust out.  Maybe I will look for some stainless wire to make my next one. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Justin Norwood

#12
Forgive me for resurrecting an old thread, but I have something to add to this topic based on a recent experience (for posterity's sake).

Like Jeff, the originator of this thread, I recently needed to replace the lower radiator hose on my flathead (1947). This thread seemed to indicate that Gates 20589 would be the best hose to start with, but that Dayco 71867 might also work. Neither of these hoses were available near me, but I found Gates 22068, which is the same as Dayco 71867. Here is what I found when I tried to modify/use the Gates 22068...

While Gates 22068/Dayco 71867 "works" -- I wouldn't recommend it moving forward. It has ONE bend to it, so it is better than a straight hose...but really, the ideal hose would have both an up/down and a left/right bend to it.

Furthermore, all of the hoses discussed in this thread are the "collapsable" type (meaning: if you pinch it in the middle, it is flexible enough such that you can shut down the flow in the hose. That said, to combat the collapsable nature of this hose, I bought a 2" I.D. Flex Hose (Dayco 81371), then harvested the spring/slinky from the inside of this hose. Then I put the spring/slinky into my modified Gates 22068 hose, and it is now STOUT!

Net/net -- if I were to do it over again, I would try starting with the Gates 20589, and I would insert the spring/slinky harvested from a Dayco 81371 to make it non-collapsable.

-Justin

P.S. If you are looking for a non-collapsable hose, my Caddy had a Gates 24032 on the lower radiator outlet before I started this journey. This is a 2" non-collapsable, STRAIGHT hose. The lack of curves isn't ideal for our application, but if you cut the length perfectly and tighten down the clamps with supernatural strength, it can be made to work.
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan