Silicone Vs Rubber Coolant Hose

[LennyM1984]

Having recently nicked/cut one of the silicone coolant hoses on my race car, and needing a quick fix, I replaced it with a piece of rubber radiator hose.

Is this a suitable permanent fix or should I replace it with another bit of silicone hose? As I understand it, Silicone offers better performance under extreme heat but in practice, if the coolant in my car is exceeding 120c, then I probably have more pressing concerns than a coolant hose anyway!

[stevieturbo]

How many OEM use silicone hoses ? Probably none.

So are they really necessary ? No.

[ridds]

stevieturbo said:

How many OEM use silicone hoses ? Probably none.

So are they really necessary ? No.

Because cost.

[Tony1963]

ridds said:

Because cost.

Cost, because some people like to spend unnecessarily?

Or cost because the manufacturer deems rubber perfectly good, and during their extreme tests with the car during development, not one rubber hose failed?

Remember, people have been known to replace rubber brake hoses with braided steel hoses for no real technical reason, they just want to spend money.

[stevieturbo]

ridds said:

Because cost.

OE hoses last for decades, and hundreds of thousands of miles.

To use something else, is utterly pointless and serves no purpose at all. And if that alternative was more expensive, it would be utterly stupid and pointless.

[richhead]

Silicone hoses are used on race cars/one off cars, mainly because they are available off the shelf in lots of shapes/sizes. Normal rubber hoses require tooling etc, so for small production the silicone hose works out cheaper.
Why people fit them to replace normal hoses, no idea, maybe because race car.........

[GreenV8S]

richhead said:

Why people fit them to replace normal hoses, no idea, maybe because race car.........

Purple hoses and annodized fittings are more motorsporty, obviously. It's the same reason carbon fiber effect stickers make the car faster.

[GreenV8S]

richhead said:

Normal rubber hoses require tooling etc, so for small production the silicone hose works out cheaper.

It's similar for silicone hoses - they'll be formed over a split mandrel and it's the mandrel which costs the money. You can justify the costs if you're making generic parts (or making by the hundred thousand for a production car).

[stevieturbo]

richhead said:

Why people fit them to replace normal hoses, no idea, maybe because race car.........

More often because they like the bright colours.

[richhead]

stevieturbo said:

richhead said:

Why people fit them to replace normal hoses, no idea, maybe because race car.........

More often because they like the bright colours.

Its the Halfords syndrome, looks good ......so fast