As part of my ongoing project, I have come to the part of the program where I am having the Flying Dutchman rebuild my water pump. It has had a small leak since I bought the car and now that the temps are warming up, I have decided to get ahead of it failing on me at an inconvenient time.
I'm also taking my generator in to a shop to have it checked out and cleaned up etc. I have to admit, that early on right after I bought the car, I was concerned about the generator being able to perform to the standards I had expected. I investigated having it replaced with an alternator or Genernator setup. I am happy to report that now that I have a few miles racked up on it, I have grown to appreciate the charm of having a generator and working within it's parameters. The dimming of headlights at idle and so forth is something that I've come to actually like ;D Since I'm not running stereos, a/c and other accessories...why not keep the generator?
But back to point of my question...since I have the water pump out, it seems to me to be an ideal time to also replace the radiator hoses. I have no reason to believe the ones I got with the car have a problem. But as I have encountered with everything in my whole project, I have no idea where they came from, how old they are, or how reliable they will be. I see that Cadillac Parts Ltd. has some for sale, but thought I would seek out counsel from other experienced folks on recommendations. I figure the ones I take off will go into a "parts bag/box" I keep in the trunk for roadside emergencies. So, who does everyone recommend for a supplier, and any other pointers I should consider when replacing my hoses? Thanks
These are generic straight hoses that are commonly available by the foot at any GOOD parts store. They are made by Gates.
There is no need to pay an inflated price at a hobby specific supplier.
For the lower hose from radiator to water pump, get a Gates #20589 hose available at good auto parts stores. It is too long, so compare it to the old hose and cut it off to match the old one. Also, be sure it has a spring inside to prevent collapsing from pump suction. Other numbers for the same hose are Goodyear #60744, Dayco #DC582, Modac #7443, and Uniroyal #CH427.
Thanks for the advice. Just trying to keep it as original looking as possible, but I certainly don't mind keeping costs down at the same time ;)
The ones I have on there now are the textured type which appear the same as the ones Cadillac Parts Ltd. sells. I've discovered on more than one occasion that some of these companies are being supplied by someone else and putting their own markup on parts. I don't mind bypassing the middle man in instances when I can.
I purchased a spare set from Cadillac Parts. They are identical to the ones on the car that passed muster at the Fall Festival. Their price was competitive.