neoekai

I had a huge coolant leak - Turns out the Hose that delevers coolant to the Turbos comepletely gave out ( there was a huge opening in the hose, about 2.5inches) - this is the hose that's behind the Airpump.

I found the part on mazdatrix, but my question is would it be better to replace this hose with silicone hose?? Would you have to buy a special fitted part or could u just buy a foot of the stuff and cut the right lenght?

Has anyone does this before??

Here is a pic of it, part number 13-54X0-N3A1 (Water pump housing to turbo)

BobfisH

Normally coolant hoses are ok to use silicon - but id be a bit dubious since this is the turbo coolant hose - those things get damn hot and silicon is only good up to around 220c i think...

There is nothing wrong with not using OEM hose, as long as the hose you do use is up to the job, which IMO silicon is not.

I however have replaced many of my coolant hoses with silicon (not the turbo ones though) without issue.

neoekai

Thanks Bob, so is there anything you suggest to replace it? I guess the OEM looks like my only choice..

quicksilver_rx7

Use silicone. I can vouch for this as I replaced mine with silicone about a year ago. I have not had any problems.

DamonB

You DO NOT replace coolant lines with plain silicone hose! Ever!

Unless the silicone hose is a reinforced fiber hose designed for use with coolant you do not substitute it. Use the stock hoses.

-plain silicone hose is not formed and will kink

-plain silicone hose is easily cut by the hose clamps which leads to failure

-plain silicone hose is not as stable under pressure and will expand and burst more easily

-plain silicone hose cannot withstand much abrasion

-plain silicone hose is easily broken down by hot motor oil

quicksilver_rx7

Well, I guess I'm the exception. Mine are not reinforced and I have NO problem

-it will only kink if the bend is tight. You shouldn't have a tight bend with those lines, or any coolant line.

-only if you use the wrong type of clamp. The OEM squeeze clamps remedy this problem

-so will rubber (after an unforseeable amount of time)

-There should be no reason for abrasion. The hoses don't contact anything if routed properly

-Unless your turbos are gone to ****, there shouldn't be any hot motor oil just laying around that area.

JaNusSolSumnus

They make special silicone line for this purpose. It is reinforced as DamonB said and will be much safer than standard silicone.

Quicksilver, you definately have some good knowledge to offer -- and while yours hasnt experianced a problem yet, it doesnt mean that it wont -- Or for that matter that his experiance may be differant. The OEM lines lasted 10 years give or take, standard silicone hasnt been time tested that long. Unless it was reinforced/upgraded silicone I wouldnt take the chance, I'd stay OEM or look for another alternative that is both sturdy (wont kink) and will withstand 250c+ temps and wont deteriorate from oil/coolant.

~Kris

DamonB

That doesn't mean plain silicone hose is not a much poorer choice than proper reinforced coolant hose.

Bologna. When you have hot coolant under pressure flowing through the hose it will bend much more easily. If it's on the suction side it is also highly likely to collapse completely.

Bologna. Even the stock clamps still have a metal edge that will cut the hose. Plain silicone hose is un-reinforced and expands as the coolant system pressurizes. The hose will bulge at the clamps and be cut over time.

No. Rubber hoses designed for coolant applications are reinforced with fiber to make them more stable in dimnesion when under stress. Even with hot oil on them the rubber hoses will far outlive the silicone ones.

Silicone hose doesn't support it's own weight and sags, especially when it's full of coolant. So the choice you would have is to stretch the hose tight or let it lay on something that is sharp and hot. Both dumb ideas.

Seems to me still a dumb idea to use a poor solution when a better one already exists. Just because plain silicone hose makes great vacuum hose doesn't mean the same is true for coolant.

Your explanations try to build a case for "I'm not wrong" as opposed to "Why silicone is better".

Explain why plain silicone hose is better than a reinforced hose designed for coolant applications.

quicksilver_rx7

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not suggesting that reinforced silicone is not a good idea, but it is a bit more expensive. I grew up working on old hotrods and my buddies and I used reinforced silicone for the heater hoses. You could buy that size at just about any parts store. Some industrial garden hoses are made of the same stuff. I was suggesting my method as a means to save money and still be effective. I don't see any problem using non-reinforced hose. I'm just not convinced that line pressure is a contributing factor.

quicksilver_rx7

Never said it wasn't

Even if it does flex, it is not long enough to kink.

That can happen with any type of hose. Also, the pipe at the back of the WP has a nipple on it with a flange. So does the pipe on the turbo. The clamp sits behind this flange, so I don't see how it's possible for it to bulge that much. Maybe if it were in the middle of the hose where there is no support


And where's the oil comming from?

Maybe if it were more than a foot long, but at such short lengths, I would have to disagree. The same reason that short hair tends to stand up and long hair lays down. I'm not a phsyicsist by any means, but I do know that up to a certain point, the hose will support it's own fluid weight.

That's your opinion, but I know from "first-hand" experience that it works. If you don't believe me, try it and post the results.

I never said it was better, but it does work. So in all actuality, I am not wrong. Just not in the same perspective as you are trying to describe.

There again, I never said it was better. But it is a less expensive alternative that DOES work for this particular application. I would definitely not recommend non-reinforced silicone for the radiator hoses, but for the small lines (i.e. turbo coolant and the one at the back of the block to the WP, and AST) it will work. I have tested this. I'm not pulling this out of my *** just to be argumentative. But, on the other hand, a good debate is always good for mental exercise.

alberto_mg

you want to use the factory hoses to replace those turbo coolant hoses. nobody makes them in silicon and there really isn't any benefit. stock rubber hoses will last you many years at a fraction of the cost.

it is also a helluva lot easier to use new mazda c-clamps than to use the screw on type clamps. there is just no room to maneuver down there. the stock clamps do not fit properly over silicon hoses b/c the silicon coolant hoses are thinner than the stock rubber ones.

i have some silicon coolant hoses for the upper/lower radiator hoses and i don't like them at all. they are not as thick as the stock rubber hoses so you have to use the worm gear type clamps. while clamping down on the hose, i notice that the inner diameter is just a hair too big. I had to tighten the crap out of the hose clamps to get a good seal and even stripped a clamp trying to get it tight enough.