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coldamus
15-08-2007, 10:39 AM
Driving to work this morning, I stopped to post a parcel. Wondered why everyone was looking at me when I drove off. After about another km, I saw the reason. Steam was pouring out from under the bonnet. The temp gauge was at about 90%. I only had another km to go, so turned on the heater and air cond. to ensure the fans were running and make use of the extra water in the heater pipes. Couldn't stop because it was the middle of busy Centenary Drive.

When I got to work and opened the bonnet, I found the water hose to the inlet manifold had split.

Fortunately we had some 5/8" hose at work so we replaced it. There does not appear to be any other damage but that was a close call. I will replace the other similar hoses now. This was on my TP wagon with EFI.

I had put off replacing the hoses on my TP Sedan (carby) but I'll be doing those too. The top and bottom radiator hoses are new but the birds nest of hoses around the carby don't look real good. Does anyone know what size they are? Just guessing, they look like 1/2".
I'm reluctant to take them off without having some replacement hose on hand.

regards
Coldamus

magna buff
15-08-2007, 10:41 AM
you still had water in the lower part of the block
have to wait and see

smaller hoses are half inch outer diameter

keep us posted if worried add chemiweld

Neo
15-08-2007, 11:53 AM
If it's the one around the back right manifold one, I've had this one split aswell.

It isnt a huge hose, but if it splits its really bad cause there's no pumping pressure running thru the head and manifold to cool it down.

When I had this one split I was in a shopping centre carpark and only just noticed the heat needle start to climb passed half way. So being in a shopping centre there was about 2-3 car shops, 2 having the hoses I was after, I just used generic hoses that fit, another another one off of a ford that was the right size. :P

There shouldnt be that much damage, how long were you driving it for start to finish? And how long where you when you knew something was wrong?

coldamus
15-08-2007, 12:29 PM
If it's the one around the back right manifold one, I've had this one split aswell.
<snipped>
There shouldnt be that much damage, how long were you driving it for start to finish? And how long where you when you knew something was wrong?

Yes, that is the one. Thinking back on it, if it blew when I think it did, it would have been about 8 kms and only about 2 kms after I noticed it. I figure it only had about 1/4 of the water left, but at least it didn't run dry.

Magna Buff, thanks for the info. I'll get some hose on the way home.

regards
Coldamus

Neo
15-08-2007, 12:51 PM
Yes, that is the one. Thinking back on it, if it blew when I think it did, it would have been about 8 kms and only about 2 kms after I noticed it. I figure it only had about 1/4 of the water left, but at least it didn't run dry.

Hmmm, it should be fine then if even the radiator still had water/coolant left.

Might be a good idea to go over them and see if there are any over ones that are perishing and replace those ones aswell before the same thing happens again.

I've heard some bad stories about astrons cracking heads etc after overheating (even my brother did 2 on his sigma), but I've never had a problem with mine after overheating. I've also had the minor bottom hose crack on the waterpump, coolant sprayed all over the engine, soon to be vapor, and I didn't have problems after replacing that either.

As long as there was still water/coolant left over in the radiator, it should be fine.

PeteW
15-08-2007, 04:04 PM
done 2 heater type hoses in 2 weeks the golden rule applys do 1 do them all should set you back less than $60 with thermostat 2m of heater hose is enought to do all the smalls on efi

Dave262
15-08-2007, 05:56 PM
Order the proper moulded ones from Mackay Rubber. I just ordered the whole lot from supercheap for about $60. It was worth it, and all the hoses fit well. The old ones were getting quite hard and some of them were swelling pretty badly. I think it's safer to get the moulded ones, as the generic roll of heater hose doesn't work so well with the smaller sharp-bend hoses at the back... it just kinks instead.

coldamus
15-08-2007, 06:44 PM
Thanks for the info. guys, I will be doing some shopping on Friday (see my next post below).

coldamus
15-08-2007, 07:22 PM
I had more dramas on the way home. Started off ok, took a while to come up to temperature, then suddenly went to about 60% on the gauge (normally sits on about 50%). I had a feeling something was wrong. It was a cold day so I had the heater on but there was hardly any warmth coming from it.

I stopped at a servo and checked the coolant level. It hadn't lost any but smelled hot and even the fluid in the plastic coolant resorvoir was very hot. Usually it hardly gets warm at all. Anyway I topped it right up, filled up with petrol and continued on.

Within a few kms, the temp gauge was up to about 85% but still no warmth from the heater. Then I noticed steam coming from under the bonnet, this time from the right side. By this time I was only a few kms from home so prayed for no traffic holdups and kept going. Next there was a small explosion from under the bonnet (a pop sound like a backfire but not as loud). There was only a km to go, mostly downhill, so I coasted home. When I opened the bonnet, the main top radiator hose has burst. Also the top had popped off the coolant reservoir. I'm not sure which of these was the pop that I heard.

I haven't checked everything in detail yet - will wait till Friday when I have the day off and can check in daylight. However I am a bit worried now. Maybe the top hose was on the way out anyway and failed because of the extra heat. I hope that is the only reason. Otherwise it might be a blockage or a blown gasket that is causing a pressure build up. The thing is that the engine is running as smooth as silk. Well, as smooth as any Astron ever runs. I am mystified but one thing is for sure, I will be replacing every hose.

magna buff
15-08-2007, 07:24 PM
the blow back may be the head gasket will have to come off

be refaced and pressure tested this time

drive it much furthur and water in the oil may occur

coldamus
15-08-2007, 08:42 PM
There are a couple of things I don't understand. Why was the heater not working? I have to assume the top radiator hose must have already failed and I just failed to notice it when I stopped at the servo to check the water level. The coolant reservoir was still nearly full at that stage. I did not take the radiator cap off because I didn't want to get burnt. I just judged by the level in the reservoir. Perhaps, with the hose burst there was no circulation, so the reservoir did not empty itself immediately. No circulation would explain the heater not working.

Also, if the head was cracked or the head gasket blown, wouldn't the compression be down and the engine be running rough? It has been running nicely and still is!

magna buff
15-08-2007, 09:20 PM
the heater would already have filled with steam is my only guess

ok well thats good if the car is running smoothly


ses how it runs in the morning cold
if it runs rough there may be water entering a combustion chamber

keep checking the oil

MitsuMad
15-08-2007, 09:25 PM
Your cooling system is full of air, bleed it properly, and all shall be well!

PeteW
15-08-2007, 09:36 PM
could have been like my heater core too i discovered it was blocked when doing all my hoses, also air in the block

coldamus
16-08-2007, 05:19 AM
I took a quick look this morning. The place where the upper radiator hose blew had been weakened by rubbing against the clamp on the lower hose just beneath it where the top hose passes the water pump. In fact it had a hard rubber sleeve clamped around it to protect it from just that but the sleeve was a few centimetres out of place.

I will replace the hoses tomorrow and drive the sedan today. I was intending to sell the sedan but just as well I didn't or I'd be walking.

Gav
16-08-2007, 10:44 AM
I blew that in the EFI wagon, two days after I bought it. It was a bitch to di, as it was 10km from home, and it was a pest to swap out.

magna buff
16-08-2007, 01:40 PM
check the thermostsat it may be sticking ?

coldamus
16-08-2007, 03:33 PM
check the thermostsat it may be sticking ?
I will replace it anyway while I'm doing the hoses. I have an unused spare. Thanks for the reminder.

coldamus
17-08-2007, 04:12 PM
This morning I took the old hoses off before going to buy the new ones. After I took the top hose off, I noticed a piece of toothed belt lying on top of the bottom hose. I thought WTF is this? It was the remains of the water pump belt. Holy macaroni, I wonder when that happened! Surely I couldn't have driven the 25km from work to home without the water pump running.

Anyway the pump itself rotated quite smoothly, so I went and bought the new hoses and a new belt. It only took about an hour to fit them all. The slowest part was having to take the undertray off to get at the bottom end of the lower hose. Also had a slight struggle fitting the belt. There's not much leeway. You almost have to have the two pulleys touching each other to get it on.

With much trepidation, I fired it up. No worries, it runs as smooth as ever. I let it idle with the radiator cap off till it warmed up so I could ensure all the air was out. Then topped it up and took it for a run.

All seems fine, so I think I have been very, very lucky.

floater05
17-08-2007, 04:25 PM
good to hear mate. and good luck too

Neo
17-08-2007, 04:26 PM
This morning I took the old hoses off before going to buy the new ones. After I took the top hose off, I noticed a piece of toothed belt lying on top of the bottom hose. I thought WTF is this? It was the remains of the water pump belt. Holy macaroni, I wonder when that happened! Surely I couldn't have driven the 25km from work to home without the water pump running.

Anyway the pump itself rotated quite smoothly, so I went and bought the new hoses and a new belt. It only took about an hour to fit them all. The slowest part was having to take the undertray off to get at the bottom end of the lower hose. Also had a slight struggle fitting the belt. There's not much leeway. You almost have to have the two pulleys touching each other to get it on.

With much trepidation, I fired it up. No worries, it runs as smooth as ever. I let it idle with the radiator cap off till it warmed up so I could ensure all the air was out. Then topped it up and took it for a run.

All seems fine, so I think I have been very, very lucky.

Hmmm, that would explain a lot of things, why it kept overheating, then blowing worn hoses cause of the heat.

You would be surprised how long it can run without a waterpump. The time it takes to reach operating temperature, then the time it would take to heat the coolant up.

Very very lucky indeed, surely you would have noticed no belt and the waterpump not running though?

Neo
17-08-2007, 04:31 PM
Also, as it has done a fair bit of overheating. Keep an eye out for any odd smoke coming out of the exhaust (if it already smokes), or if it doesn't smoke look for any smoke at all, this would indicate coolant leaks within the head, so yeah keep an eye out.

And also things like, loss of power, anythink leaking from the head, and keep an eye on coolant levels, keep an eye on how much it drinks or if it's lossing any to somewhere.

I'm just hoping that you didn't drive it like it long enough to cause any damage.

Also, the bang you heard the other day was probably the overflow bottle lid hitting the bonnet, seen it before.

Dave262
17-08-2007, 05:27 PM
Wow I think u are damn lucky not to blow the whole engine... that's insane! I'd keep a watch of the coolant levels and temp for a few days, and check the oil and compression now and then too. It would be a good idea to do this to make sure the head didn't warp or get cracked. Lucky you didn't have all that much distance to travel to get home hehe.

Just make sure you replace all the hoses at once, even if they are ok. Overheating weakens hoses, so it's important to replace them for that reason alone.

91GTWagon
18-08-2007, 01:47 PM
Had a heater hose go i me when i first got the wagon. didnt realise as the temp gauge only went to half way. Once i pulled up realised some thing was wrong. Bought new hoses and all was good untill a few months later. Head was slightly warped and head gasket let go.