Cooler Hose

dogguira · January 16, 2011

While on a cross country road trip, I had my replaced my fan clutch and belt tensioner. I also had the radiator flushed. At the time I pointed out my cooler hose that connects at the radiator dripped. The mechanic tightened to clamp up. It started dripping a hundred miles later.

What could the problem be? The hose looks ok. Should I replace it anyway?

GMTRUCKS · January 16, 2011

While on a cross country road trip, I had my replaced my fan clutch and belt tensioner. I also had the radiator flushed. At the time I pointed out my cooler hose that connects at the radiator dripped. The mechanic tightened to clamp up. It started dripping a hundred miles later.

What could the problem be? The hose looks ok. Should I replace it anyway?

Check the input sleeve on the radiator, the plastic sleeve may be cracked, even a small hair line crack will leak quite a bit because of the high coolant pressure. Hopefully its the hose and not the radiator, its a $20 hose versus a $150 radiator. Good luck!

dogguira · January 17, 2011

I took the hose off today. The inlet looked fine, so I put a new rubber hose on. Does GM make metal hose for these trucks like Ford has on theirs?

GMTRUCKS · January 18, 2011

I took the hose off today. The inlet looked fine, so I put a new rubber hose on. Does GM make metal hose for these trucks like Ford has on theirs?

Metal radiator hoses? I don't think those are availible at all from any dealer, even from ford. Are your talking about those fancy braided steel hoses that hot rodders use?

dogguira · January 18, 2011

My dad, who has had Fords only his entire life, was watching me change out the rubber tranny cooler line. He kept insisting that the cooler hose should be metal (specifically copper) on my truck just like the one on his. I didn't bother to look at his truck to verify that his hose was metal.I just told him my truck was a GMC and I got the hose the part store listed for my year and make.

Thanks for your help. Now I can honestly tell my dad I checked and only rubber hoses are available.

GMTRUCKS · January 18, 2011

My dad, who has had Fords only his entire life, was watching me change out the rubber tranny cooler line. He kept insisting that the cooler hose should be metal (specifically copper) on my truck just like the one on his. I didn't bother to look at his truck to verify that his hose was metal.I just told him my truck was a GMC and I got the hose the part store listed for my year and make.

Thanks for your help. Now I can honestly tell my dad I checked and only rubber hoses are available.

Oh, i thought you were talking about the hoses for cooling the engine! No the cooler lines for the trans should be steel,they should run right into two fittings on the radiator on the right side. The rubber hose you were talking about i believe is the engine oil cooler line, not the trans.

txab · January 18, 2011

My dad, who has had Fords only his entire life, was watching me change out the rubber tranny cooler line. He kept insisting that the cooler hose should be metal (specifically copper) on my truck just like the one on his. I didn't bother to look at his truck to verify that his hose was metal.I just told him my truck was a GMC and I got the hose the part store listed for my year and make.

Thanks for your help. Now I can honestly tell my dad I checked and only rubber hoses are available.

Are you talking about lines that are going to an auxillary trans cooler in front of the radiator? If so , and it's an aftermarket add-on then the lines usually are just rubber hose. But it is rubber especially for fluids like trans fluid.