trickey heater pipes

[tdafforn]

Hi all
My +2 sprang a leak a few weekends ago, the heater take off from the water pump.
Luckily managed a bandaid fix using some butyl garden pond putty (I was parked at a garden centre when I noticed steam coming from under the bonnet).
(BTW this butyl putty stuff is excellent stuff, I went back and bought more to put in the tool kit "just in case")
Anyhow decided to replace both heater pipes (git of a job!)
Pipe from pump to heater connection on bulkhead is OK.
Pipe from second heater connection round the back of the engine to the thermostat housing seems to have a bad kink as it leaves the heater.
Can't get rid of it no matter how I fit it.
Anyone managed to solve this?
(seems it would reduce the flow to the heater to next to nothing!)
Cheers
Tim

[elanman999]

Tim,
Sounds to me as if you are using straight tube and not the moulded section it should be.
Mick Miller used to sell an Esprit hose that was long enough to do both of the heater hoses on a +2, I don't know if Sue still sells it.
John

[Dave_Newcastle]

I had fun putting my heater hoses back on years ago working from the top by the bulkhead.

I was under the car recently and looked up past the gear box at the hoses and jubilee clips from below and thought to myself how much easier they looked access wise from below. Just a thought that might be of help to you now.
Dave

[fatboyoz]

Tim,
You wrote "My +2 sprang a leak a few weekends ago, the heater take off from the water pump.
Luckily managed a bandaid fix using some butyl garden pond putty (I was parked at a garden centre when I noticed steam coming from under the bonnet).
(BTW this butyl putty stuff is excellent stuff, I went back and bought more to put in the tool kit "just in case") ".

Have to agree with you on the usefulness of this product. It is also sold as a tape that is good for such things as rewrapping wiring harnesses, temporary repairs for radiator/heater hoses etc. Bonds to itself, within a couple of minutes, to form a waterproof barrier. Very handy toolbox item.
Colin.

[JJDraper]

Re the kink in the pipe. I replaced the heater on my +2 a few years ago when the fan motor packed up. The hoses had a stainless steel spring-like fitment inside the bore of the pipe. Not mentioned anywhere in the manual, but it works a treat to stop the pipe being crushed or developing a kink. No idea where the 'spring' came from or how to get any more of the stuff. Anyone seen this before?? BTW I had to slightly enlarge the hole in the body to get the heater back in, with the (new) hoses already tightened and in place. I did leave the pipes too long and cut them to fit when the heater was fully installed. Bugger of a job!

Jeremy

[cliveyboy]

Can't comment on fitting heater hoses to a +2 but when I did the sprint I specifically ordered extra flexible 1/2 inch bore hose which has a steel coil in the rubber so it does not collapse when bent sharply.
My hoses were silicon rubber but you should also be able to get them in normal rubber.
Usually with hoses when they are advertised as "extra flexible" they normally have some sort of reinforcing in them
Clive

[tdafforn]

All sounds like good advice,
Clive, where did you get the hose you used?
One outcome of this could be interesting, even with kinked pipes the heater was superb at demisting (even without a fan) without the kink it'll probably melt the screen!!!
Cheers
tim
PS like the idea of silicone, but being traditional I'd like them in Black

[cliveyboy]

The silicon hose is from Samco. They do a range called Superflex and will make them in black.
Its quite expensive at about ?20 per metre but you will never have to replace them.
Your local Samco agent, usually the local car parts shop can order you some but black is special order and takes about 3 weeks.

Clive

[iain.hamlton]

Tim,

I had the same problem. Paul Matty's do pipes moulded to shape. I whipped the brake servo vacuum pipe and the fitting from no. 4 inlet tract off. This gives enough clearance to do the job without completely mangling your hands.

good luck and best regards, iain

[tdafforn]

have ended up getting a pipe that fits from the Jaguar autojumble at stonleigh last weekend (1 pound 50p.... Tried to charge me 2 pounds when the vender heard it was for a lotus!)!!
Tim