Hey gang,
Those of you who know me and the Spitfar are already
aware that I am not a big fan of concours originality, especially
when it comes to something that can effect the "on the road"
status of my car.
That being noted, the obvious answer to this radiator
lower hose problem is to do as I have, replace your hoses with
the steel braided ones from Earl's. That particular hose is the
hardest to install, as the braided hoses are not formed with the
factory molded bends, and as such offer up much resistance
when trying to make the bend used for this particular fitting.
You must allow enough hose material to make the connection
at just the right length, too much and you will kink. After measuring
carefully, and hacksawing the material to the correct length, you
should install the hose to the radiator first, with the radiator unbolted
from its mounting brackets. This will allow enough motion to get the
other hose end onto the water pump. Care should be taken when
using this hose material, as the cut ends of the braiding can and will
unravel, exposing your hands to multiple cuts, scratches and embedded
metal fiber strands.
The end product though will look quite impressive, fitting
much the same as the original, in fact resting against the motor
mount bracket, yet the steel braiding offers sufficient protection
against abrasion caused by this contact.
Another fix, similar to one mentioned earlier is to take the
tire you have cut part of the sidewall from to make your new spring
leaf pad (old thread), and cut a 2" x 3" section to insert between hose
and bracket, fastening with black electrical wire wraps. This is by far
the most cost efficient fix as you can get a spent tire casing from any
tire shop for nothing, and the tire sidewall can be cut for a variety of
uses, from frame mounting pads to leaf spring bushes. Contact me
if any of this is unclear, or if you need more info re: Earl's products.
Chris Prugh
72 Spitfar
Morgan Hill, CA
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