How To Preserve And Extend Longevity For Radiator Hoses With Extended Storage?

[Larry E.]

Have 2 C2's;one B/B one S/B. Like to have some ideas for the above question. It
applies to the Hoses that are installed and used on the cars and also the spares
we all have in our parts department. All the above go through extended storage
and not used for a year or more at times. What products come to mind to be
applied to the hoses? Perhaps Armor All/Griot's Rubber Cleaner/or maybe some
tire products like that foam or spray on cleaner we use? I like that "wet and pliable"
look. Need some comments and ideas please. Thanks in advance>Larry

[Duke W.]

The primary enemies of elastomeric materials like hoses and tires are heat, ultraviolet light, and ozone. Thermal degradation increases exponentially with temperature so spares, new or used, should be stored in the darkest and coolest place available for storage that is as far as possible from any ozone producing equipment such as electric motors.

Installed coolant hoses are subject to electrochemical degradation, which accelerates with coolant age as the the coolant becomes more acidic and the corrosion inhibitors are consumed, so changing antifreeze on a regular basis is important and should be done on a time rather than mileage basis for stored cars or those that only accumulate mileage slowly relative to "daily drivers".

A proper antifreeze change requires a complete drain including removing the block drain plugs. "Flushing" with water or any commercial "radiator flush" materials is not necessary as long as the removed coolant looks clean and uncontaminated.

HOAT antifreeze types like Zerex G05 are best for vintage cars that have soldered radiators and/or heater cores. OAT types that are typically specified for modern cars don't provide as good protection for soldered cooling system components because modern cars typically use aluminum radiators and heater cores and lack any soldered components.

Typical "long life" HOAT antifreezes are good for 50K miles or five years, and since few vintage cars accumulate anywhere near 10K miles per year, change ever five years regardless of mileage and keep antifreeze concentration between 50 and 70 percent with distilled water for the remainder.

As far as whether any of the surface treatments you mentioned will help I don't know, but I don't think they will do any harm.

Duke

[Mark F.]

Thanks, Duke,

I need to get after mine !
It's been way too long sittin' in there - even though I run the car kinda regularly...

If you're like me and don't know what HOAT and OAT are, in addition to Duke's discussion, here's are simple explanations from NAPA (sorry, they're also kinda ads for their products, too)

https://knowhow.napaonline.com/what-...-need-to-know/

[Larry E.]

Duke: Thanks for excellent response. Any other comments out there for what are
some products being used by our members on the EXTERIOR PART OF THE HOSE?
Thinking of using Meguiar's Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner. Thoughts?
Thanks again>Larry