I just paid $9.50 in shipping for a $5.00 lower radiator spring. Of the few things I'm replacing in Gramp's OG "65 Olds Delta 88, one is the lower radiator hose - including the rusted spring.
I'm doing it because I want to preserve everything as original as possible, and I "sort of" believe it's helpful. There are definitely widely varied opinions about the need for these springs - what do you Olds-folks think?

And I don't mean this Radiator Springs

Radiator Springs from Cars

 

I have purchased them before as I’ve always felt that the factory put them in for a purpose, and would never spend the time and money without one.. I should probably put one in the upper hose of my ‘07 Duramax, it collapses all the time which I find unnerving.

 

As you see, most hoses do not have them. I think it helps when the hoes get old. I don't worry that I don't have them.

 

In years past I transferred the spring from the old hose to the new hose since the new ones didn’t come with one. The spring eventually was so rusted that it almost fell apart. So for the past 10 years or so no spring and I haven’t noticed any issues.

Modern hoses are supposedly stiffer construction and do not need the spring.

 

The spring is to prevent the hose (in this case the lower) from collapsing due to pump impeller suction. Is it necessary? The factory thought it was...kind of like jumper cables, are they necessary to carry?
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[QUOTE=Sugar Bear;1480421 The factory thought it was...kind of like jumper cables, are they necessary to carry?
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I carry heavy/long cables in my vehicles. Of course they don’t get used often, but when they do someone is VERY grateful. (That being either myself or the jumpee). Although I carry cables for my own benefit, I always feel like I’ve made someone’s day a whole lot less stressful when I use them for another person. By the way, none of my vehicles were issued cables from the factory….unfortunate, but I do get your point 😀

 

Ha Ha. I immediately thought of the movie Cars. Radiator Springs was a happening little town.

 

Murphy's Law, if you have it, you wont need it. If you dont, you will.

 

Which year did Oldsmobile stop providing the springs inside radiator hoses? Just curious.

 

The corrugated "universal" hoses probably are fine but if you are using a smooth OEM type the spring is a good idea. I had a car with overheating problems that I couldn't solve - until I added a spring to the lower hose. Fixed!

 

Not sure but my 87 442 had one from the factory.

 

Thanks for the great feedback, everyone! Aside from the keeping it original reason, the comment that resonates the most is the one from @Funkwagon455 "the factory put them in for a purpose, and would never spend the time and money" -- so true. Every nickel and minute matters in big biz.

 

so running a stainless spring couldnt hurt

 

I agree but you have to put that in perspective of the time period when these were manufactured.

My empirical evidence says the spring is not needed in a new/modern hose.
My engine does just fine in the following conditions:
5500 RPM pulls,
115+ summer temps,
highway cruising at 3400 RPM.

Your experiences may differ.

 

This, nearly identical, discussion appeared here on CO ~1-2 months ago & Joe P. addressed the notion of lower radiator hose springs. The following discussion is nearly identical to the discussion raised by Joe; which is, simply....

....the factory placed a spring in the lower radiator hose in order to eliminate cavitation of the lower radiator hose during the "filling" process of the cooling system which was done (by the factory) under "vacuum"....
The reason the cooling system was filled under vacuum was to "quickly" fill the cooling system. The lower radiator hose spring aided in the filling of the cooling system.

I need a spring for my radiator hose. Where can I find one?

 

Just catching up. Haven’t used lower hose springs in at least 20 years across 2 cars. If the hose has it, no harm, keep it.

If not, I’d still drive SF to LA without a worry. Which I did in 2021.

Cheers
cf

 

FWIW, there are part numbers for the spring in the parts books, so I'd say there may be more to it than just the factory vacuum fill procedure. And they didn't use vacuum fill systems at the dealerships back in the 80s that I've ever seen. So why sell them over the counter?

Not sure what this hose was made of in the vid cap pic below, but it looked round prior to this. Granted, it's a MoPar engine dyno run, but it's proof they can get sucked flat. Likely nobody driving it on or off the trailer to a car show will have issues, but for those who drive theirs like a rental...


Full video here, but the hose incident happens around the 2:39 mark, thereabouts. Do what you like, but spending 10 bucks on a new spring is cheaper insurance than having to fix any potential engine damage.


If you're doing a concourse, 100 point restoration, you best get one. Judge squeezes your lower hose and it mushes in without resistance... that's -5 points, Pal.

Note- although not shown here, the 75 A, B, C body part number call out of 551136 for the spring was used up through 1988 in the RWD Cutlass. Interestingly, it shows some inlet hose springs as 26" but same part number as the outlet 16" springs.

 

I’m not the smartest person around, and don’t have a lot of knowledge of cooling system designs, but it seems that with a 15psi radiator cap the entire cooling system is it that minimum pressure, so the likelihood of a hose collapsing with 15 psi pressure in the system seems a bit unlikely. Perhaps I am missing something here?

 

For anyone that cares. I bought and used a spring from Inline Tube. Should anyone squeeze my lower hose...they'll know it.
My takeaway from the thread is that unless you're trying to be completely original (as I am) or have high-perf / high pressure requirements - the spring isn't required.

 

You can make your own out of a coat hanger or SS wire.

 

After watching my brand new lower radiator hose suck closed while giving it throttle, I'm going to be putting a spring in it.