SL-C #50 Allan's Build

[Alex]

I was studying how you've routed the cooling lines (corrugated stainless) at the front, and was wondering 2 things (since I'm slowly working on cooling now)

1 - With that heat shrink connection to the solid pipe, are you worried about future accessibility? if debris somehow manages to pound through the hose (unlucky, etc...) it looks like it's body-off to replace it?

2 - With the hose clamped to the chassis along the front like that, how do you plan on fitting the spyder back since the hose would prevent it from sitting down (atleast without being stressing) - the only way I can see is if you remove about 4'' from the bottom upwards in that area on the spyder?

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

1-We just installed AC on a fully built/painted car that was not ordered with it...we simply removed the whole body in about 45 minutes, installed the AC system and refitted the body...no problem....so plan ahead just in case.

2-Notch the lower corner of the body as two things cannot occupy the same space obviously...and thats normal OP.

 

[Allan]

I was studying how you've routed the cooling lines (corrugated stainless) at the front, and was wondering 2 things (since I'm slowly working on cooling now)

1 - With that heat shrink connection to the solid pipe, are you worried about future accessibility? if debris somehow manages to pound through the hose (unlucky, etc...) it looks like it's body-off to replace it?

2 - With the hose clamped to the chassis along the front like that, how do you plan on fitting the spyder back since the hose would prevent it from sitting down (atleast without being stressing) - the only way I can see is if you remove about 4'' from the bottom upwards in that area on the spyder?

1. It looks like heat shrink for the connections but it isn't, I just didn't have the hose clamps on in the pictures. The tubes will come back out of it if needed and the connections are accessable.

2. The cut out in the body allows the body to attach to the frame without distorting it, it just required about a 2.5" slot along the front lower spider. I'm putting the body back on this week and I'll take a picture with it in place.

 

[Alex]

I gotcha - I thought that rubber was the type that you heat shrink on (I was wondering how the heck you were planning on cutting it off there, heh!)

Btw, have you picked up any tips/tricks regarding making a good seal with the corrugated hose? I used it before on my cobra and had 0 problems with it and absolutely love it for its durability and flexibility.....however when you google it it seems most people (including GTM guys) really dislike it and say it does nothing but leak?

 

[Jonathan Strain]

I am one of the GTM guys that had problems with the corrugated hoses. Here are my observations. The GTM uses 2 inch corrugated hoses and in places you use an adaptor, that is just a rubber hose with a 2 inch OD and a 1.5 inch ID, to attach to 1.5 inch fittings. Anyplace that you have to use the adaptors the hoses are more likely to blow off. Double clamp all connectors that use those. I would also double clamp any connections that will be hard to get to so that they do not blow off. You also need to tighten the clamps more than you would on a normal hose. I tightened the clamps until the hose was starting to squeeze out through the slots in the worm gear clamps. I would never do that on a standard radiator hose but the adaptors are pretty thick walled.

I blew the hoses off twice before I double clamped the hoses. I have not had any troubles since.

I spliced a bunch of standard radiator hoses together for my GT40. Having done both the corrugated and the spliced hoses, I prefer the spliced hose route. They both have their advantages and disadvantages though.

 

[Alex]

I am one of the GTM guys that had problems with the corrugated hoses. Here are my observations. The GTM uses 2 inch corrugated hoses and in places you use an adaptor, that is just a rubber hose with a 2 inch OD and a 1.5 inch ID, to attach to 1.5 inch fittings. Anyplace that you have to use the adaptors the hoses are more likely to blow off. Double clamp all connectors that use those. I would also double clamp any connections that will be hard to get to so that they do not blow off. You also need to tighten the clamps more than you would on a normal hose. I tightened the clamps until the hose was starting to squeeze out through the slots in the worm gear clamps. I would never do that on a standard radiator hose but the adaptors are pretty thick walled.

I blew the hoses off twice before I double clamped the hoses. I have not had any troubles since.

I spliced a bunch of standard radiator hoses together for my GT40. Having done both the corrugated and the spliced hoses, I prefer the spliced hose route. They both have their advantages and disadvantages though.

Could a solution then be to use better quality hose connectors?

I know the ones that Breeze supplies are really heavy duty (compared to the cheap crap most of the kits ship with) - I find it odd (from my experiences) that you had to super tighten them that much - I ended up doing 3 tightening cycles on the ones on my cobra, each time with just a screwdriver until tight .... never tight until it was popping out of the clamp almost.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

I've been using the ss flexible lines for years and have had success with it. ...It's a little pricey but I had enough left over from past builds for the whole system.

Regarding the cost of corrugated flexible coolant lines, I was under the same impression looking at Coolflex (which of course isn't stainless steel), Mr. Gasket Gflex, Summit's version, etc. any of which can easily set you back $100+ for only 2-3 feet. However, I noticed recently that Earl's Form-a-Flex 121000ERL is sold by the foot @ ~$15.

All of these are 1.75" OD, however.

So two questions:

1. Is there anything wrong with the Earl's product?
2. Where does one get corrugated SS hose in 2" diameter?

 

[Jonathan Strain]

I don't think the quality of the clamp was the issue. It just seems to be the amount of rubber that the clamp is compressing. With the adaptor there is a half inch of rubber all the way around the fitting. It takes a lot of force to get it to hold.

 

[Allan]

I used 1.5" radiator hose cut into 3" sections that will go over the corrugated line and solid line. It fits very tightly and I heat it first with a heat gun to soften it so that it goes on a little easier. Then I use the wider and stronger hose clamps to tighten it all down. A smear of RTV on the solid and corragated line also helps the seal.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

The other two "tips" I've seen relative to "blow off" as opposed to leakage are to roughen the corrugated pipe where you want to clamp it, and to make a poor-man's bead by installing round-head sheet metal screws around the periphery at the end of the corrugated tube.

In principle of course one could form a true real bead given the right type of beading tool by expanding the last corrugation. It would take a "diameter-driven" one like an EZ-beader, as opposed to the Parker type.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/ezbeader.phphttp://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/ezbeader.phphttp://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/ezbeader.php
PARKER TYPE AIRCRAFT TUBE BEADING TOOL from Aircraft Spruce

 

[Alex]

I used 1.5" radiator hose cut into 3" sections that will go over the corrugated line and solid line. It fits very tightly and I heat it first with a heat gun to soften it so that it goes on a little easier. Then I use the wider and stronger hose clamps to tighten it all down. A smear of RTV on the solid and corragated line also helps the seal.

You know, thinking about it, I never just clamped down on the corrugated line - I always put a piece of rubber hose ontop of it first, then clamped down. Hmmm, I wonder if that's why I've always had great success with it.

Anyways, looking forward if you can post a pic or two of your cutout - i think I know what i need to do, but want to see somebody elses first before I go choppy choppy.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

You know, thinking about it, I never just clamped down on the corrugated line

Ya lost me there.... nobody puts clamps on the corrugated line itself. Well, nobody sane does....

 

[Alex]

Ya lost me there.... nobody puts clamps on the corrugated line itself. Well, nobody sane does....

I've seen that before? (clamping down on just the line .... no idea how that turned out though since I didn't do it)

 

[Allan]

Here's some pictures to show the cut outs on the body for the coolant lines.

 

[Allan]

And now for the good stuff.

Here's the wiring in the middle of connecting everything

 

[Allan]

Once the wiring was all set and everything worked as it should I moved on to the street clip. As it sits now I have 130 hours into it and it's ready to start; the brakes work, the push to start and security system is in, coolant system is all set and the clutch and shifter operate. Just waiting on my exhaust headers in order to go for a test drive.

Then I got started on the doors, the front hinges first then fitting the driver side door. Nice to have parts that fit correctly as supplied.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Nice work Allan....130hrs..WOW.

..a white one left today heading up to your neck of the woods too.....Peter looked pretty stoked.

 

[Jack]

Speed of light Allan, keep the pic's coming. Great job!

 

[Paul Osborn]

130 Hours!

Your car looks like it's almost together! You must be very proficient with fabrication.

 

[Alex]

and the clutch and shifter operate.

Did you end up modifying the transaxle attachment points for the shifter cable? (i.e., drill holes for the threaded ball stud/locknut as opposed to clip on)