Making rubber hoses last longer.

[Luis P]

Does anybody have advice on how to maintain all the rubber hoses (in the engine room) and make them last longer? They dry and crack too soon!

Is there any product to clean or impregnate them with?

[J.Kitchens]

303 Protectant

[billknny]

While 303 is a good product, but it is a UV protectant, and I doubt sun exposure is your problem.

How soon is “too soon”? If your hoses are dying a very early death, the most likely cause is ozone from arcing electrical contacts. Like alternator or motor brushes. Is your engine room well ventelated? Are there dc motors that routinely run in there when the main engine is off?

[john61ct]

They're a consumable. Proactively replace, ideally on a schedule

[a64pilot]

Ideally ever 5 yrs.
Although having said that, my 1987 Yanmar has almost all of its original hoses, or someone went through the trouble of painting them with a thick coat of Yanmar grey
I know I should replace them, but they seem to be in great shape.

[Lepke]

Probably too hot in the engineroom or cheap hoses. I carry spares, but don't change until hoses give an indication of aging. I'm sure some hoses are 20+ years in my current boat.
Rubber type products have solvents that evaporate out, making the hose brittle, hard and prone to cracks. High temps and direct sunlight speed this process.

[gjordan]

The story that I heard (cant verify) is that Armor All was developed for the military to protect rubber hoses in the hot chemical atmosphere of an engine compartment. I use it on hoses, etc and on any other rubber part that is being stored, such as spare water pump impellers. Does it work? I cant say for sure, but it seems to. ____Grant.

[john61ct]

There are also heat shielding products in sleeving, tape etc

[Comix Bay]

Originally Posted by Luis P

Does anybody have advice on how to maintain all the rubber hoses (in the engine room) and make them last longer? They dry and crack too soon!

Is there any product to clean or impregnate them with?

Luis,

I have used a spray silicone (bought from my Ford dealer) on my rubber products for the car for years. Use it on wiper blades, sun roof seal and hoses. Seems to keep them soft and pliable. Have had no leaks or failures yet.

Ted VA7YQQ
Comox, BC

[ferrailleur]

Originally Posted by gjordan

The story that I heard (cant verify) is that Armor All was developed for the military to protect rubber hoses in the hot chemical atmosphere of an engine compartment. I use it on hoses, etc and on any other rubber part that is being stored, such as spare water pump impellers. Does it work? I cant say for sure, but it seems to. ____Grant.

available at Wal Mart and every auto part stores... I use it on all rubber gaskets (porthole, hatches, lazarettes)….. they all look NEW!

[hellosailor]

"Ideally ever 5 yrs."
Funny thing, EVERY maker of prime rubber hoses and belts (Gates, Goodyear, all of them) say the same thing. Five years and replace it, because rubber takes damage from ozone, oxygen, heat, vibration, UV, and they just find five years is generally safe and acceptable.

" my 1987 Yanmar has almost all of its original hoses, or someone went through the trouble of painting them"
Which is a major point I have against Westerbleak (sic). All those rubber companies also say NEVER PAINT THE RUBBER PRODUCTS. The paint solvents kill the rubber, they make it dry out and crack prematurely. A friend of mine was a tank commander in cold war Germany, and he said one of the big scandals was that fully 25% of their expensive new CBN-sealed tanks, with heavy gaskets on all the hatches, were out of commission at any given time. Because some nimrod had painted the SEALS when they painted the tanks, and the seals had to be condemned.
Westerbeke of course slaps bright red paint over everything, including all the hoses, after the final assembly. Indicating they either don't know or don't care about engineering issues, they prefer shiny marketing.

Something simple like ArmorAll will extend the life of most rubber parts, it replaces any plasticizers that migrate out, and seals the surface against oxygen penetration. Plain talc (talcum powder) does the same thing, the talc dust gets into the surface and prevents oxidation. IIRC 303 is loaded heavily with UV protectors but it will also help the same way, that's just not the primary target.

[wrwakefield]

I do not know of any hose anti-wrinkle cream, but I haven't experienced what you describe on any of my boats... [Current engine room averages 115°F when motoring...]

I do, however, know one way to reliably accelerate the aging of 'rubber' components: expose them to the output from an ozone generator for days at a time... [I discovered this long ago- the hard way...]

Cheers! Bill

[Seighlor]

Good information. Thank you all. When I acquired my current boat, '88 vintage, I asked my mechanic to update all engine hoses with new. Two of them, those from the oil sump and transmission sump, are inaccessible and were not changed. Now thirty years old, though still pliable and with no visible degradation, I am more and more concerned. In the next few minutes I'll be shopping for a spray can of ArmorAll for whatever benefit it may provide.

[model 10]

Some hoses, like the oil hoses on a Perkins, have a wire braid inside and then another layer of rubber inside that. I suspect the transmission hoses are or should be the same type hose. You can make these type hoses yourself, but most people get a hose shop to do them. Hose shops will most often use a crimp fitting but you can get a screw together style fitting also. It's very important to not bend an old hose. If you have to, support it's natural shape with a piece of wire or string after you remove it. If you don't take care, you can crack the inner rubber liner.

[AndyEss]

Silicon rubber radiator hoses seem to last far, far longer than regular rubber, but you pay a hefty premium for them