I am using some 1 1/2" stainless tubing for water hoses to the radiator. I am using regular radiator hose to adapt this tubing to the water pump and the radiator. I inquired on this forum for a long term lubricant so the hoses would not stick to the water pump and radiator hose bungs. A suggestion was dielectric silicone grease, and it is working great. I am concerned that the hoses not slip of the stainless tubing, as there is no enlarged ring at the end as on the water pump and radiator hose bungs. What have some of you used to enlarge the end so the hose does not slide off? I'm thinking of TIG welding a small bead on the ends of the stainless tubing, not a continuous bead but a series of stitches around the circumference. I'm thinking this would be enough to stop the tube from sliding with the hose clamp. What have you fellows done that worked?
I have used the same type of tube on my cooling system. I just happened to have a 2" steel ball handy that I used along with some genteel persuasion to bellmouth the end of the tube slightly making it impossible for the hose to come off when a hose clamp is installed.
Even one or two weld spots will be enough, once the clamp is tight one spot would prevent any slip off, put two on at 180 degrees apart to make sure. Any grease will do as lube.
You can improvise some thing like this tool for a few tubes, Have lots of tubes to do here is the tool http://www.vansantent.com/bead_tool.htm
we bead all ours. we have a 80 year old beader..works great, hey FE26 is right a few spots will keep them on
We make hoses like that all the time... I weld a bead just a bit in from the end... I HAVE had dielectric grease cause a hose to pop off... no bead on that one! I go all the way around, no idea if it is necessary, I just do.
I wonder if a weld spot on the pipe would wear through the rubber hose since all the force holding it in place would be focused in that one or two raised spots. A bead would spread that force out over the entire circumfrence of the rubber hose. (Kind of like walking with a pebble in your shoe vs. walking on sand. Either way you're walking on rocks but with the sand, it doesn't hurt because the load is spread over the entire foot instead of just in one place.) It may be more trouble, but I think expanding the end using one of the methods mentioned above would be more reliable. Another way you could expand the end is to place a ball pean hammer where you want it expanded and tap it with another hammer. Do that all the way around and Bob's your uncle.
no..because the part that touching the weld doesn't have water pressure on it. The spot is outside the clamp..
I should have mentioned the 304SS, 1 1/2" tubing I used has an 1/8" wall. It was tubing I had left over from some chassis fabrication. I doubt that it would form easily, either for bead rolling or bell mouthing due to the wall thickness. I may TIG 4 stitches at each end of the tube to hold the hose if that is sufficient.
I made copper radiator lines to the rear mounted radiator in my roadster. At someones suggestion here, soldered 14ga copper wire around the end. No reason a weld bead wouldn't do the same thing. Brian
I mig'd a bead around the ends of the one I made for my chevy years ago, works fine. It's just mild steel exhaust tubing, nothing fancy.
Since you have the equipment tigging may be your best answer. Just for everyones info tho the actual size of the ball I used to bellmouth the tube was 1.65, the tube was 1.5 OD .165 wall. it bellmouthed very easly.
Not all lubes will work, some attack rubber and such. When in doubt, run down to the local tire store with a small empty bottle and try to get some mounting lube. (Ru-Glyde)
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