Build Guide Part 16 - Sheet Metal & Main Hoses

Adam

Administrator
Staff member
Build Guide Part 16 - Sheet Metal & Main Hoses
In Part 16 we unpack the stage 1 kit and install the sheet metal and main coolant hoses.

 

PHerder

Well-Known Member
Okay, I watched the video and did the steps to start the hoses into the frame but this step is every kind of hassle I expected it to be! :censored:

First of all, the radiator hose OD is the same size as the ID of the frame tubing so it barely will wedge into the tube. I can get it in ~ an inch (where I notched the hose) but that is as far as it will go. No matter how much tire lube or pulling will get the hose to go in any further! And this is BEFORE it gets to where I put the nyties after compressing the tubing with a radiator hose clamp.

There was a television show on one of the cable channels call Wheels That Fail and I have used that term for WTF since seeing the show. Wheels That Fail am I doing wrong? How did everyone else who have passed this step do it?

I really hate how the video shows the hose being pulled right thru. Special effects? I am about to give up on this project due to health reasons. :(
 

Silverback

Well-Known Member
I had the same problem at first. Running the tire-wet soaked swab (a little paint roller) back and forth a dozen times helped. I ended up tieing the trimmer line in a big loop so I could do it single-handed. Before I put the puck in place, I bored a 3/4" hole all the way through the hose near the end so the cable ties could clamp a smaller diameter and kept soaking all of the hose itself with tire-wet. Then I strung a soaking tire-wet swab (with the ends cut off to accommodate the rope) just in front of the hose. It took two people to get the hose all the way through the shassis. One pushing and one pulling - a struggle - but we got it done. If I had to do it over, I'd use stainless steel cable ties instead of nylon. They're lower profile and can be pulled tighter if you grip the strap in the side of a pair of needle nose pliers and twist them over (or have the proper tool to do it.) But I'd take the option if Lonny and Adam offered to install them for $50 with a painted frame order. ;)
 
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PHerder

Well-Known Member
BTW, I capped one end of the frame tube and tilted the frame up and filled the tube with tire lube (takes a little less than 1/2 gallon so I filled both tubes up with the gallon jug of tire lube that I got from NAPA) and let it sit for over a week while I stressed out about putting the hoses in.

Sure wished DF would have offered the option of installing the hoses. I would have gladly paid. :oops:
 

Briann1177

Goblin Guru
I think I'm going to use electrical wire pulling lube. Tire wet seems alright, but it doesn't have much body to it. You can slather this stuff on and it will stick. Tire wet is like water and it goes on thin.

Lonny showed me some cable lube he tried, but it wasn't nearly as slick or textured like this stuff.

This is my theory. If anybody has any direct experience with this method or willing to try, please let me know.


http://www.polywater.com/product/polywater-dyna-blue-cable-pulling-lubricant/
 

BAR-AIR

Well-Known Member
Good Evening,
Trying to up load some pictures but unable to at this time. Pulling the radiator hoses through should not be that big of an issue. (The only thing that could be an issue is different manufacturers of the hose could have a higher OD. I seem to remember Adam or Lonny mentioning that). We have done two frames the first we heated the hose up ran tire slick through the tubes added two small paint rollers onto the pull line soaking them and the hose as we pulled it through the tube. I don't want to say it was easy (a little messy) but not as hard you are making it out to be. The second Nate did with some of his friends when I was out of town. They could not find the tire slick in the garage (they were working at about midnight) so they shot the tube and the hose with WD40 and pulled it through and that was with only slicing the hose to make a vee and holes in the hose to wrap the cord through. *only injury Nate had his feet on tube pulling (in socks!) WD40 on tube. Needless to say feet off tube upper arm into tube very nice bruise.... but final result radiator hose in tube lesson on proper footwear priceless.... (Adam was supplying hose collars never got one but they would help with not tearing the pull cord out of the hose.
Bruce
 

PHerder

Well-Known Member
{snipped} Adam was supplying hose collars never got one but they would help with not tearing the pull cord out of the hose.
Bruce
Adam supplied me with a plastic slug/washer only and stated that the ring/collar wasn't needed...
 

ctuinstra

Goblin Guru
What about using anything silicone-based? Silicone has no ill effects on rubber. It comes in many different viscosities.
 

PHerder

Well-Known Member
(The only thing that could be an issue is different manufacturers of the hose could have a higher OD. I seem to remember Adam or Lonny mentioning that).
Must be what I have... the diameter of the hose is 1.33" (checked several times around the hose to insure the reading) and in ID of the tubing is 1.27" (measured at the engine end of the frame were there isn't any power coating) so 0.06" too big of a hose. 6 hundreds isn't much but enough to frustrate the "h, e, double hockey sticks" out of me. :mad:
 

BAR-AIR

Well-Known Member
Would suggest getting the ring/collar from Adam. Then take the radiator hose and leave it in the sun on some nice black asphalt on a nice sunny day. The tire slick works just fine plus it's cheap run some down the tube. I used two of the small paint rollers one at the beginning of the pull line and one just before the radiator hose totally load both with the tire slick as you pull the first one into the tube pore more tire slick into the tube that will keep the tube well lubed. Begin to pull the second paint roller into the tube again saturated with tire slick we also had a basin filled with tire slick so that one person was feeding the radiator hose through the tire slick in the basin and keeping it going straight into the tube. Only catch pull only the length of radiator hose that you need per side and once you start pulling you CAN NOT STOP it doesn't have to be fast but it did need to be one continuous motion.
If I can get pictures up I will later. It really wasn't bad I think with the radiator hose warm/hot it will stretch down to a reasonable size to fit through the tube.
 

DanPerryy

Well-Known Member
For sure it is a person job, and a lot of tire wet, dripping wet, 10 times soaking the paint roller, pulling through both ways. Then applying tire wet directly to the hose as it went into the tube.
 

JSATX

Goblin Guru
Reread Bars build thread where he talks about the paint rollers. I broke the rope end off the hose three times before I realized I just didn't have enough lube in the pipe.

I tied a rope to a spare wheel lug nut, and then wrapped a towel tightly around the nut. I then fed the rope through the frame and chucked the rope into my drill. Spinning the towel through the frame with the tire wet poured in worked great. The hose slid in much easier after that.
 

Johvans

Well-Known Member
Ahh.... I was in a similar position you were. I told my wife "of course its easy in the video's" ;)

1.) My wife and I used an entire bottle (the small one) of the tire wet.
2.) Make sure the angled cuts at the beginning of the hose are fairly long. When she started the hose in the pipe it went in fairly easily.
3.) Once you start pulling and have the tube moving DO NOT STOP. Make sure that someone is feeding/lubing it from the bottom as it goes in.
4.) I had green and purple bruises on my thighs the next morning from bracing against the frame... I also wrapped the rope around an impact socket extension to pull on as it was easier on my hands. All told from beginning to end it took us roughly 3 hours.. :oops: Probably the worst part was doing the second tube and getting it all the way to the end of the tube and have the plug let go. We had to pull it out the front again and redo it. :eek:

John
 

jirwin

Goblin Guru
I found a much easier way of pulling the rope through (after ripping a little skin off my hands). I used two separate ropes (not trimmer line) to do mine. One rope was about 20 feet long with the paint roller in the middle. The other was about 12 feet long with a 1.5" PVC pipe on the other end. The PVC pipe was just one of those short pre-cut sections you can get at Home Depot. I drilled a hole straight through it, put the rope through it, and knotted both sides. On the other end I put the slug. From there I did it kind of backwards. I ran the paint roller back and forth and on the last swipe I pulled it straight through, with the free end of the PVC attached rope taped to the end. I already had the pipe prepared on the other end. I had 3 hose clamps in a line. After the slug made it through the end, I slipped it in the tube. Then I tightened all 3 hose clamps. After they were all clamped down, I removed the center one, and zip tied it tight. I then removed the remaining two hose clamps, lubed up the tube, and put it in the frame. Then all I had to do was go to the other end and use my PVC handle to yank it through. I used the frame as a brace for my foot for extra leverage. The PVC worked great because all I had to do was yank, roll up the excess rope, and repeat. Hope this helps someone planning to do theirs!

9947

9948
 

k.rollin

Goblin Guru
I found the post:
 
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