Has anyone used these eBay silicone radiator hoses from China?

[amsimmons]

While it's true it makes it look purrrdy....I don't think there is much harm. True, silicone is porous and typically used in racing engines with higher operating temps, in many applications, I don't feel that it's a big deal. I've had mine on for probably 15-20 thousand miles. Have I lost any coolant? No.

I feel that they have held up better than my rubber hoses in regard to holding their form. Theoretically, they are supposed to withstand higher temps so I would suppose that would mean that they deteriorate at a slower rate. Who knows....

Mine look purrdy. I have misc red accents to my Jeeps Yellow and black color scheme. Grabars, ARB diff covers, HiLift, fuel can, a few stickers. I think it's a colorful addition that I can't remember being able to find in rubber. Does it do anything at all performance-wide? Likely not. I just hope they last longer than my rubber hoses.

Now that it’s been over 4 years, how are they holding up? I have a yellow Jeep and am thinking of putting some red hoses on, too.

 

[ejay]

Now that it’s been over 4 years, how are they holding up? I have a yellow Jeep and am thinking of putting some red hoses on, too.

If I wipe them down, they look brand new. No issues. No sign of issues. And I've flushed the system since then and have seen the inner diameter.

 

[bmcgc]

I replace my hoses, thermostat and do a radiator flush every 5 years at an average cost of around $200. Cheaper on the Mustangs and TJ, more expensive on the motorhome. Regular Gates work just fine for me. Silicone hoses were developed for severe duty applications and none of my vehicles fall under the severe duty category.

 

[Rubiconned]

Silicone advocate

 

[Captain Phoenix]

Silicone hose requires a hose clamp with a inner band.

So we need to ditch the OEM constant tension clamps for silicone hoses?

 

[Verndawg]

I have a set of silicone hoses on my motorcycle. It doesn't get a lot of mileage on it each year, but they are still looking as good as new after about 5 years.

 

[TheBoogieman]

View attachment 574638

Silicone advocate

Still funny nearly a year later. Diddy might disagree.