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FCP Euro Service Kits

FCP Euro Kits

Typically, the under the hood temperature in our old V8 Chevys may have reached little more than the ambient temperature outside. There was almost enough room for me to climb in to those old engine bays and change the plugs. However, under hood temperatures have soared over the past decade in our everyday vehicles.

Our modern cars have far more compact engine compartments, much less air movement, and engines that run hotter. All these factors combine to create a far more extreme and hostile environment for under the hood components, which means cooling components are even more crucial. Prompt action by drivers is essential to prevent significant damage.

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That being said, many auto owners are complacent and have come to me in the past with comments like, “the engine was getting really hot, but I was nearly home so I thought it would be okay” or "the needle wasn't completely to the right of the gauge, so I thought I'd keep driving and check the coolant level later.”

I pulled down an engine recently that had overheated for just a few minutes. The top of the piston had started to melt and was clearly seconds away from completely disintegrating. What some people don’t realize is that it can take as little as 30-60 seconds for an engine to completely be destroyed because of inadequate coolant.

That same engine had to be replaced at the cost of thousands of dollars, just because the owner hadn't noticed a small coolant leak and ignored his temp gauge warning.  Sometimes the damage is obvious and immediate. An example of this could be harsh noises or failing to start other times damage can go unnoticed. Only after several more weeks of driving the damage is revealed.  Piston and rings distort under higher temperatures than they are designed for, resulting in scored bores and pistons that use oil and decrease performance. Valves can be burnt and head gaskets can be severely weakened and leak. The list goes on, even damaging non-engine components, such as auto transmissions because they are cooled by the same systems.

Often the cause of the rise in temperature is a lack of coolant due to a leaking hose. These rubber hoses can be prone to softening, cracking and deterioration, even from the inside and therefore not noticeable by the owner.  Recommendations from manufacturers are around the four year mark, however, I have seen much younger hoses that need replacement.

Old school rubber hoses or EPDM (ethylene propylene rubber) are being replaced by enthusiasts with newer quality silicone hoses from brands like Snabb and Mishimoto that both have superior resistance to heating and cooling under pressurized environments. Indeed, silicone hoses are seen by many of my colleagues and car enthusiasts as no longer a performance part, but as essential standard equipment to protect their investments. Hose replacement is an often an ignored maintenance item with replacements only occurring after the owner has noticed their vehicle losing water or if they start to run hotter than usual. But split hoses can lose huge quantities of water in seconds, even small leaks over a period of a few days can lead to running very low on coolant with devastating results.

When did you last change or closely check your hoses?

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Written by :
Alan Power

Alan Power is a father, grandfather, husband, and a DIY enthusiast. He lives down-under in Western Australia and he enjoys spending time with his family and working in his home workshop. Not to mention enjoying maintaining and driving his classic cars.


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