silicone

[rgogan]

One of the biggest maintenance reducers for my motorhome has been switching from all rubber heater hoses to silicone. I cannot count the number of
times previously that I would rupture a hose or open the engine compartment and find a massive aneurysm ready to rupture. It usually involved the
hoses going back to the heat exchanger in the bathroom at the back end of the hot engine compartment. I knew the GMC maintenance manual calls for
changing all hoses yearly but I just could not get myself to do this. The silicone hoses were expensive but completely eliminated any further
failures since they have been in place for five years.

I just pulled my right header pipes off because of a failed remflex gasket right at the top center. It gave me a chance to look at the hoses going to
the fuel pump. Sure enough, they were cracked and ready to fail. Thought I would be smart and install silicone fuel hoses and wanted to let everyone
know what I found. Silicone is porous and can actually leak fuel and is not recommended for fuel lines.
Apparently some companies do produce silicone fuel lines but insert a teflon liner to deal with the porosity. For now I am sticking with traditional
rubber lines because they last much longer than the hot heater hoses anyway.

Hope this helps someone avert an on the road disaster.

 

[jim kanomata1]

Robert,
Your point is well taken, however, do not run down the 40 year old hose.
If you have not replaced it and all the rubbers on the fuel system, it must
be done.
Going to an expensive line is fin, but not nessary as the new rubber line
is good fo 30 years plus it has an Barrior , a nylon hose inside.
Replace the tank selector switch and the fuel pump as they have old rubber
that is old and the Ethanal is eating them.
Talking about Rubber, replace the tires evert 5 years. Does nort make any
difference if it was covered or not, the adhesive holding the tread ages
out.

On Thu, Oct 8, 2020 at 2:01 PM Robert J. Gogan via Gmclist <

> One of the biggest maintenance reducers for my motorhome has been
> switching from all rubber heater hoses to silicone. I cannot count the
> number of
> times previously that I would rupture a hose or open the engine
> compartment and find a massive aneurysm ready to rupture. It usually
> involved the
> hoses going back to the heat exchanger in the bathroom at the back end of
> the hot engine compartment. I knew the GMC maintenance manual calls for
> changing all hoses yearly but I just could not get myself to do this. The
> silicone hoses were expensive but completely eliminated any further
> failures since they have been in place for five years.
>
> I just pulled my right header pipes off because of a failed remflex gasket
> right at the top center. It gave me a chance to look at the hoses going to
> the fuel pump. Sure enough, they were cracked and ready to fail. Thought
> I would be smart and install silicone fuel hoses and wanted to let everyone
> know what I found. Silicone is porous and can actually leak fuel and is
> not recommended for fuel lines.
> Apparently some companies do produce silicone fuel lines but insert a
> teflon liner to deal with the porosity. For now I am sticking with
> traditional
> rubber lines because they last much longer than the hot heater hoses
> anyway.
>
> Hope this helps someone avert an on the road disaster.
>
>
>
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--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk
http://www.gmcrvparts.com
1-800-752-7502