Hose replacement - Samco Sport Silicone hoses

With new cars and unlimited warranties, replacing hoses has become a thing of the past. Most cars wont' experience a hose failure within the first 100k miles. Only enthusiasts who work on older aging automobiles still consider the age old task of repairing engine hoses.

The Corrado hoses are specific to the Corrado. Therefore, the these cannot be obtained by going to my local Kragen Auto Parts store. I have to go to the VW dealer to get hose replacements.

This is an expensive proposition with some individual hoses costing more than $100 each! Consider that my car has eight hoses associated with the coolant system.

Furthermore, the Corrado G60 has a second set of hoses for the intake system. This is a positive pressure system and contains five additional hoses.

Fortunately, an aftermarket company makes silicone based hose kits for my application. The company is called Samco Sport and produces preformed hoses identical to the OEM hoses using a different material. They also produce them in colors making them appealing. The coolant hose set cost me $245 while the boost kit cost $180.

If you want the silicone hose kit, you should also consider acquiring the special hose clamps. Unlike the fiber reinforced rubber hoses, Silicone based hoses tear easily if they are cut. The speical clamps look like traditional screw type hose clamps but do not have any sharp edges. This will mimimize risk of cutting the hoses.

Installation is difficult in the tight spaces of the Corrado engine bay. The three water pump hoses are impossible to install without removing the radiator. The "h" hose is especially difficult

because the inside diamter of one of the openings is too narrow for the coolant lower coolant flange. Many on the forums have discussed this topic. I wrestled with it for two days before successfully got it on the coolant flange. But not without first removing the entire front end of the car and then removing the flange so I could muscle it on! (This is a good time to replace any of the plastic coolant flanges)

These silicone hoses add a truly custom appearance underneath the hood. And compared to dealership prices on the replacement hoses, the Samco Sport kits are a bargain!