Cloth tape around coolant hoses (Cosmetic)

[tome30]

When recently purchasing some vacuum hose, I decided to get fluorescent green, as it matched the OEM vacuum reservoir. I soon realized that adding a touch of the same colour here and there looks quite pleasing.

You can buy hose kits in a variety of colours, including urban camo and the like, but they cost a lot.

What are the risks if any of wrapping cloth tape around coolant hoses?

Combustion and unravelling and getting munched up by fans, pulleys, are my worries. I would probably put cable ties at the ends or remove hose, wrap, the put jubilee clips over the cloth before re-attaching.

www.fancy-tapes.co.uk/store/product/8-0/

[EmDee]

Anything under the bonnet that is not fire retardant is a big no.

Imagine how hot it gets even inside the interior of a car in the summer. Now picture under bonnet temps sitting in traffic in 90 degree weather.

[Mystery Machine]

^^Very much THIS^^

Plus....you have no way of checking the condition of the hoses which is quite a fundamental flaw IMHO

Plus....you have covered the hose so it has less/no air getting to it so will naturally get hotter and cause the hose to harden/perish quicker.

Plus....coolant hoses expand and flex quite a bit, covering it in tape it'll be hard to get the tape to stay nicely wound and gaps may soon appear which will look awful, let alone preventing/limiting the hose from naturally 'ballooning' when it needs to.

I'd personally say to avoid at all costs and spend the money on something more useful or more externally visually appealing.

I know I'm in a minority here, but the more stock/OEM/standard an engine bay looks (especially if it's very clean under there), no matter how modified, the better it looks.

[MrSpeedy]

I wrapped an old obsolete hose in self amalgamating electrical tape due to some 'fretting' on it. That was 10 years ago and it's still going strong now. Mind you, that was a lower operating temperature (around 74C) and an atmospheric/non pressurised system in a boat.

[tome30]

I'll change my question. ;D

Is there a particular tape that I could wrap around my coolant hoses, that would'nt end up in a fireball?

Samco hoses are rated up to 250c, this would be way above opperating temperature I guess, but I'm finding it hard to work out what i need that would stick, be safe, (and be green :

www.google.co.uk/search?q=samco+temp&hl=en&safe=off&complete=0&site=webhp&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=B9D2T-6UJ-rU0QW8yOSxBw&ved=0CAwQ_AUoAA&biw=1366&bih=646#hl=en&safe=off&complete=0&site=webhp&q=high+temp+cloth+tape&oq=high+temp+cloth+tape&gs_l=serp.12...0.0.1.20545.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0.V9Ltw2Kfh_I&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=83811171c984b75f&biw=1366&bih=646

[tome30]

Wow, sorry two posts while I was typing....

[steveo3002]

cloth loom tape should be fire retardent n so on

[BenzBoy]

You can get self-amalgamating silicone tape for wrapping hoses, in a variety of colours.

[tome30]

I will have a look at self amalgamating silicone tape, that seems to be what I'm after.

Thanks.

Also thanks for the precautions.

[phillipm]

^^It's not cheap!