Had a coolant hose blow on a highway job in Phoenix last summer

I was doing a roadside fix on a 2012 F-150, right off the I-10. The upper radiator hose gave out, spraying coolant everywhere in 110-degree heat. I didn't have the exact Gates part in my truck, just a generic hose. I had to cut it to fit, which took about 20 minutes longer than it should have. The customer was sweating it out, but it held long enough to get them to a shop. Has anyone else had to make a temporary fix with the wrong part in a pinch?

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3 Comments

nathanb717mo ago

Keep a roll of good quality hose repair tape in your kit, it's saved me a few times.

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tessa6957mo ago

Can confirm, @nathanb71, I've used that tape to fix more leaks than my own bad plumbing advice.

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miles8256mo ago

What even is bad plumbing advice though? Like telling someone to use duct tape on a pipe, that's a disaster. But @nathanb71 is right, that real hose tape is magic. I fixed a split garden hose and a leaky washing machine connector with the same five dollar roll. Stuff just works.

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