Dreaded thermostat replacement-hoses too?

I've been cursed with a dying thermostat. Its been leaking coolant very, very slowly since I pulled the bike from hibernation.

Since ill be yarding it out im considering going with the samco silicone hose kit. Couple of questions for you guys experienced with this lengthy endeavor;

Are the two smallest hoses that run to/from the "squirter" unit the most difficult to replace?

is the kit really worth it? or is it just bling? They claim to lower engine/coolant temps and increase flow..

And if not, should I be concerned about the OEM hoses failing? I will definitely be ditching the ducati clamps for a traditional worm drive hose clamp.

I've read in another thread that the silicone hoses don't seal as effectively as the rubber ones. If anyone with the kit could chime in on if they've had any sealing issues, that would be great. Naturally, I don't want to pour more money and labor into this leak only to make it worse down the road.

Thanks in advance

Its a pain in the ... job to do and the hardest part is the two smaller hoses/trying to do up the clamps.

Very tight space.

To replace the small hoses which run from the cylinder heads to the squirter unit (thermostat housing), it's best to remove the squirter unit, fit the hoses, and reinstall the unit. Even then, it's not easy. From the feedback that I've received, the Samco hoses are less pliable than the OEM units and are therefore harder to fit. In any event, go with standard automotive clamps as opposed to the factory bands.

Have you identified the source of the leak? There are numerous points of failure around the thermostat housing, and in many instances, it's the squirter unit that turns out to be the culprit, not the hoses.

Not sure if there are aftermarket cheaper silicone hoses, just did them for my vette and the quality of the cheap ebay hoses was outstanding. trick is to use the stock clamps.

Very long nose pliers help a lot

I replaced all the hoses and used worm gear hose clamps

Khmer1199 said:

To replace the small hoses which run from the cylinder heads to the squirter unit (thermostat housing), it's best to remove the squirter unit, fit the hoses, and reinstall the unit. Even then, it's not easy. From the feedback that I've received, the Samco hoses are less pliable than the OEM units and are therefore harder to fit. In any event, go with standard automotive clamps as opposed to the factory bands.

Have you identified the source of the leak? There are numerous points of failure around the thermostat housing, and in many instances, it's the squirter unit that turns out to be the culprit, not the hoses.

Click to expand...

I've been studying your "squirter unit r&r" write up in prep for this job. While I have your attention let me say THANK YOU. What a helpful resource to have. Very well laid out and illustrated. Really awesome. Thanks.

I've been monitoring the leak for about a month now. Initially, I thought it was the hose but the split on the squirter unit shows some saturation and it's above where I initially thought the hose was leaking so I'm fairly sure the thermostat itself is no good.

rrgermanlv said:

Very long nose pliers help a lot

I replaced all the hoses and used worm gear hose clamps

Click to expand...

Did you do new oem hoses, or aftermarket?

Thank you.

I replaced the hoses with OEM pieces. The leak on my squirter unit developed between the upper and lower halves of the unit. The leak was very small and went unnoticed until it was discovered while performing other maintenance on the bike. I used the standard automotive clamps during replacement and positioned them in such a manner that they could be further tightened in the future if necessary.

If the squirter unit is removed, the three fasteners which hold the upper and lower halves together can be removed. There's a gasket at that location identical to the gasket which seals between the squirter unit and the water pump casing. While the gasket can be replaced and a sealing compound used for good measure, the best option is to replace the squirter unit due to the amount of work involved in replacement.

I did mine and re-used the OEM hoses but went with aftermarket worm gear clamps.

Added a bit of gasket sealant when putting the thermostat back together and she hasn't leaked again.

Still have issues with higher engine temps and think I may have a water pump problem. Looking forward to changing that out <sarcasm>

I'm running good, but I'm going to replace the water pump later this season nonetheless... mileage, age, and the desire to inspect the nylon gear for signs of degradation. I'm looking forward to it too (more sarcasm).

Fitting Samco hoses what lubricant/grease should I use so they slide on?

Armor all

I use Hylomar with coolant hoses on cars especially on cast parts. It makes an air tight seal and the hoses can be removed without issue years later.