Bloody Xantia Bayonet Hose Connections!!!

[ecohouse1]

Very wierd. Lower Rad hose "disconnected" randomly last night on a short drive in town. Luckily noticed as was pulling into a filling station and saw the clouds of steam pouring out from the bonnet and then the steaming river over the forecourt. Scaled hands later managed to push the fitting in harder & further than any time before and think it managed as it was hot and maybe the rubber seal was softer? I fitted a new lower hose in Jun 2012. Then in Dec 2012 it popped off (6k miles later). It has then been fine until last night, 22k miles + covered. Its the wasted coolant and Forte Stop Leak in it that really hurts apart from the risk or warping the head.

Am thinking of "reinforcing" the join with a jubilee clip over where the male flange is flush with the female stub as belt & braces. Am planning on a 700 mile round trip to Lancs in a couple of weeks and thats the last thing I need there!!!

Anyone else had this? I even tugged the hose to try and dislodge it the last time and it seemed solid.

If I got my hands on the clown that designed that set up I would have poured the hot coolant last night over them.......

[Timmo]

if i have to remove one of those clips, i Always replace them with std jubilee clips,
if its popped off then i'd think about checking engine mounts for movement?? wont take too much of a pull when the hose is hot to pop it off???

[kenhall1202]

Bayonet O ring radiator hoses (euphemistically named CONRAD fittings!) are usually positively located using a stainless spring wire D shaped clip which locates in grooves on the radiator socket and hose stub. If the clip is missing then cooling system pressure on a hot engine will cause the joint to blow apart.
The common problem is not them popping apart but the difficulty in parting them after a high mileage eg when replacing a radiator. I had to resort to sawing the lower plastic stub off the leaking radiator on my XM when doing a replacement job.

[ecohouse1]

Timmo, good point about the engine mounts. I had just come up a steep hill although on saying that the car was towing a caravan in mountain passes in 1st gear last summer with no probs.

I am wondering if the slip was not behind all the raised notches in the hose end. It seems more properly seated now so will keep an eye on it.

Its the total loss of coolant so quickly thats a pain - could really strand you if you didn't have access to water easily to refill!

Need to drain off the pure water and do the coolant /Forte at the end of the week when I get a chance.

I tried a jubbee clip over the joint but it kept sliding out of position when I Tried to tighten it. Notice a guy on the Pug 306 forum has used cable ties as a belt & braces in a lateral and circumferential manner to hold the joint together in addition to the clip. Might try that if I am dextrous enough!!!

[Northern_Mike]

if i have to remove one of those clips, i Always replace them with std jubilee clips,
if its popped off then i'd think about checking engine mounts for movement?? wont take too much of a pull when the hose is hot to pop it off???

I don't think that's possible. The engine would have to move a huge, noticeable amount to create enough force to pull a hose off. Even completely knackered mounts only allow a tiny amount more movement than normal in my experience.

I'm just a grumpy Northern git.

[Timmo]

Was basing it on the movement created by a knackered Bottom mount on a good friends bx valver, if the bottom mounts Gone then there is a surprising amount of movement at the bottom of the engine,