Would a bicycle tube patch adhere to a heater hose?

[Vannautical engineer]

Ok, before you assume I am trying to patch an actively leaking heater hose with a bike tube patch, I'm not. Now that that's out of the way...


In doing some other mechanical work on my van, I found a couple of heater hoses that had been rubbing on various other parts. I re-positioned them. Neither of them are leaking yet, and I do intend to completely replace them at some point, probably in the fall. But I really don't want to bother at the moment seeing as how I just filled up the cooling system with fresh coolant a few months ago. Just for a little extra insurance against the tubes bursting in those spots, I'm wondering if it's possible or worthwhile to put bicycle tube patches on the spots that have some rubbed areas on them. Anyone ever try this? Or is there anything else I could put on these spots for some extra piece of mind? Thanks.

 

[user 423]

RTV would hold better on hot hoses than the glue that comes with a patch kit. If you have an old tube, you could use strips of that and save the patches.

 

[hugemoth]

If the patch doesn't stick put a couple zip ties around it.

 

[becida]

I've used old hose (garden hose) for chafing protection, the rubber tube patches ought to work for that too.

 

[Weight]

How worried are you? You could cut the injured spot and reassemble the hose with connectors and a couple of clamps. Having to drain the coolant, I would chose replace the hose. https://www.amazon.com/Splice-Coupl...1627842926&sprefix=heater+hose,aps,205&sr=8-4

If you want to reinforce the injury use something like silicone tape. https://www.amazon.com/Rescue-Self-...heater+hose+repair+tape&qid=1627843002&sr=8-3

 

[Vannautical engineer]

Thanks all. It's not that I want to protect them from further chafing since I repositioned them away from the thing that was chafing them.

And also right now I don't want to drain the cooling system since the modifications I made to it made it VERY hard to get all the air bled out, and I just put brand new coolant in it back in May when I was finishing my build. I'm just looking to reinforce the parts that are a little rubbed away so the hoses don't burst there, because that is definitely where they would burst if they're going to. I will get around to replacing the hoses outright probably sometime in the fall. But right now I want to use the van and just have a little more piece of mind that the hoses won't burst.
That silicone tape looks good though, thanks.

 

[highdesertranger]

I use a piece of heater/radiator hose to protect hoses that might chafe.. cut a length of hose then slit it lengthwise and tie warp it around the hose. Do this before the chaffing starts. Highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

My guess is that the rubber cement used to adhere the patch to the heater hose might not stand up to the heat.

Could get soft and lose its grip at exactly the time you need it to stay put.

But its just a guess.

 

[john*thomas]

Back years ago you used a glue on tube patches you lit on fire to set up. That stuff wouldn't come off anything. It bonded everything together. New patches are nowhere near as strong.

Just a thought..........you might try some black flex seal paste It will ooze into any small cracks. I think it will hold up. If not a small can of it is only around $12.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I also remember 'hot patches' but that was back in the day that some bicycle tire tubes were natural rubber...today they are mostly butyl rubber and as that is a synthetic rubber, and susceptible to damage from flames, I don't know if 'hot patches' would even work on bike tubes nowadays. I guess I could try it someday...but since the rubber cement and patches they have these days work pretty well....I just never went back to the old ways.

 

[Boltman]

I was in Study Butte TX close to Big Bend natio0nal park and split a radiator hose.  I was close to a grocery store and bought a can of tomato paste (the small one) cut both ends out of the can and after cutting the hose completely in two where the split was, I used the can as a sleeve inside the hose with a hose clamp on each end where the can is inside the hose.  Worked well to get back to civilization.  Growing up poor has its advantages. :shy:

 

[Scorpion Regent]

I think Becida had the right idea.  A worn out radiator hose would work.  If there is nothing lying around a bit of a dollar store pool noodle and zip ties, will do.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

I was in Study Butte TX close to Big Bend natio0nal park and split a radiator hose.  I was close to a grocery store and bought a can of tomato paste (the small one) cut both ends out of the can and after cutting the hose completely in two where the split was, I used the can as a sleeve inside the hose with a hose clamp on each end where the can is inside the hose.  Worked well to get back to civilization.  Growing up poor has its advantages. :shy:

Boatman - You posses the wealth that can't be stolen: ingenuity.    :thumbsup: