Howdy gang,

Just purchased a volvo c30 as a daily, and yesterday it decided to **** coolant everywhere from a fractured expansion tank/coolant reservoir.....after i just brought it back from a mechanical inspection.

This has got me paranoid AF about the hoses and reservoirs on the C63. Is there a company out there that makes silicone hoses/better hoses for the cooling side of things and more durable tanks? i,e out of aluminium?
Perhaps one of you industrious fellows can whip together a kit that incorporates more durable coolant hoses with reservoirs made of a better plastic or aluminium? Bonus points if they come in red

 

I’m not aware of a single failure in that department so I’m thinking you probably won’t find a lot of people who would want to spend the $500-$1000 it would cost to replace all that stuff.

 

My 22 year old w202 c43 still has it's original hoses. They are in perfect condition with no visible wear or dried rubber. Should something happen in the future, I would replace with OE hoses and probably cheaper. Also don't need any bling under the hood, but I guess each to his own

 

I've designed many various function aluminum reservoirs for other platforms. Typically in racing applications due to the nature of regular engine removal intervals. I second that this platform doesn't generally have issues with the OEM parts. If you're looking for longevity, just inspect regularly. Hoses and reservoirs almost always have a tell before they go south.

On the silicone hoses, don't buy into the 'performance' hose aspect that is marketed. They are garbage for coolant, oil, or any fluid, regardless of what the maker claims. They do generally hold air very well. OEM hoses are far superior to any aftermarket silicone hose. Let me be clear on this, OEM is FAR superior to silicone. ALL hoses have an inspection and/or replacement schedule, there is no perfect solution around this. If you MUST go aftermarket, I would recommend a motorsports rated grade of Aeromotive hose. It will have specs that exceed OEM rating for pressure, heat, chemical, and fire retardant, but expect some sticker shock.

 

^^Agreed.

If I had money to burn, I would machine adapter flanges for all of my hose outlets on the engine, and put a Mishimoto rad core in, and use -32AN hose and fittings for everything.

 

Hey... tell me more about this idea please? I reached out to CSF Radiators last week to see if they’d make me a custom drop-in core. (no response)

 

I hope I can save you some of that money here... I highly recommend you consider other brands. OEM performs MUCH better than the best Mish radiator in every application I've ever tested. I would replace with OEM, or consider brands that manufacture to a different standard. I have ins with a few core suppliers we use, but this is for high end stuff that few need, or want to pay for. Our radiators tend to be the hammer when no other tool will work. If there is demand for a high performance radiator for the W204 I can do some poking around, but I'd ballpark a price well north of $2k based on available area and form factor.

 

The trans fluid warmer is in the passenger side endplate on the OEM rad. I think that's one of the main reasons nobody has "performance" aftermarket option. I have only found Nissens and Mahle Behr.

 

Good point. I thought that was fairly common though? Does the trans fluid actually loop through that rad endplate/tank?

 

In most OE end tank trans coolers, the fluid enters a heat exchanger with many small passageways that the antifreeze flows through to remove the heat. It serves as a fluid heater in the winter and a cooler in the summer.

 

I threw Mishi out there as a brand that I know to have aluminum end tanks. That is the requirement. I would need to cut the radiator neck off and weld the -32 fitting on. I would happily modify the OE radiator if it had Al end tanks.

As for the trans cooler/warmer, I would just delete it, and run the loop through an external fluid/air heat exchanger.

The US sourced AN fittings/ hose suppliers like Earls or XRP have very high quality hose that is rated for being flame resistant and abrasion resistant. It also has the benefit of being able to hold much higher pressures. Much higher pressures mean the coolant could become much hotter before boiling.

I don’t think it would perform better than OE if at all. It would just look awesome and be very expensive. Purely a cosmetic mod in my opinion.


Hell, my supplemental oil flow to the head setup is going to cost north of $500 in just fittings. Not to mention my labor to bend the stainless hard line and do the actual installation. That is with all Earls or XRP fittings. I absolutely refuse to buy Chinese crap. I wish I could get a deal with the distributor going but I haven’t the slightest idea where to start. They all ignore my emails.

 

I had my go at creating AN fittings.. cost a pretty penny. But it’s definitely doable. Not sure it would be an improvement since OEM has been lasting pretty long. The nylon braided PTFE will probably last just as long as OEM. The benefit would be being able to individually replace hoses in the future if one goes bad you’ll just need a new olive.

 

Yeah, the only way to machine AN fittings economically is with a Swiss lathe (like a Citizen) that has a bar feeder. Machine them start to finish in a matter of 30 seconds. Puke them out by the thousand.

 

Forgot to mention that the lathe would need a sub spindle to machine the opposite side of the fitting when it is parted off, and live tooling to machine the hex for the wrench.

 

Yeah you know I was already thinking of doing that anyway. Give me more room to do either a larger trans cooler or a secondary connected to the Weistec pan.

I have some connections with CSF, maybe they're interested in making something. I will inquire.

 

Yes a good way for heat transfer in or out. Works fine until you have a leak from the coolant mixing with the ATF