Should I replace hoses and clamps?

Joined
Jul 29, 2014
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Kitchener Ontario
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04 ST
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8827
My '04 has about 35k miles on it (been mine for a year now). Doing winter Maintenance and have all the plastic off. It is clear that this is the first time the brake and clutch fluid has been changed. I am about to change out the coolant and clean the reservoir. Since I am in there I wonder if I should be pre-emptive with the maintenance. Should I change the hoses, thermostat and clamps as well as the coolant? There is no history of leaks that I am aware of. Please share your opinion.
Thanks
Dennis
 

ToddC

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I had the same decision to make on my 05 when first purchased. I bought new hoses to have when I did the stuck thermostat. Found the hoses to be in great shape, just loose clamps. I did do the thermostat and suggest you do that. Very good chance it is stuck and you don't know it. Hoses depend on how they feel.....

ToddC
 

Reginald

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Hoses have come a long way from the days of my youth when I was lucky to 30,000 miles on a hose. Just check and if they are hardening, getting soft, bulging, or cracking replace them. I'll own that I'll pull more maintenance than I need to sometimes but if one of mine goes, I'll replace them all then. Do you have spring clamps or the torque-able/screw clamps? Replace the spring clamps they are worthless!
 

dduelin

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As far as the cooling system goes at 35,000 miles I would replace the thermostat if it is original and the O-ring that seals the t-stat housing. I had evidence of coolant seeps at 65,000 miles IIRC and that was cured with simply snugging the original clamps.

I was back in there at 116,000 miles to replace the alternator and took the opportunity to replace all the hoses but truthfully they were all in serviceable condition and did not require it. I had ordered them and had them on hand so I replaced them.
 

BakerBoy

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I was inside mine several times tightening clamps, finally replacing them with breeze still spring tension clamps. Then, I replaced hoses in mine at 10 years ... the hoses were still supple, but were swelling slightly. I was just determined to change them given their age and the fact I'd tightened the clamps quite a bit trying to get leaks to stop.

Edit: I'd be really surprised if you've no clamped hose joints NOT leaking. Especially in colder climates, it is much more prominent.
 
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Scooter

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Sounds like you don't have any leaks and if that's the case I would simply change the coolant out of the radiator and reservoir and call it a day. I'd also leave the thermostat alone but then again it doesn't take me that long to pop off the plastic since I've done it so many times. This is coming from somebody that has changed out his thermostat (stuck open back in 2006 IIRC) and replaced all of my hoses back in 2010. I changed the hoses primarily because I was trying to fix a very hard to find, what turn out to be, pinhole leak in one of my hoses and the bad hose happened to be one of the small hoses running to the SE Thermal Valve.

If you always see three bars on your coolant gauge once your engine warms up then your thermostat is doing its job. Being from the Great White North, if you had a stuck open thermostat I think you would notice it pretty quickly with your gauge only showing 1 or 2 bars and a drop in fuel economy...
 
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You are gonna have coolant leakage eventually, the 1300s all do it, the 1100s are even worse, especially in cold weather. Minimum snug up the clamps and change the fluids.

For OCD types, like me, inspect your hoses thoroughly and replace with OEM Honda if there is even a question of their integrity. A ruptured hose can leave you stranded. Breeze clamps are a good idea, but I am in there every 1-2 years anyway so I just tighten up everything I can get to.
 
OP
OP
beeker
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Thanks for the advice guys. Trying to source new high quality clamps locally. I will cap off the thread once I get in with a report on what I found and how it went.
 
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