Project 3P, Part 16: Alternative Fiat 128 Radiator Hoses

Looking to replace your 128 radiator hoses but can't find any listed? If you live in Australia - very likely New Zealand, too - the answer's as close as your local Supercheap Auto (SCA) dealers.

Alternatives: top left - water pump; centre - bottom tank; right - top tank.

Two of the three hoses that I found to be suitable - for the top and bottom radiator tanks - were VT Holden Commodore parts. The 90 degree hose from the water pump was a Holden Torana item.

Top tank: Calibre brand to suit 3.8 litre VT Commodore

Bottom tank: Also Calibre brand to suit 3.8 litre VT Commodore

Water tank: Mackay Silentruba brand to suit 1967 - 75 six cylinder Torana (the original copped some damage during removal!)

There is a bit of cutting to be done, as the photos show. However, each of the hoses sourced from SCA were of the correct internal diameter and matched the radii of the originals' bends closely enough that they could be fitted without kinking or otherwise restricting coolant flow.

Original top tank hose doing a boab tree

Top

Of all three alternative hoses, the top tank was the least similar, lacking the slight curve to the left of the original item, as the photo above shows. However, being longer there was plenty of wriggle room to easily fit it to the radiator outlet.

Top

The other two items were very close matches - especially the hard 90 degree bend for the water pump - which was perfectly replicated by the Torana part, not that right angle hoses are hard to find! It was very simple to align the old hoses with the new ones, identify the matching segments and to cut them to fit.

Here's a table to make selection easy:

Alternative Hoses
Top tank	Calibre brand	Part # CH2256C	For 3.8 litre VT Commodore
Bottom tank	Calibre brand	Part # CH2257C	For 3.8 litre VT Commodore
Water pump	Mackay Silentruba brand	Part # CH777	For 1967 - 75 Torana six cylinder

Interestingly, it turns out that Calibre is SCA's in-house brand but their hoses - and possibly other rubber products, too - are actually made by Mackay Silentruba in Victoria, Australia (https://www.mackayrubber.com.au/), so all three items were made locally. Nice to know that not everything's made in China these days!

Did you find this post helpful and / or informative? If so, how about checking out the other Project 3P articles or take a look around the rest of the site? There are stacks and stacks of car-related photos and write-ups for you to enjoy!

Cheers!

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

iPhone images.

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