Well I've decided to replace my oem hoses with something that can do extremely well under normal and harsh driving conditions because i just bought a radiator cap rated at 1.3kg/cm and a new thermostat rated to open at 170 degrees F opposed to the factory 190 degrees F. I use my car as a daily driver and would like reliability. Any suggestions? Ive read that the Samco hoses can withstand higher temperatures and pressures but lose water after a while and they slip off and I've also researched a little on the Gates Racing Radiator Hose Kits are rated at 300 degrees that are made of some kind of material called EPDM. Again any input/experience with this type of topic is welcomed and again im looking for something that reliable.

 

You could always weld bungs to your water ports and run -16 AN radiator hoses. In my personal experience, OEM/replacement hoses will work fine with a 1.3kg/cm^2 radiator cap unless they're extremely old/worn, in which case they should be replaced anyway. I never saw the point in paying $100+ or whatever the "high performance" silicone hoses cost when OEM works fine.

As for your thermostat, you should consider a lower temp fan switch to go along with it if you're going to run it, since the opening/closing of the thermostat regulates coolant flow through the system and thereby helps transfer more heat from the engine to the coolant. If the thermostat is open all the time because of a large difference between its open temp and the temp at which the fan kicks off, your coolant will essentially be circulating continuously, which will keep your coolant temps down, but will retain more heat in the engine. When the thermostat cycles between fully open and partially closed, it slows down the coolant giving it time to transfer heat away from the engine.

That said, you should keep in mind that the stock Honda ECU(as well as tuning programs like Hondata) assumes a normal operating temperature of 185-195F or so, and if your engine never reaches that temp you'll be stuck running on the cold enrichment tables. I would reconsider the colder thermostat unless your EMS can account for it.

OEM/replacement hoses are perfectly reliable as long as they are replaced when starting to show signs of age/wear, which means keeping an eye on them at regular intervals, and not waiting until the point of failure to replace them. "Performance hoses" look nice, and I'm sure their specs will meet or exceed that of OEM/replacement hoses, but whether or not they are worth the cost is a decision you'll have to make on your own.

 

nicely said and thanks for the advice!