Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hey Guys,
Wanted to find out what the lengths are on the upper and lower radiator hoses. I tried looking under a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain, but the lengths listed are, 11 1/4" and 16 1/2", which seem to be too short. Any help is greatly appreciated.

-Garrett

I'm afraid I do not have a 52 but instead a 53 and I am not certain that their radiator hose specifications are the same. Plus, if you looked it up in an old book, what they were may no longer be what they are now. You probably have about 60 years on those engine supports, you know. Assuming you have the old hoses, take those to the auto parts store to help in getting your new hoses. To also help you in getting your hoses I would suggest you get the diameters at both sides of the mountings of both hoses, and get your own measurements from one side of the hoses to the other, have at least a general notion of the bend required by the hoses, and use all of this at the auto supply store to buy your hoses. When I bought my last hoses they did not have one specially made for either upper or lower radiator so I ended up buying two I had to cut to fit. You can get a hose two ways. One, you can buy a flexible hose with a built in flexible portion reinforced with a metal spring. Or two, you can buy a molded hose with the proper curvature that you can cut to fit. Most auto parts store people ought to help you if you tell them what you are trying to do. Hope that helps!
Ken

Hey Ken,
Thank you for replying. I took some measurements, and searched dayco's website. It was really helpfull, listing the measurements of all the flex hoses they produce, along with the part numbers. As it turned out, Autozone had the hoses that would fit. From my measurements, I found the upper hose to be 13 1/4" in length, and the lower to be 23 1/2". Both fit perfectly. The part# for the upper is "81321" and the lower "81351".

Glad you found some that fit!
Ken