What's the deal with the convertible hydraulic hoses failing???? Are there certain years that are more susceptible??? I own a '72 Ford LTD convertible with all the original hydraulics and they work like new. You would think there would be a little more longevity than what was reported.

 

The only years that have better quality hoses are '96 and '97.

 

so what is the general consensus for the reason of failure. Has anyone went to a hydraulics shop and had hoses custom made????

 

There are a number of factors. The black outer casing deteriorates visibly with heat and age. The upper windshield is exposed to more extreme heat than the rest of the car, especially in sunny climates. The crimp connections can also be weakened by excessive torquing during installation. Additionally the hose is not really up to the battering of 1600 PSI over the long haul in combination with the environmental factors.

There are at least two aftermarket sources with what are claimed to be better hoses: www.tophydraulics.com and Cauliflower which is a hydraulics shop (search the forum for the contact source).

See Gus' site, http://jagrepair.com/HydSystemEvaluationXK8XKR.htm for a wealth of information of this much studied topic.

 

I was a victim of the green baptism in my 03 XK8.

Replaced hoses and installed the pressure limit device.

Gus has some great info on this....