Cooling hoses are wear items on any classic, the rubber compound progressively hardening, cracking at flex points, and eventually failing at the most inconvenient moment. This section gathers the complete hose sets needed for each cooling-system configuration across the classic-MG range, with the hoses supplied as matched kits rather than individual lengths. Replacing all hoses as a complete set during any cooling-system overhaul is strongly recommended, as the labour involved in draining the system and refitting hoses is the same whether one hose or all of them are replaced, and a hose that looks acceptable externally may be softened, swollen, or partially collapsed internally, restricting flow and risking sudden failure, while a burst hose dumps the entire coolant contents within minutes and on the heavy cast-iron engines can warp the cylinder head even after the engine is switched off.
Configurations & Kit Contents
Each kit is matched to the car's specific cooling-system routing, and these are not interchangeable between configurations. The MGB went through three principal configurations during production, the early rear-fill cars with the filler cap on the engine side, the centre-fill cars with a revised thermostat-housing arrangement, and the late cars with a sealed system, separate expansion tank, and electric fan, each with its own dedicated kit matched to the car's production date. The Midget similarly has distinct kits for its several cooling layouts, including the separate 1500 system with its fender-mounted expansion tank, and the MGA pushrod and Twin Cam kits differ owing to the Twin Cam's forward radiator and remote header tank. A complete kit contains every flexible connection in the circuit, the top and bottom radiator hoses, the bypass hose that maintains circulation while the thermostat is closed, the expansion-tank hose where the system uses one, and the heater hoses where a heater is fitted, each moulded or cut to the correct profile and length, with the more complex semi-sealed systems such as the MGC's having more hose runs and therefore more potential failure points than a conventional single-radiator system.
Reinforced Rubber, Kevlar & Silicone
The standard reinforced rubber kits use polyester-reinforced construction to specifications exceeding the original, rated for continuous operating temperatures around 135°C with optimised ozone resistance for extended service life, a cost-effective direct-fit replacement for age-hardened original hoses. Kevlar-reinforced hoses use an aramid-fibre reinforcement layer that increases the burst-pressure rating substantially and improves resistance to collapse under the vacuum on the water-pump intake side, particularly valuable on cars running modified or competition engines where peak pressures may exceed the original limits. Silicone hoses are the ultimate upgrade, substantially more heat-resistant than standard EPDM rubber, flexible across a much wider temperature range, resistant to the hardening, cracking, and ozone degradation that affect aged rubber, with a smoother internal surface that reduces flow resistance and a service life that typically makes them the last hose set the car will need. Silicone is stocked in original-look black for cars restored to original visual specification and in red, blue, and other colours for owners who use the cooling hoses as a styling feature, the functional performance being identical across the colour options.
Clips & Fitting
Kits can be supplied with or without hose clips, and ordering with clips ensures every connection has a fresh, correctly-sized clamp, worthwhile if the existing clips are corroded, damaged, or a mixture of sizes, with modern worm-drive clips the default option and period-correct wire-type clips available separately for concours work, and stainless steel constant-tension clips typically supplied with silicone kits to maintain a consistent seal as the hoses age. Fitting is straightforward, draining the cooling system, removing the old hoses, fitting the new hoses with appropriate clips, refilling, and checking for leaks at the joints, and when fitting any cooling hose kit the thermostat, water pump, and radiator cap condition should be checked at the same time, with the system thoroughly flushed before refilling with fresh coolant.