[John V.]

Looking to replate my hose bracket.

But looking at it, it looks like it might twisted at the very end.

Before I attempt to straighten it, I figured I should ask first if this twist is correct.

Hopefully the pix tell the story.

It looks straight except for the very end.

Should this be straight or twisted on the end?

[Old Man Taylor]

Yes, it is twisted - and it is bent out more than it should be. This is the best picture I could find of mine. It is available from Ames, part number P132F. It's on page 249 of catalog G33.

[Tom Vaught]

Originally Posted by John V.

Looking to replate my hose bracket.

But looking at it, it looks like it might twisted at the very end.

Before I attempt to straighten it, I figured I should ask first if this twist is correct.

Hopefully the pix tell the story.

It looks straight except for the very end.

Should this be straight or twisted on the end?

The two sides of the bracket (that hold the heater hose) should be parallel top to bottom When looking from the passengers fender, and parallel vertically looking from the front of the vehicle. No twist anywhere.

Tom V.

[John V.]

Thanks guys, just needed to be sure.

[Old Man Taylor]

Here is one on eBay that shows the shape of the bracket.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Res...FY55Ss&vxp=mtr

[Andre]

Yours looks to be twisted in 2 dimensions. Did you get the email with the chrome bolts that I sent you?

[John V.]

Andre, just replied to you on the bolts.

Jim, that one has a curve in it that I just noticed for yours, in the "leg" portion..

That doesn't look right to me.

Anyway, I got the twist out of mine, pretty easy to do. But don't think mine ever had the curve, the leg looks perfectly straight.

The reproductions are stainless steel from what I saw which would be okay I guess, but no curve in the leg on them, either. So I wonder what the story is for that curve.

As easy as the hook section was to reshape, I'm wondering if the curve in the leg was done by "reshaping" the part, at the factory for some reason or in the years since.

[Tom Vaught]

Here are 3 pictures from my collection:

First picture clearly shows the two sides of the heater bracket "loop" being parallel with each other.
The bracket really never traps completely the lower hose. The "kick-out" allows "rolling the lower hose into the bracket.
Upper hose being the one to the cross-over naturally.

Second picture shows even better how the rwo sides are parallel looking across the engine, no twist.

Third Picture shows the Radius in the edges and the valley that helps the bracket from cutting the heater hoses.
You can see the slightly higher edges of the bracket in your first picture, John.

I think you just need a bit of heating and rebending to get it back in shape again.

Tom V.

[Old Man Taylor]

I can't confirm that mine came with that arch in it. Stuff happens over the years.

[Tom Vaught]

Do not remember the lower arch at all on my bracket, straight like John's just not twisted.

Tom V.

[Andre]

My memory has been jogged, and I recollect I have at least 2 variances of this bracket not including the reproduction which would be the third. If I have time to dig them up for pictures, I will do so.

[Tom Vaught]

Thanks Andre.

Tom V.

[MikeNoun]

Here's an original 1964 photo. It appears Pontiac used the same length heater hose for both hoses. You can also see the "W" wax mark on the firewall for Nocturne Blue. My old '65 GTO had a big "B" on the firewall (Blue Charcoal), and I painted over it back in the day when the engine was pulled. Still have a few original pics though.



Hope that helps,

Mike

[bill ryder]

Looks like an auto tri power car with the vac linkage removed. Early build with the heater box seal on the outside.. "Bill"!

[Rich-Tripower]

Here's mine. I'm seeing a lot of plated brackets. I thought they were painted with the engine.

[Old Man Taylor]

I don't remember mine being painted, but I must admit that it was not a part I was paying much attention to.

[Rich-Tripower]

Well, it was a part that was probably added later like the alternator bracket so probably shouldn't be painted. I was just going off of many Pontiac engines I saw in junkyard cars back in the day, don't recall seeing one plated but most were painted. Probably got painted by the owner over the years. I'll have to add it to my next plating run. I'm guessing it should be clear zinc? In the meantime I could always paint it with that cold zinc plating paint. It holds up better than real plating anyway.

[Tom Vaught]

Your bracket has the largest/deepest radius of any I have seen on a 64 GTO.
Maybe it is the camera angle, does not look as deep on the pic viewed from the driver's side of the vehicle.

Tom V.

[John V.]

Judging by these pix from Fremont, looks like the Hose Bracket went on after the engine/trans went into the car, assuming the photographer took the pix of the same car (I believe hose bracket not used in AC cars, so that could be an alternate explanation for it missing in 1st pic).

But definitely not painted on Fremont builds as seen in 2nd pic.

Mine had no trace of paint on it.

Right or wrong, I'm having mine silver cadmium plated.

I don't know if zinc was a common plating choice at the time, seems like a lot of items were cadmium plated.

2nd pic has a good side view of the bracket hook before the hoses were installed FWIW.

[Tom Vaught]

Well you have a plan and know what you need to do to get the shape of the hook back to factory look again.

Tom V.