Restoring Booster Hose

[joemac]

Does anyone know a sure-fire method of restoring the red to aged, pink booster hose? DOT 5 brake fluid?

I think removing the thin outer layer of oxidized rubber would be the first step, but how?

[1958 F.W.D.]

Joe I wouldn't even waste your time. Booster line is so plentiful- if you are going to Allentown you will more than likely find plenty of it there. Just looking at the pic tells me those are shot- I don't think you'll ever bring them back to the original color. You could TRY hitting them with some armor-all but I wouldn't dare go near them with brake fluid- that is some nasty corrosive stuff and I would think you'd destroy it.

If you cannot find any booster line at Allentown let me know what size and how many lengths you need, I might have a source for you.

[1958 F.W.D.]

Actually- another thought I just had- which is what I did with my rig- Pull the lines until you reach the lengths under the weather worn top lengths- I bet the ones on the underside are still intact and their original color. Just uncouple the lengths and rotate the sun bleached ones onto the bottom. Wipe the top ones with armor-all as you reel them back on.

[joemac]

Thanks Randy, but there are two points to address;

1) DOT 5 Brake juice is the silicone-based stuff. It's not corrosive and I've seen it do wonders with plastic that was badly faded. The treatment lasts about a year.

2) I want to keep the truck and everything that's on/in it, original, if at all possible.

That's THE hose that I personally pulled countless times at kitchen cabinet fires and car-be-ques, trash fires and grass fires. Back in the old days, when we arrived at the scene of a 'smoke showing', I grabbed the booster and the side-mounted pick-head and got ready. I cleaned that hose every time it got pulled on its spool-up and prepped it when it was parade time. The Supplee Brothers ran a tight ship and that hose had better be clean and neatly spooled.That's not just any booster hose.

As a side note, we've managed to track down the original Federal Beacon model 17 that Barto switched out. I'm waiting to find out why. It's currently disassembled into three pieces and I'm just itching to get going with the polish on it. I'm hoping to find the original front running lights, speedo and rear intercom.

[gearhead204]

joemac try fwd's hose reversal but I've found that tire dressing works better and lasts longer than armorall .

[Firefightingboomer123]

If You need to replace the hose, any fire apparatus supply co. could get it for You. If You are going to pump water through it, mack sure You don't pressurize it too much, otherwise it will burst!

[1958 F.W.D.]

joemac try fwd's hose reversal but I've found that tire dressing works better and lasts longer than armorall .

The tire dressing does look better I agree but it leaves that sticky residue.......

[1958 F.W.D.]

Joe I gotta believe you know my father and maybe even me, too. My father is Sam, from Bryn Athyn. Howard nicknamed me "Baby Buddha" when I was knee high to my pop. He would run fire calls with them all the time- in fact was one of only a few guys from outside the company that was allowed to drive. When I was old enough and a member of Bryn Athyn I was also "thrown on the rigs" when the tones dropped.

[joemac]

I don't know, Yardo. I vaguely remember traveling with a few guys up to your area one Saturday in our '58C. I only recall that there were a few trucks in a field drafting from a stream or a pond. They might have been testing pumps or just goofing off, shooting streams into the air. I had only joined a few months earlier, so it was still kind of new to me.

I think one of the other trucks was from Hatfield, another, newer C.

It was a long ride back to Oreland in the cab of the C, with Howard driving. Or maybe it was Len. As I said, I vaguely remember it. It was, after all, 46 years ago.

I do remember seeing Bryn Athen rigs in the shop on Lorraine Avenue, though. I used to wonder where some of those towns were... Exotic sounding places; LaMott, Fairless Hills, Ogontz...