I'm having a problem with my upper radiator hose swelling up. I was thinking that my thermostat is bad.But my gauge is not reading hot. It doesnt go past the n. Can anybody help with this?
And since it happens after the car has been running for 10 mins, the t-stat is probably opening at that point and the old hose simply is lacking the structural integrity to maintain its wall shape.
If the hose is soft when the motor is cold but gets hard after the car has been running for a bit (or when the hose bulges), that suggests the t-stat is opening.
However, a new stat and bypass hose would be worth doing while swapping the hose. Other hoses might be in the same shape so they should be considered as well.
I hear ya - Jocularity is one thing that makes this place fun to post at (compared to other places, which are quite sterile). Not quite what you want to hear when having car trouble, but it does keep the guys who post thoughts and answers coming back. Guys on here crack me up all the time - reading straight tech is boring.
I still say swap the whole hose (and ancillary components of your choosing) and see what happens. When you get that hose off, you may find striations in the inner hose material (weakened walls).