I was driving my 1995 Kia Bongo truck over a small mountain on the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines while delivering a load of bananas to the market. It was late in the afternoon by the time we finished harvesting the bananas. With the heavy load the engine was running hot, and as I climbed the steep mountain it was a dirt road which made the journey much slower. As I was slowing making the climb while watching my temperature gauge ever so closely I heard a loud noise, and then a hissing sound which was then followed by a violent stream of steam coming from the engine, some of which was seeping into the cab.
I quickly turned off the engine and firmly gripped the steering wheel in frustration as I knew exactly what the problem was. As I got out of the truck to wait for the engine to cool down before trying to access the engine from the cab, I could imagine the size of the hole in the radiator hose I was sure to find. After about 10 minutes I opened the cab’s access hatch to the engine, and sure enough my expectation was correct.
There was a two inch hole in the radiator hose near the where the hose bends towards the engine. Fortunately I always carry duct tape in my vehicles, my father would always say it was one of the greatest inventions, and can be used to temporarily repair almost anything. I had an old bike inner tube behind the seat that I would cut strips from whenever I needed a rubber bungee.
I cut a 4-inch by 4-inch rubber piece from the old inner tube and then placed it over the 2-inch hole on the hose. I then carefully wrapped the duct tape over the rubber patch I made securing it to the radiator hose. I made sure to overlap the patch with the duct tape by at least two inches on either side to make sure the steam couldn’t escape. After using a good amount of duct tape to wrap the patch, I then put what little water I had into the radiator, and then started then engine. I not only made it to the market, I also drove my truck for another week before I could properly replace the radiator hose. So, always carry duct tape in your vehicles.