About 18 months ago I replaced all the hoses on my '93. I ordered the hoses from multiple sources. The top radiator hose was ordered from VPA. The Viper tech who did the work on my car told me it was the wrong hose, so he ordered "the correct one" from Dodge. When it came in, it was the same incorrect hose. The Dodge part number on the hose I got from VPA and the one from Dodge are the same as the original hose. However, the original hose is bent differently to go around the hood spring. The incorrect hose rubs the hood spring, and it will only be a matter of time until the spring wears a hole in the hose.
A couple of months ago I went to my local Dodge dealer to try again to get the correct hose. They ordered the correct part number according to all of the manuals, but when it arrived the hose was bent the wrong way. I started calling various Viper part vendors. Some of them were aware of the problem, but no one had a source for a correctly bent hose except Roe Racing.
When I talked to Roe, they said they had seen this before and that they have a source for the correctly manufactured hose. Unfortunately, it is an expensive silicone hose, and they only sell them in full sets for $300+. Roe cannot purchase the hose individually, just in sets. They have a source in Europe (England?) that has only sold them as a package. Roe told me that when their inventory gets low, they place another order to restock their inventory. I think they stock them in black and in red. I suggest you call them and discuss your needs rather than just placing an internet order from them. They were very helpful. As far as i know, Roe is the only source out there for the correctly bent top radiator hose.
Long story short, I have my original hose, two incorrect Dodge hoses, one Dodge hose I didn't accept from Dodge, and finally I ordered a full set from Roe. I decided I didn't want to be stuck on the side of the road with a hose that had a hole worn in it.
I wish I had a better answer for you, but having gone through this issue in great detail for the last 24 months, I'm pretty sure you don't have any other options. Hopefully I'm wrong and someone knows of another source. Don't waste your time with Dodge, VPA, or others if they aren't familiar with the problem, and make sure anyone you order from is willing to take a return on the item if the hose is bent the wrong way.
Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss further.
Rand
