So i'm trying to dial in my carb when I noticed as I gas it, the lower radiator hose constricts quite a bit. Could the water pump be running in the wrong direction?

 

You need a spring in that hose or you will run hot at speed.

 

Just what I was going to say...

 

You actually don't need a spring in the hose, assuming the hose is in decent shape. The reason the spring was in the factory hose (and therefore in some of the replacement hoses) was because a vacuum was applied to the coolant system at the factory in order to fill it completely without any air pockets. The spring prevented the vacuum from collapsing the lower hose.

If your hose is collapsing, simply replace it. Don't worry too much about whether or not the replacement hose has a spring in it.

 

Yep, just picked one up, that hose was on it when I bought it. I'll put the new one on now. Thanks. So the project goes on .......