I thought the lower radiator hose I bought at an auto parts store looked small so I got a "gin you ine" Honda OEM. Same size as the auto part store edition and I cannot get it on the engine. The hose, which is about 1.0 inches in diameter must go onto the thermostat cover which is about 1.1 inches in diameter. I've frozen the aluminum piece and heated the hose until the only way I could touch it was with woven Kevlar gloves. No dice.
Any ideas?
The upper hose went on with no drama whatsoever.
The reason I have this car is it had the original hoses and the upper developed a pinhole and ended up destroying the head gasket. The upper was bloated and soft as a balloon.

 

Silicone lubricant should help it slip on.

 

Thanks. Worked like a charm on the thermostat end. down at the bottom of the radiator with not much room, it was still a job, but it went on. One problem down, a million (it seems) to go.