[200q20v] Preventive Maintenance?

[Linus Toy]

Breaking the maxim "if it ain't broke don't fix it," I swapped out the 
michelin-man hose with a brand-spanking-new piece (Linda @ Carlsen : $66 + 
$3 ship).  I may have been on borrowed time as I've been running IA stage 3 
(18 psig) for four years and just upgraded to 3+ (22 psig).  I never 
replaced the hose before;  it is probably the original from the factory.

The part # from ETKA, and which Linda shipped, was 035-145-720 A.
The part # I removed was 035-145-746 K.
The parts look identical...strangely, the part bag the new piece came in 
says the part is from Ireland, but the actual part has Germany on it right 
next to the part #

What concerns me is the new piece feels less substantial than the 
original--it feels thinner and more flexible between the steel rings (or 
perhaps the original is simply old, dried out and stiff).

Questions for anyone who's replace theirs before (and maybe even some 
others)...
*  what part #s did you remove, install?
*  for those of you who've had failures, what part # came off?
*  anyone know of the differences between the two parts?

more curious than anything, but also wondering if I should have stuck with 
the original and kept the new as spare.

--Linus
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*  Linus Toy                      Insanity is doing the same thing   *
*  Mercer Island, WA              you've always done and expecting   *
*  linust at mindspring.com          different results                  *
*                                      - Roger Milliken              *
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