[njsteve]

I had the same goo on my repro heater hoses that were sitting out on the counter. It has nothing to do with any fluid running through them. It seems to be some type of byproduct of the production process...sort of like the outgassing you get from plastic interior panels that makes a new car smell like a new car. Only in this case it's a gross slime that only lacquer thinner or brake cleaner can remove.