The inventor of radiator hose clamps was a sadist

[SZR48207]

After spending all weekend working on my vehicle, I can only conclude that whoever invented this type of radiator clamp was a sadist and got off on people struggling and bleeding.

I decided to change out the upper and lower rad hoses and do a coolant exchange. The job in total took around 7 hours. HALF of that time was spent fumbling with those stupid clamps. My hands today hurt at every joint and they look like they went through a paper shredder. The only tool I had that was appropriate enough was a pair of channel lock pliers.

It would seem that the price of this tool is well worth it.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-cable-operated-hose-clamp-pliers/p-00947390000P


But on the plus side, I was able to fully exchange all of the old coolant and now have a perfect 50/50 mix of water and Zerex G05. I'm a happy camper in that department.

 

[eljefino]

What stinks is when you get them "kinda loose" but the pliers are only holding on to a far corner of the tang, and any jarring of them is going to cause it to spontaneously release and contract. So you're trying to pull the backside over the bulge in the hose and it keeps hanging up on something. Worse, when your pliers slip and the thing jumps tight, its tangs could be in a worse position than before.

BTDT.

 

[Drew99GT]

I love those type clamps; I always try and reuse the factory ones since they usually don't leak and don't need retightening. Vice grips work great for removing/installing them.

 

[Chris142]

Ya i deal with those every day. Btw they are designed for a 1 time use only. Once squeezed they lose some tension.many get away with reusing them but never me

 

[bigjl]

Much easier to deal with using proper tools i find.

I think they are designed to be used once and replaced everytime.

And like a lot of things they are designed to be maintenance free and reduce build time and build errors.

One of the few vehicles still fitted with traditional hose clamps in the UK is the London Taxi. (Or it was till at least 2012)

Guess which vehicle has a reputation for water leaks due around these very joints?

 

[fdcg27]

Been there, done that, got the scars to prove it.
I had to replace the lower radiator hose on the Focus last fall.
Should be an easy job, right?
The hose has a branch with one end going to the engine, one to the bottom of the header tank (really a "sider" tank) and one to the top of the radiator.
The general arrangement of coolant hoses and pipes on this thing makes you wonder how coolant flows at all, particularly through the heater core which has two hoses on a plastic pipe right next to one another that are inlet and outlet.
Anyway, the two radiator side clamps came off without much trouble.
The engine side one looked like it should have been easy but wasn't.
After a good hour bent over the stupid thing getting a sore back and cut up hands while playing with vice grips and a big screwdriver, I finally was inspired to get out the Dremel, which I promptly dropped, breaking the cutting wheel I had on it.
Fortunately, I found another wheel, mounted it and cut through the clamp in about thirty seconds flat.
I wasn't worried about damaging the old hose, since it was bound for the trash anyway.
I reused the two easily removed clamps and used a worm drive clamp to replace the one I'd cut off.
Sometimes, your best bet is just to cut these suckers off.
I'm told that for factory installation, there's a little tab that holds them open that's broken off or pulled out to close these inventions of the devil.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Reddy45
After spending all weekend working on my vehicle, I can only conclude that whoever invented this type of radiator clamp was a sadist and got off on people struggling and bleeding.

I think this hose clamp is used in many newer vehicles. It's better in pressure retention than screw type. As said by others, this type is an one use only. Actually since radiator hose clamps are rarely changed, probably once every 4-5 years or longer, changing all hose clamps is too expensive, the only problem is it may take long time to remove and install a new one.

 

[simple_gifts]

Hose clamps that benefit assembly, not maintenance.

 

[BubbaFL]

+1 on vise grips.

I used to curse these kinds of clamps... Then I bought a couple assortments of locking pliers at HF. Much easier to deal with these little boogers when you don't have to keep squeezing.

 

[AKhan87]

Originally Posted By: BubbaFL
+1 on vise grips.

I used to curse these kinds of clamps... Then I bought a couple assortments of locking pliers at HF. Much easier to deal with these little boogers when you don't have to keep squeezing.



+1 took me 30 seconds to remove that clamp using an Irwin branded locking pliers.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Ya i deal with those every day. Btw they are designed for a 1 time use only. Once squeezed they lose some tension.many get away with reusing them but never me


This is an interesting point. Unlike a screw clamp, it is really difficult to ensure tension is correct and that it is maintained. Does it matter? You imply it does, though I've seen others re-use these multiple times.

It's a good thing to consider though. I wonder if these are easier on the hoses or radiator necks? Seems to me that one could use less overall tension and dial in the amount in a superior way with a screw type, if it assured consistent contact.

 

[Quest]

very few problems with these kinds of hose clamps, so long as you have the right kind of pliers to do the job.

I only have about 1 out of every 10 rad re-hose jobs that would have give me grief. Most of them can be resolved by using different kinds of channellock adjustable pliers.

I'm with Chris142 on this subject.

Q.

 

[BubbaFL]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
they are designed for a 1 time use only


I'm curious, what's the source of that?

I can't recall ever seeing a shop manual mention it (but I've only worked on a few cars).

 

[Drew99GT]

I've reused many of those type clamps on GM cars; never a leak. OTOH, I've had to tighten, re-tighten, and re-tighten again worm clamps to get the top stop leaking.

 

[terry274]

I own a tool very similar to the one in your link, I hate it. It takes up to much space to get them hooked on the hose clamp, and once I squeeze the clamp open the tool is stuck and wont release. Thats if the tool doesn't slip off the clamp first. I have tried to use the tool on several occasions on different size clamps and they have never worked very well. Wish I hadn't bought them.
This is what I bought:

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OAC8MQ/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sunex 3730

 

[Tdbo]

I was always told that they were one time use.
I know that once I get them off, the worm type goes on.

 

[bullwinkle]

The old wire spring type clamps (primarily used on Chrysler vehicles of the '70s & '80s) were far, far worse!

 

[The_Eric]

I use a pair of pliers that has a notch in the jaw- makes it pretty handy for the spring type clamps that are in the open. For the clamps that are hard to get to, I use a Cats Paw hose clamp plier. Best darn thing I've seen yet, and this is to include the other brands of this style/type of plier.

Cats Paw

 

[123Saab]

This works for those clamps:

 

[01rangerxl]

This type of clamp is designed for quick assembly and to reduce variables in tension that come about with worm clamps. A manufacturer can put these on quickly, and not have to worry about them leaking for the life of the hose. Once the hose needs replacing a decade or so later, it's your problem.

I figured out why the OEMs like these so much when I bought a Motorcraft radiator hose for my truck with these pre-installed. They were glued on at the right places on the hose, and locked in the open position by a tab. Just slip the hose on, release the clamps from the open position with a screwdriver, and you're done. It took literally seconds to put the hose on and clamp it. No question about if the clamps were positioned in the right spot, if they were tight enough, etc.

Here is a hose with one of these clamps pre-installed...noticed it is locked in the open position. All you have to do is take a flat screwdriver, place it between the tabs, then twist...

The problem is, it is hard to find replacement clamps, they are tricky to get off, and without the glue holding them in the right spot, releasing them could be a challenge (you can return them to the locked open position). The OEM doesn't care about this being easy for you at home though, not when they can save a significant amount of time during assembly and avoid potential warranty claims from worm clamps that may not hold tension like they should.

I have mixed feelings about this type of clamp. I like that they hold constant tension regardless of temperature, and that they don't cut into hoses like sharp edged worm clamps can, but they can be frustrating to take off and re-install. When they are pre-installed on a hose, they are great until you have to take it off. I have never had a problem with leaks when reusing these. The only hoses I have ever had leak were secured with worm clamps. I have lost one when it flew out of the pliers and off into some corner, never to be found again.

It would be less of an issue if aftermarket hoses came with these pre-installed like some OEM replacement hoses do. It really is a smart design from an initial assembly standpoint, it just doesn't take into account ease of removal.

I think a good compromise are the wire type hose clamps used in many Japanese vehicles. Less damaging to hoses than traditional worm clamps, but still easy to remove and reinstall. Not sure how they compare with holding tension, but they seem to work well...

I wish this type of clamp was readily available at parts stores. It seems like they wouldn't cost any more to produce than a regular worm clamp, but are likely much better and definitely less damaging to hoses. Not sure why they haven't been used more widely.