I Hate Hose Clamps (semi rant)

There is a special place in hell reserved for the man that invented the standard hose clamp.

I lost a session and a half at the track yesterday because a coolant hose split. Of course, this hose was tucked between the back of the block and the firewall, and routed underneath the intake manifold, where it terminated just above the oil filter. Of course, there is hardly enough space to fit both a hand and a pair of players in any of these locations, especially if you want to see or feel what you're doing. So by the time I jury-rigged something to limp the car home, my last session was halfway through.

On the non-rant note: I now need to replace this hose, and am not sure what it is. It's about the diameter of a fuel line, and I think might be a return for the heater core, or something.

Is this the Miata? If it is, I know which hose you are talking about. Been there. Done that.

Pliers?

A 5/16 nut driver, or socket in any length extension usually does the trick. If you are talking about the factory type spring hose clamps, an angled nose extra long pair of pliers are quite useful.

Any reason to not use the better, industrial grade hose clamps?

Diameter of a fuel line is probably not heater return hose. It is probably an intake pre-cooling line.

If it's on the Miata, then it's an "oil cooler" (or pre-heater, in my estimation) line. Regardless, you can replace it with normal water line. And good hose clamps

Miata? I thought this was a Semi rant?

It's on the Miata. Yes, it's those factory hose clamps. The screw-type are not evil.

"Oil cooler" line... got it. Makes sense, given the location. That would explain why I don't seem to be seeing it in the parts diagrams for the cooling system.

The squeeze-type hose clamps?

I hate those things! There are way too many of those little bastards on my Celica.

considering they are more or less "crimp" to fit... those clamps worked pretty well for a lot of years

I used to hate spring clamps, replaced them every chance I got. Now that I'm older and wiser, I realize that the constant tension clamps are actually great because they keep hoses from weeping as they creep over the years (new hoses creep a LOT) without having to worry about overtightening or falling apart when you remove them years later. If you buy these and go back to using spring clamps, you WON'T ever regret buying these pliers:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947390000P

There are other brands, manufacturers, etc. but this style works fantastic and will get in the tightest of spaces. Since I bought these pliers, I actually go out of my way to use constant tension (spring) clamps whenever I can. Every time I go to the junkyard, while I'm under hoods I grab a handful of clamps, German cars tend to be the best source. They work a heck of a lot better than most all factory clamps and with these pliers they're quicker and easier to install than screw clamps IMO. Another nice perk is that they look a little cleaner in the engine bay IMO.

Bryce

+1 what Nashco said. I like them, a good set of Duck bill pliers are also great for them.

Another vote for spring clamps, as opposed to worm clamps. A worm clamp achieves a certain diameter once tightened, and that's it. When a heater hose, for instance, heats up and cools down it expands and contracts. The hose extrudes through the slots in the clamp, reducing the effective diameter of the hose. Now you have an ill-fiiting clamp, which is not good on a pressure line. A spring clamp, OTOH, will expand and contract with the hose.

Sure, they are sometimes a PIA to put on, and they need the special pliers to intall, but you only have to do it once, as opposed to tightening a worm clamp over and over. Another thing that turned me off of worm clamps was that even though the strap is stainless steel, the actual screw is some cheap pot metal that corrodes in short order. What a pisser.

Nashco wrote: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947390000P

Huh. Nifty. That's a new one to me. I already have a few uses for one of those. Thanks!

Thats a freaking cool tool!

The website is pretty nifty too. I love what it does when you mouse over the pic...

Learn something new every day The screw type clamps also tend to cut the hose on the pressure side. But cheep spring clamps don't have enough squeeze. Who makes the best spring clamps to go with the "new" pliers?

Oh man! That tool looks awesome. Regular pliers suck for those things. That would actually make them handy.

We have one of those. The spring clamps on Mazdaspeed Miata intercooler piping are strong enough to do some serious damage if they jump out of a set of pliers - this tool is the bomb. Never tried them on the really little ones, I usually just use bullnose pliers.

another "plus" for spring clamps.

I have this set from thetoolwarehouse:

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-449-astro-pneumatic-9406.aspx

Not inexpensive, but includes the strange pliers needed for easily installing the type of band clamp used in a number of places on a MINI (3rd one from the left in the pic). The cable-clamp tool is almost mandatory when working on a TDI...

for the win

andrave wrote: for the win

I've seen those and thought about them... are the clamps a one-use part?

Ian F wrote: another "plus" for spring clamps. I have this set from thetoolwarehouse: http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-449-astro-pneumatic-9406.aspx Not inexpensive, but includes the strange pliers needed for easily installing the type of band clamp used in a number of places on a MINI (3rd one from the left in the pic). The cable-clamp tool is almost mandatory when working on a TDI...

the address won't open...

I make my own hose clamps...

then I cut them off, and replace them with new ones when I need to.

wbjones wrote: the address won't open...

Dunno... works for me?

In reply to maroon92:

I'm sold.

jwc38 wrote: In reply to maroon92: I'm sold.

I agree it's a good idea... and probably worth having in an arsenal of options, but doesn't quite offer the same benefits of a good spring clamp (expands and contracts while clamping).