Radiator hose clamp failure
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Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 85
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From: Columbus, Ohio
Radiator hose clamp failure
Maintenance check item - At 100,000 miles; found the upper and lower hose clamps at the radiator failed. They became brittle and broke off with just a little hand pressure. Checked the clamps at the engine, look fine. Hope this helps someone not get stranded.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,636
Likes: 264
From: Vernon, NY
Yeah, I hate those spring clamps... never had good luck with them. I noticed today when I was cleaning the engine bay of my truck, how rusty they looked. I might go around and cut them off and put expensive stainless steel worm clamps on all the hoses they got them. Cheap insurance.
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Joined: Feb 2009
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That's funny. How people have such different experiences with something as simple as a hose clamp. Most all of the work fine for me but I have had he best luck with and prefer the spring type.
They clamp More evenly around the circumference of the hose and they do a better job of self adjusting for the seasons. They can be frustrating if you don't have the correct tool for the clamp you are usingn and there are a bunch of different ones for them.
Every Factory School I have been to (where it was addressed) they claim the spring types are better. I toured the Gates plant in Denver in the 1970's and they claim their hoses work better with the spring clamps.
In fact back then for some applications the hose had the clamps already installed and spread. The mechanic just needed to push the hose on and then pull a pin to release the clamp. I haven't seen anyone doing that for 30 years except for the brake booster hose that Ford has been replacing on a recall on F-150's is setup In that manner.
These days I have more problems just finding a quality clamp without buying a whole retail display. Most of the ones the local parts carry are junk, it doesn't matter what the type.
They clamp More evenly around the circumference of the hose and they do a better job of self adjusting for the seasons. They can be frustrating if you don't have the correct tool for the clamp you are usingn and there are a bunch of different ones for them.
Every Factory School I have been to (where it was addressed) they claim the spring types are better. I toured the Gates plant in Denver in the 1970's and they claim their hoses work better with the spring clamps.
In fact back then for some applications the hose had the clamps already installed and spread. The mechanic just needed to push the hose on and then pull a pin to release the clamp. I haven't seen anyone doing that for 30 years except for the brake booster hose that Ford has been replacing on a recall on F-150's is setup In that manner.
These days I have more problems just finding a quality clamp without buying a whole retail display. Most of the ones the local parts carry are junk, it doesn't matter what the type.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,636
Likes: 264
From: Vernon, NY
That's funny. How people have such different experiences with something as simple as a hose clamp. Most all of the work fine for me but I have had he best luck with and prefer the spring type.
They clamp More evenly around the circumference of the hose and they do a better job of self adjusting for the seasons. They can be frustrating if you don't have the correct tool for the clamp you are usingn and there are a bunch of different ones for them.
Every Factory School I have been to (where it was addressed) they claim the spring types are better. I toured the Gates plant in Denver in the 1970's and they claim their hoses work better with the spring clamps.
In fact back then for some applications the hose had the clamps already installed and spread. The mechanic just needed to push the hose on and then pull a pin to release the clamp. I haven't seen anyone doing that for 30 years except for the brake booster hose that Ford has been replacing on a recall on F-150's is setup In that manner.
These days I have more problems just finding a quality clamp without buying a whole retail display. Most of the ones the local parts carry are junk, it doesn't matter what the type.
They clamp More evenly around the circumference of the hose and they do a better job of self adjusting for the seasons. They can be frustrating if you don't have the correct tool for the clamp you are usingn and there are a bunch of different ones for them.
Every Factory School I have been to (where it was addressed) they claim the spring types are better. I toured the Gates plant in Denver in the 1970's and they claim their hoses work better with the spring clamps.
In fact back then for some applications the hose had the clamps already installed and spread. The mechanic just needed to push the hose on and then pull a pin to release the clamp. I haven't seen anyone doing that for 30 years except for the brake booster hose that Ford has been replacing on a recall on F-150's is setup In that manner.
These days I have more problems just finding a quality clamp without buying a whole retail display. Most of the ones the local parts carry are junk, it doesn't matter what the type.
All to save a lousy couple cents...
