Radiator hose clamps? - The Garage Journal

18 Aug.,2025

 

Radiator hose clamps? - The Garage Journal

If I encounter the spring type clips, and I don't think I'm going to have to remove them again, I usually just put 'em back! As MrGiggles says, tension is constant!

Generally I prefer worm drive clips (called Jubilee clips here in the U.K) PROVIDED they are decent quality! I really don't know why some manufacturers put such shitty clips on their stuff, and if I find the crappy ones I always replace them with decent ones. If it's my own vehicle, with stainless too! Here in the U.K. you can get decent ones from several makers including the genuine 'Jubilee' and they cost little! Worm drive clips can withstand more pressure than the spring type, so are to be preferred in some applications!

I always replace the wire clips that cut into the hose (used by some British manufacturers, why I don't know) and the crimp on clips that seem to offer the worst of all worlds! Spring clamps (Edit: I realise you are talking about a different set of clamps. This statement relates to C clamps.) are generally from the factory and are because they are cheaper and faster to install. These clamps also look slimmer than worm drive. You often cannot not get them as tight as worm drive clamps. Side cutters are great for removing ones from hard to reach places. Not to cut off but the side cutter gets under the clamp and a quick flick of the wrist knocks them off.

Edit: the clamps are reusable, but I'm talking abou t C clamps (http://www.engnetglobal.com/c/c.aspx/INT123/productdetail/norma-cobra) which are different to what you have a picture of. I would not use the ones in your pics for anything important. I have some in my motorcycle fuel tank hooked up to the fuel filter, but that is it.

Worm drive clamps are good provided you do not use notched ones on soft hoses like silicon as it chews into the silicon. Best to get soft edge full banded worm drives often marketed specifically for silicon hoses. Worm drive clamps can also back off a bit and a best lockwired to limit that.
You could also consider double ear clamps (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GRY0HXC/?tag=atomicindustr-21)

For a radiator hose I would prefer to use Clic R or soft edge not notched worm drive clamps for silicon hoses. Samco make some nice silicon sets. The Gates shrink wrap clamps look interesting but not reusable.
After the reasons in the responses above, I'm pretty well sold on the spring clamps. I'll have to stock some.

Please let me ask again- Do you guys trust reusing them? For example, say your changing an original hose with original spring clamps on a 10 year old car. Would you change the clamps?
If I'm pulling the hose to change the fluid I don't bother. If a hose is worn I replace all hoses and clamps. The rest might still have a couple years in them but I don't care to waste the time and resources later when they might wear our. Or worry that I didn't notice another hose was just as worn. Being in the north I haven't seen a factory clamp that didn't look old, if all the hoses are being done why be pound foolish, and I like the clean look of new stainless clamps.
Interesting, my Mayhew's broke and so I picked up Astro's

The Astro A has a thicker diameter cable. Plus, I've seen Astro send a cable free of charge to a person on here. When it comes to stubborn clamps, sometimes they are just going to ruin your day regardless.

Astro's tools are warrantied for 1 yr. Mayhew Pro tools have a lifetime warranty, though IIRC the cable is regarded as a consumable. (edit: I'm not sure if Snap On / Matco will warranty the cable or not on their rebadged Mayhews - might depend on your dealer).

My A's cable was advertised as 'thicker' than whatever their previous version was, but I'm not sure exactly what size it was. I don't recall it being as thick as the 2mm (5/64") cable the Mayhew has.

In either case the cable can be replaced. I like that the Mayhew cable assembly simply snaps on and off & can be replaced in a few seconds. I should probably get around to calling Astro to see what a replacement from them will cost me. I have seen them advertised elsewhere for around $23 incl shipping, but I think I only paid $30 for the pliers in the first place. This is what I use for traditional worm drive hose clamps and they're dirt cheap!

Instead of using the cheap hose clamps you buy at the local chain auto parts and hardware stores that tend to strip when you put to much torque on 'em and/or cut into the hose material..........try these......



Next time you're at the local Pick-N-Pull mosey on over to the high end import section. Pop the hood on some BMW and Mercedes and grab several sizes. I've gotten 'em as small as 1/4" and as big as 4" (in millimeters though).

The slots are louvered (much stronger) and the clamp edges are beaded and rolled (also much stronger). Made in Germany too, not Taiwan or India........yes, there is a difference! They even have the sizes stamped on them in millimeters. Being stronger they're able to be much thinner also.



Check out the comparison. The cheap ones just have slots stamped in them, sharp edges and they're much fatter. The German ones you can torque on 'til your hearts content! One time I paid $.25 apiece and another time they just waived me through. I use these all over the roadster!




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Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding!

Turbo'd T build thread I have come full-circle.

Where once I gleefully flung spring-clamps into the trash, replacing them with cheap (but American-made) worm-gear clamps; I now replace worm gear clamps with, at minimum, expensive worm-gear clamps. My favorite spring-clamps are the style used on my Trailblazer's radiator hoses--they lock open when squeezed hard enough, then "pop" the lock to clamp them around the hose. It absolutely could not be more simple or elegant. Downside is that I have no idea where to buy a variety of sizes aside from researching OEM applications at the GM dealer.

What I find with typical, non-shielded worm-drive clamps is that the hose cold-flows under and through the clamp slots, and then the whole mess leaks and looks like this:

Which is why I almost never use unshielded worm-gear clamps any more. As shown in the photo, for typical 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8 fuel hose, I use "fuel injection" clamps that don't damage the hose as much.

I've come to respect Oetiker clamps on silicone hoses. I suspect they'd work fine on neoprene hose, but I've never used them in that application. The Oetikers are hateful in terms of sizing--you'd need an inventory of every size made; because unlike worm-gear clamps, the size range per part number is very limited. I used to install heaps and piles of silicone elbows, and just getting an elbow with a slightly different wall thickness required the next size larger Oetiker clamp. Note that you've probably used a different version of Oetiker "stepless" clamp if you've put a boot on a CV driveshaft. Many CV boots are retained by a crimped Oetiker. These are screw-tightened. Once properly sized and tightened, they'd last forever, leak-free, and without hose damage.
Example: www.amazon.com/Oetiker--Sta...&sr=8-3&keywords=Oetiker+stepless+screw



My Oldsmobile has Constant-torque Breeze clamps on the cooling system. Expensive, but like the Oetikers, they don't come loose, they don't leak, and they don't damage the hose nearly as bad as non-shielded worm-gear clamps. They use belleville springs instead of coil springs. Unlike the Oetikers, they've got a generous size range per part number.
Example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SD02VM/?tag=atomicindus08-20



I used the "T-bolt" style clamp pictured in a previous post. I had a lot of trouble with them--specifically, they were one-use clamps. The nut would seize and gall the T-bolt, so once tightened, you couldn't remove them. We installed a lot of them on 5 or 6 inch diameter air intake pipes with rubber boots connecting them together. I suppose the clamps were 6.5" diameter or so. We never, ever tried to anti-seize the threads. That wasn't on the Bill of Materials, and it wasn't an approved procedure according to Engineering...so we didn't do it. Maybe that would have helped.

V-band clamps are wonderful for air piping and perhaps automotive exhaust. They require a special flange to be welded to one of the pipes, the mating pipe can be flared to match. The clamp then covers and secures. The downside of course, is that you have to have the special flange and flare installed before the clamp does you any good.
Example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P28WK2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

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