Worm drive clamps suck, with the exception of those made by Norma. They're stainless and are OEM to Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc., and actually work. I also use Oetiker clamps, especially on big ticket jobs that have a long warranty, like engines and transmissions as kind of a tamper indicator because most people cut them off and replace them with crap from the auto parts store.
40 years of mechanicing and no one had ever mentioned this to me!! I’ve never had a problem with them either, but it make perfect sense!! Thank you for the heads up!! Unlike everyone else I’ve ever run into, I’ll actually tell people about them
You have to go off your own experience. I’ve used both of these types clamps on material and plastics and have not had one problem. Not once have I seen either of these clamps fail.
You could always go to a junkyard and pull as many as you need in all sorts of different sizes, sometimes if theyre just a little loose and not quite as tight as youd like, but you can cinch them back just enough so that the clamp regains some tension but without deforming it and the clamp is good again for years to come.
Oem only uses them for ease and accuracy of assembly. Worm claps do fine as long as you don't over tighten them, radiators and such have a lip at the end of the pipe unlike what was shown which is one that is old and broken due to plastic getting brittle from expansion and contraction.
@@derickd2385If you have taken a spring clamp off you would know how much tension it's putting and that the hose will just push into the clamp before it starts to expand the spring clamp. Think about it, how much leverage does it take to loosen a spring clamp enough to remove the hose. Yes, metal expands when it gets hot but we are talking about less than a millimeter of expansion.
Not hating it's good info but I've been using worm clamps for over 10 years from power steering drain lines to radiator lines to egr cooler lines and I've never had one leak with a good hose and right size clamp. Most people use them because they are so much easier to find especially if you're changing a clamp off an old 80s or 90s car.
Worm clamps do suck but every shop i have worked at thats what they have lol honestly in 44 years of using them i have never had a leak or a comeback 😮i do prefer the band clamps myself 😊and the factory clamps work great
Now I am worried because when I replaced my hoses I bought some of the worm clamps because I didn't have the proper pliers to tighten the other clamps with. I haven't noticed a leak from the area but I do have a coolant leak somewhere.
On a new radiator, which is probably what was in the video, its possible. Good clamps arent substantially more expensive though so I always get good ones. Not worth doing a job twice
Could you show the problem in a little more detail? Would appear as if the nipple was broke off. Probably happened WITH a spring clamp, and the worm clamp was installed to delay the inevitable.. changing the radiator.
Worm clamps have a place, usually holding against metal, or things that have a lip. Also, cheap worm clamps suck always, the good ones are the way to go, actual stainless instead of untreated chinesium that can be easily deformed by fingers, nevermind whatever its trying to clamp.
Are you speaking of the ones that are bent heavy steel wire all one piece and hold the nut and screw. Look sort of like constant tension clamps only round wire and tighten via the screw and nut. Are those the ones you made?
Yep 👍 they can be troublesome depending on their location and whether or not they were installed so that you can get on them and open them (hose clamp pliers make them easier to work with too) but they will never fail unless they get extremely rusty. If you're removing and replacing the same hose to gain access to something else just be sure to put them back in the exact same place on the hose where the imprints are
In my industry we used to use pressure clamps and went to worm gear clamps. The pressure clamps rott out and fail in the field, these can be adjusted every 3 months when we do 120 day services and never be an issue ( There are only 4-6 of them in our cooling systems and can all be readily accessed) So, for some industries these are a much better option.
As fervent hater of constant pressure hose clamps . . . you have my thanks for actually saying WHY those are used. I'll still keep using worm clamps wherever the engineers tried to make my life impossible. Future Leaks ? I'll worry about those later.
interesting, never thought of that ; of course, worm clamps need retightning as the rubber gives, after a year or so,since they are not constant tension; these spring clamps are also BAD MECHANICS' proof,but when replacing the hose,its thickness must be the same as the old one...
I know people hate those constant tension clamps, but the reason you hate them is because you don’t own the pair of pliers that makes it easier to put them on or take them off, now I know what you’re gonna say I shouldn’t have to buy special pliers for a hose clamp and normally I would agree with you, but I deal with the damn thing so many times at some point I had to buy
Interesting, what you said about the clamps and I agree. But i just want to ask if that hose clamp you are using as an example, is it actually the right size for that hose? Looking at all the excess coming out, it looks like it is far too big and has been tightened as far as it will allow but it's not enough to tighten it properly. Correct me if I'm wrong, just being observant.
About a year and a half ago I blew a radiator hose going down the road. Limped it to orileys and got some tubing cut around the same diameter. Forced that sucker on there and screwed band clamps as tight as I could get them on both ends and she’s still running strong.
i use the screw clamp when adding temp sensor. it works better if u have good one. dont go cheap if you dont want unwanted problem. those clamp ones are clean but hard to install with big budge. surely bloody hand in tight space
My hyundai has had the wrong clamps for 4 years then and i still dont have the same prob as when the oem ones i did change them at first with the right oem one but after poping the top hose even with a new oem clamp and hose it poped off lol so i just got the wong ones and its work better then oem
You'll soon regret buy a Hyundai or a Kia because they're complete junk and most don't make it to 100k miles. I've had so many Hyundai's and kia's because of poor manufacturing of the crankshaft causing the crankshaft no to get the lubrication it needs to keep them from destroying themselves. Your literally playing with fire buying and owning a Hyundai or a Kia.
@UnderratedLeaksV2 biased much? The little hyundai motors are direcly based off of mitsubishi units. Ive ran the older hyundais without oil and coolant actively trying to kill them for fun. They dont die easy.
If you remove the hose and are going to reinstall it, make sure the spring clamp is exactly wear it originally was. It will leak if you position it in a different place. As the video says, they are the best clamp.
thanks for much for some usefull info. now for the sarcasm from a mechanic of the 50-60 era. wow they actually found a real use for "constant tension" clamps we used to call the spring clamps. you know when radiators and other liquid conveying parts were made of brass or stainless or metalic type stuff.
Went to the local Toyota dealer to get new constant tension clamps, figured mine are 23 years old and have done their duty. Anyway the parts guy said they don't sell them! Said they always replace them with worm clamps......bet Toyota corporate doesn't know that! Luckily the next dealer over did stock them.
he lied to you. of course they sell them. they might not have them in stock, but if his lazy ass would've pulled up the parts catalog on his computer, you can order them.
BS. I bought them for my '94 Pickup from the Toyota dealer to match the new genuine Toyota rad hoses not too long ago. That parts person did even bother checking.
Who still uses worm clamps? Around here the new ones sold are junk. Before they are tight the strip out. I'm not talking like strip the thread notches out of the steel band stripping I mean the housing that's stamped and folded around the worm screw and has tabs folded over on the flat band deforms and pops off the band. I'm talking before the clamp is properly tightened, they do it right after the band seats and starts to tighten. I've talked to several shops and they have the same problem. We just order the OEM hose and most times the constant tension clamp is attached to the hose already. That being said I never knew what the video says about worm clamps on plastic so I did learn something even tho I haven't used a worm clamp in 6 or 7 years. Also I'm talking about the worm clamps the parts stores send. The ones sold in the plumbing store or hardware store don't fall apart but they don't deliver and its a very rural area where I live so driving 25 minutes each way to go to the hardware store just isn't feasible. But the parts stores deliver out to where we are.
Used them for yrs. Hose goes old before anything. But my four layer silicone hoses will last atleast 5 yrs. Just gotta protect from gripping using soda can
@@berniemadoff7837yeah you should be fine, especially if you are in the northeast you don't have to worry about dry rot as much. They still go bad at some point, but in the northeast hoses last a lot longer.
how true is it that some people say plastic made rad acts as sacrificial lamb during overheating, it bursts without reaching and preempting costly damage of the engine...
This actually explains why theres a divide between spring clamps and worm clamps. The newest car ive ever owned was a 1983 camaro, which had a metal radiator and worm drives worked fine. Theyve also worked fine on the 20ish other cars ive owned. I guess at 32 im officially an old head
Never had a problem with any clamp. Well, worm gears in some spots. Ended up using t-bolts in those spots. I do prefer tension clamps, but they bug me whenever I use other materials other than OEM, like silicone piping. Feels like they wont hold, even when they do.
Not only that but over time the worm clamp will distort the plastic causing failure when future repairs are needed. As you install that style clamp is “D shapes the plastic and when reattaching hoses the radiator will distort and brake off
Mechanic here As with most things in life it depends I usually try to reuse the spring style tention clamp however once the hose gets old enough and you disrupt it, they never seal again The right thing is to get a new hose but sometimes charging the customer that bit extra and or then having to wait for the part to come is not ideal (especially when not readily available) Using worm clamps is fine, especially on metal pipes. They just don't look nice like oem in my opinion. And yes you have to be careful on old plastic radiators because they can clamp down harder than spring style.
One of my pet peeves is coming in behind a knucklehead who doesn't know what they're doing... they take a hose off and pay no attention to the alignment marks on the hose when they put it back on, or they snap the clamp back on without paying attention to where it was before they messed with it. Put it back on the same way it came off and 99% of the time you're not going to have any leaks or issues
Constant tension clamps are needed on metal radiators too not just plastic ones. Constant tension clamps are an industry standard for automobiles since the 1950s.
Ya mean the ones with the nut and bolt with the T on the end? Yea those are great but don't have much range plus many will pinch leaving a raised area in the hose. I needed one for an oil cooler fitting and couldn't find one locally so I ended up making my own using a nut and bolt from one I bought and some sheet metal. It's held for years.
Actually, you can use the Worm drive clamp that has a spring tension system called a constant torque clamp torque it to the correct torque and the Belleville washers keep the torque at the proper setting actually,
I never use for fuel line or radiators but I use it on evap system hoses and oil catch can hoses been like that for years. They never butch but I do take my occ hoses of like once a year and clean them with brake cleaner it might be why they never get loose
All the yrs I've been doing this, I use stainless steel ISPINNER T Bolt hose clamps, and on my drag car, street rod, and high-end builds, I use Wade Raceparts Solutions, Ken Roadrunner, and Fragola. They are my go-to for made in USA high-quality AN fittings and P.T.F.E. Hose.
never had problems with either clamp. but I have to say if your radiator is expanding and shrinking that much you have a bigger issue than just a clamp that plastic is made to take heat and shouldn't happen
The bigger story here is that no one seems to know about the constant tension band clamp pliers with the whip cable. Been using the same cable plier for over 5 years. I think a lot of guys get so frustrated trying to get the clamps off with tongue and groove pliers that they throw the old clamps away and put on a worm gear hose clamp. Side note: For all the real mechanics out there, Belmetric sells the galvanized constant tension band clamps online. I buy them in bulk and have every size that they sell. Great place to get other hard-to-find hardware as well!
After dealing with these for 30 years I can tell you they work you just end up smashing the hose which makes it loosen up which needs tightened to stay secure .. there is a limit and they will need replaced along with the hose eventually but even tension clamps do this as they compress the rubber
None... To be clear, none around the area where the hoses go. I mean I've obviously cracked a tank or how to core leak and I've done that on copper brass radiators as well but nowhere near the hose clamp.
I completely understand why not to use worm gear clamps but there's sometimes where the convenes taken off that worm gear is better than the constant tension clamp. Best Dodge Intrepid thermostat replacement that's why I would use a f****** worm gear clamps.
Oetiker combines a worm drive clamp with the ability to expand, but using a coil spring. These OEM clamps described in the video suck. They are not stainless and challenging to service. Next best thing to a v-band. So...when are radiators going with a v-band?
@@CPthetooladdict springs under tension loose their spring rate over time........ and through heat cycles....... to say they don't you can't call yourself a real mechanic.
That's why there's constant tension clamps on there from the factory there's a reason they are there, cp is right don't use worm drive clamps it's ok in a pinch but just use what the factory puts on there
Read the instructions that tells you right they're which radiator are you replacing and putting in metal or plastic that tells you what clamp to you use
I have an xdm elite 10mm and it flings casings like they are a secondary projectile. Im confident i need a stiffer spring. Also, the recoil surely would be reduced.
Makes sense. Had to use a worm clamp to hook one of Ford's heat shrink bands on a lower radiator hose since Ford discontinued the hose. Seems good so far.
Tape works best. I've even seen some people glue the hose on. No leaks. Tap a screw into the side through the hose and radiator neck to prevent the hose from sliding back.
So why then in the heavy truck world the plastic radiators come with worm gear clamps from the factory? Because they make constant tension worm gear clamps. In the video the clamp was too big for the hose. Usually it's only a problem with very small hoses.
@@CPthetooladdict SAAB 900's from 79-93' came with worm clamps for all coolant hoses. They still sell worm clamps as OEM replacements on official part sites
Worm drive clamps suck, with the exception of those made by Norma. They're stainless and are OEM to Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc., and actually work. I also use Oetiker clamps, especially on big ticket jobs that have a long warranty, like engines and transmissions as kind of a tamper indicator because most people cut them off and replace them with crap from the auto parts store.
Amen finally someone with some intelligent information thank you!!
I had a bad experience with them on a B5 Passat
Oetiker clamps are my favorite! The look so nice
Norma are the best clamps!
Caterpillar uses some that have spring washers, so it's basically a hybrid between a spring clamp and a worm gear. They're awesome.
Make radiators all metal again
Yeah those plastic sides that Crack, no thanks
Or just a better plastic that holds up incredibly well to variation in temperature and can flex a little.
@@christianrios6295 probs makes them way more expensive
@@christianrios6295 no thanks. Plastic is harmful to the environment anyways
@@christianrios6295 or just metal
40 years of mechanicing and no one had ever mentioned this to me!! I’ve never had a problem with them either, but it make perfect sense!! Thank you for the heads up!! Unlike everyone else I’ve ever run into, I’ll actually tell people about them
You have to go off your own experience. I’ve used both of these types clamps on material and plastics and have not had one problem. Not once have I seen either of these clamps fail.
Problems I’ve had was using worm gear clamps on new hoses, the clamps have to be readjusted after a few heat cycles.
Worm clamps don't last but they work in an emergency
The reason why he is saying not to use worm clamps is because they can break the plastic the hose clamps on to on the radiator. Not that they fail.
Have had them on my 1964 chevy c10 since 1993 and never once had to change them or retighten them
@@xeromorristhat's a metal radiator. Doesn't expand like plastic. So the radiator won't crack.
maybe if stores actually stocked these clamps, you literally cant find these anywhere at the right size i swear
Ace has them usually
You could always go to a junkyard and pull as many as you need in all sorts of different sizes, sometimes if theyre just a little loose and not quite as tight as youd like, but you can cinch them back just enough so that the clamp regains some tension but without deforming it and the clamp is good again for years to come.
Dorman makes them and they're expensive AF, might be cheap online.
I just finished building a honda and some of these clamps were 17$ a pop at my local honda dealership, its insane
@@ekd1985ace a w
Oem only uses them for ease and accuracy of assembly. Worm claps do fine as long as you don't over tighten them, radiators and such have a lip at the end of the pipe unlike what was shown which is one that is old and broken due to plastic getting brittle from expansion and contraction.
The idea that you have because you don't understand when hot or cool the hose's size will change.
@@derickd2385If you have taken a spring clamp off you would know how much tension it's putting and that the hose will just push into the clamp before it starts to expand the spring clamp. Think about it, how much leverage does it take to loosen a spring clamp enough to remove the hose.
Yes, metal expands when it gets hot but we are talking about less than a millimeter of expansion.
Thanks for the share. Didn’t realize but makes sense. Glad I saw this before installing on a 16 year old plastic radiator tube / hose combo in winter.
You bet
Not hating it's good info but I've been using worm clamps for over 10 years from power steering drain lines to radiator lines to egr cooler lines and I've never had one leak with a good hose and right size clamp. Most people use them because they are so much easier to find especially if you're changing a clamp off an old 80s or 90s car.
I can totally respect that and I applaud you for not being a degenerate of the world much respect
Worm clamps do suck but every shop i have worked at thats what they have lol honestly in 44 years of using them i have never had a leak or a comeback 😮i do prefer the band clamps myself 😊and the factory clamps work great
Now I am worried because when I replaced my hoses I bought some of the worm clamps because I didn't have the proper pliers to tighten the other clamps with. I haven't noticed a leak from the area but I do have a coolant leak somewhere.
never had a worm clamp leak on my car but interesting
On a new radiator, which is probably what was in the video, its possible. Good clamps arent substantially more expensive though so I always get good ones. Not worth doing a job twice
Idk what your talking about. Those clamps are $12-$28 a piece from any local parts house.
@@kevinwheeler5595 if you don't think $12 is substantially more than $2 you probably don't do your own repairs
Real answer is aluminum radiators
You must live in a city near a large body of water then.
Could you show the problem in a little more detail? Would appear as if the nipple was broke off. Probably happened WITH a spring clamp, and the worm clamp was installed to delay the inevitable.. changing the radiator.
It's a barb not a nipple
@@korn38ktm regardless, there should be a lip on the end and there clearly isnt
Spring / constant tension clamp won't break the nipple... there's not enough pressure. However, over tightening a ring clamp 100% will.
Worm clamps have a place, usually holding against metal, or things that have a lip. Also, cheap worm clamps suck always, the good ones are the way to go, actual stainless instead of untreated chinesium that can be easily deformed by fingers, nevermind whatever its trying to clamp.
There are spring loaded worm clamps designed to allow swelling, I used to run the line at Tridon that manufactured them
Been using those for years. They work great.
thanks for the tip
Constant torque clamps, very nice product.
Of course you did
Are you speaking of the ones that are bent heavy steel wire all one piece and hold the nut and screw. Look sort of like constant tension clamps only round wire and tighten via the screw and nut. Are those the ones you made?
Yep 👍 they can be troublesome depending on their location and whether or not they were installed so that you can get on them and open them (hose clamp pliers make them easier to work with too) but they will never fail unless they get extremely rusty. If you're removing and replacing the same hose to gain access to something else just be sure to put them back in the exact same place on the hose where the imprints are
Thanks for the info
Ive been a mechanic for a long time ,and learned yet another new thing
,since I never really work on new stuff mainly just tractors
been fabricating and modding my beat up tuner audi. i highly overlooked why those clamps exist. that is a good point.
Been using them for over 20yrs even though you read the comments and some people clearly haven't worked on a car for over 40 lol
In my industry we used to use pressure clamps and went to worm gear clamps. The pressure clamps rott out and fail in the field, these can be adjusted every 3 months when we do 120 day services and never be an issue ( There are only 4-6 of them in our cooling systems and can all be readily accessed) So, for some industries these are a much better option.
Never thought about the expand and contract aspect. Now that I know, it makes sense. I had never heard this before.
As fervent hater of constant pressure hose clamps . . . you have my thanks for actually saying WHY those are used.
I'll still keep using worm clamps wherever the engineers tried to make my life impossible.
Future Leaks ? I'll worry about those later.
interesting, never thought of that ; of course, worm clamps need retightning as the rubber gives, after a year or so,since they are not constant tension; these spring clamps are also BAD MECHANICS' proof,but when replacing the hose,its thickness must be the same as the old one...
I know people hate those constant tension clamps, but the reason you hate them is because you don’t own the pair of pliers that makes it easier to put them on or take them off, now I know what you’re gonna say I shouldn’t have to buy special pliers for a hose clamp and normally I would agree with you, but I deal with the damn thing so many times at some point I had to buy
Interesting, what you said about the clamps and I agree. But i just want to ask if that hose clamp you are using as an example, is it actually the right size for that hose? Looking at all the excess coming out, it looks like it is far too big and has been tightened as far as it will allow but it's not enough to tighten it properly. Correct me if I'm wrong, just being observant.
It was overtigjtend and broke the neck of the rad something you can't really do with a constant tension clamp
@@CPthetooladdict Ah, okay. Thanks for answering that.
Thanks for the tip. I just thought it was because it was faster and cheaper at the manufacturer level.
About a year and a half ago I blew a radiator hose going down the road. Limped it to orileys and got some tubing cut around the same diameter. Forced that sucker on there and screwed band clamps as tight as I could get them on both ends and she’s still running strong.
i use the screw clamp when adding temp sensor. it works better if u have good one. dont go cheap if you dont want unwanted problem. those clamp ones are clean but hard to install with big budge. surely bloody hand in tight space
My hyundai has had the wrong clamps for 4 years then and i still dont have the same prob as when the oem ones i did change them at first with the right oem one but after poping the top hose even with a new oem clamp and hose it poped off lol so i just got the wong ones and its work better then oem
You'll soon regret buy a Hyundai or a Kia because they're complete junk and most don't make it to 100k miles. I've had so many Hyundai's and kia's because of poor manufacturing of the crankshaft causing the crankshaft no to get the lubrication it needs to keep them from destroying themselves. Your literally playing with fire buying and owning a Hyundai or a Kia.
@@UnderratedLeaksV2were they all turbo hyundais and kias?
@@UnderratedLeaksV2 what a load of shit
@UnderratedLeaksV2 biased much?
The little hyundai motors are direcly based off of mitsubishi units. Ive ran the older hyundais without oil and coolant actively trying to kill them for fun. They dont die easy.
@@nopenope91531st gen Santa Fe for the win💪 Its the 2010s and newer Hyundais that are absolute garbage.
If you remove the hose and are going to reinstall it, make sure the spring clamp is exactly wear it originally was. It will leak if you position it in a different place. As the video says, they are the best clamp.
thanks for much for some usefull info. now for the sarcasm from a mechanic of the 50-60 era. wow they actually found a real use for "constant tension" clamps we used to call the spring clamps. you know when radiators and other liquid conveying parts were made of brass or stainless or metalic type stuff.
Glad it helped
Went to the local Toyota dealer to get new constant tension clamps, figured mine are 23 years old and have done their duty.
Anyway the parts guy said they don't sell them! Said they always replace them with worm clamps......bet Toyota corporate doesn't know that! Luckily the next dealer over did stock them.
That's messed up
@@CPthetooladdictyou messed up way too many time apperently
@@inibrasiumthefirst2680 the way he talks, he has a worm gear clamp too tight on his nuts
he lied to you. of course they sell them. they might not have them in stock, but if his lazy ass would've pulled up the parts catalog on his computer, you can order them.
BS. I bought them for my '94 Pickup from the Toyota dealer to match the new genuine Toyota rad hoses not too long ago. That parts person did even bother checking.
AMEN BORTHER!!!!!!!!!!! Those damn ring clamps SUCK for that exact reason, they also maintain a more even seal / pressure.
Who still uses worm clamps? Around here the new ones sold are junk. Before they are tight the strip out. I'm not talking like strip the thread notches out of the steel band stripping I mean the housing that's stamped and folded around the worm screw and has tabs folded over on the flat band deforms and pops off the band. I'm talking before the clamp is properly tightened, they do it right after the band seats and starts to tighten. I've talked to several shops and they have the same problem. We just order the OEM hose and most times the constant tension clamp is attached to the hose already. That being said I never knew what the video says about worm clamps on plastic so I did learn something even tho I haven't used a worm clamp in 6 or 7 years. Also I'm talking about the worm clamps the parts stores send. The ones sold in the plumbing store or hardware store don't fall apart but they don't deliver and its a very rural area where I live so driving 25 minutes each way to go to the hardware store just isn't feasible. But the parts stores deliver out to where we are.
Used them for yrs. Hose goes old before anything. But my four layer silicone hoses will last atleast 5 yrs. Just gotta protect from gripping using soda can
So I should probably change the original OEM hoses on my 2007 Scion TC then, right?
It only has 110K miles. 😂
@@berniemadoff7837yeah you should be fine, especially if you are in the northeast you don't have to worry about dry rot as much. They still go bad at some point, but in the northeast hoses last a lot longer.
how true is it that some people say plastic made rad acts as sacrificial lamb during overheating, it bursts without reaching and preempting costly damage of the engine...
This actually explains why theres a divide between spring clamps and worm clamps. The newest car ive ever owned was a 1983 camaro, which had a metal radiator and worm drives worked fine. Theyve also worked fine on the 20ish other cars ive owned. I guess at 32 im officially an old head
That's a new one to me. I never thought about the expansion and contraction. Thanks for the tip!
Happy to help!
It makes sense now, thanks. I always wondered why.
You can use expansion worm clamps but regular ones no. They must be able to expand and contract.
Never had a problem with any clamp. Well, worm gears in some spots. Ended up using t-bolts in those spots.
I do prefer tension clamps, but they bug me whenever I use other materials other than OEM, like silicone piping. Feels like they wont hold, even when they do.
Stick to OE style clamps when dealing with these plastic radiators. I miss the old days. 😂
I learned first hand (fortunately not on the road) that the worm gear clamps will bust once they heat up a little bit if you overtighten them
Not only that but over time the worm clamp will distort the plastic causing failure when future repairs are needed. As you install that style clamp is “D shapes the plastic and when reattaching hoses the radiator will distort and brake off
100% agree. I actually replace the cheap clamps when possible
Actually, that may be a benefit of "spring clamps". The primary reason they are used is because they are way easier to use in the assembly process.
If it has a barb at the end it will be fine but for smooth hose attachments and expansion clamp is best
Mechanic here
As with most things in life it depends
I usually try to reuse the spring style tention clamp however once the hose gets old enough and you disrupt it, they never seal again
The right thing is to get a new hose but sometimes charging the customer that bit extra and or then having to wait for the part to come is not ideal (especially when not readily available)
Using worm clamps is fine, especially on metal pipes. They just don't look nice like oem in my opinion.
And yes you have to be careful on old plastic radiators because they can clamp down harder than spring style.
One of my pet peeves is coming in behind a knucklehead who doesn't know what they're doing... they take a hose off and pay no attention to the alignment marks on the hose when they put it back on, or they snap the clamp back on without paying attention to where it was before they messed with it. Put it back on the same way it came off and 99% of the time you're not going to have any leaks or issues
Just get the correct wire and make your own aviation style chaos clamps. You can make the tool yourself with a bolt and a washer and nut. Look it up.
Constant tension clamps are needed on metal radiators too not just plastic ones. Constant tension clamps are an industry standard for automobiles since the 1950s.
Good thing I saw this before doing cooling system work.
But wouldn’t spring clamps lose their tension over time?
I've not seen that despite what the comments are saying the nor do they rust my 02 has factory oem clamps that work just fine.
I use bandclamps on all my coolant hoses with no issues
Ya mean the ones with the nut and bolt with the T on the end? Yea those are great but don't have much range plus many will pinch leaving a raised area in the hose. I needed one for an oil cooler fitting and couldn't find one locally so I ended up making my own using a nut and bolt from one I bought and some sheet metal. It's held for years.
I still have the original ones on my '97 4 Runner. They're all working fine.
Learned this lesson on a 95 Cherokee. Had a leak and just kept tightening that clamp. Snapped the plastic right off at the gas station.
Currently having this issue with a 04 grand cherokee
I had a 95 grand cherokee too. I cracked my radiator when the constant tension clamp suddenly released. I still prefer them over worm clamps
Yeah, but it was the hose that got so old it lost its pliability I bet. So it wouldn't have mattered what type of clamp you used there. 🤔
Actually, you can use the Worm drive clamp that has a spring tension system called a constant torque clamp torque it to the correct torque and the Belleville washers keep the torque at the proper setting actually,
A new tension clamp with a OEM coolant hose will work. Try reusing an old or new tension clam with an aftermarket radiator hose.
Today i learned a thing. Thanks to the second guy for explaining why.
I never use for fuel line or radiators but I use it on evap system hoses and oil catch can hoses been like that for years. They never butch but I do take my occ hoses of like once a year and clean them with brake cleaner it might be why they never get loose
Been using breeze worm clamps for as long as I can remember and haven’t seen one go loose yet but I suppose that always could be my impeccable luck
Having good luck isn't always bad!! Lol
All the yrs I've been doing this, I use stainless steel ISPINNER T Bolt hose clamps, and on my drag car, street rod, and high-end builds, I use Wade Raceparts Solutions, Ken Roadrunner, and Fragola. They are my go-to for made in USA high-quality AN fittings and P.T.F.E. Hose.
Thanks for sharing
I wish I would have known that before I changed all of my clamps on my cooling system. At first I disagreed but more I thought about it it makes sense
They are Def nicer than most people understand.
never had problems with either clamp. but I have to say if your radiator is expanding and shrinking that much you have a bigger issue than just a clamp that plastic is made to take heat and shouldn't happen
I have used constant tension clamps over on 200 and 300,000 mile gm vehicles with no issues...
The reason why he is saying not to use worm clamps is because they can break the plastic the hose clamps on to on the radiator. Not that they fail.
I just put a few self tappers in, an some daps of silicone. Don’t judge me, I came from the construction industry, an I is a mechanic now.
That’s sounds like a recipe for a blown coolant hose when going down the highway
I like it 😂
How much caulk? ALL the CAULK! 😂
The bigger story here is that no one seems to know about the constant tension band clamp pliers with the whip cable. Been using the same cable plier for over 5 years. I think a lot of guys get so frustrated trying to get the clamps off with tongue and groove pliers that they throw the old clamps away and put on a worm gear hose clamp.
Side note: For all the real mechanics out there, Belmetric sells the galvanized constant tension band clamps online. I buy them in bulk and have every size that they sell. Great place to get other hard-to-find hardware as well!
Smart man!!!
I use both. Infiniti VQs run hot and are known for having coolant seepage at the clamps. Even with new hoses and oem clamps.
Just double them you’ll be fine.
Heads in opposite directions for security!
Just double it and give it to the mext person
Exactly
I’ve used worm clamps in the past but learned my lesson, I use the proper ones now
Never use worm gear clamps on anything at all
I did not know tht. This is a good piece of knowledge. Thank you
The only issue I have with some worm clamps is that if the hose is worn the clamp can tear up the rubber.
i bought a 2 core aluminum on ebay for 120$ and it has lasted 150k miles so far
After dealing with these for 30 years I can tell you they work you just end up smashing the hose which makes it loosen up which needs tightened to stay secure .. there is a limit and they will need replaced along with the hose eventually but even tension clamps do this as they compress the rubber
Finding the correct size constant T clamps is a PITA. Also replacements we have found so far are garbage.
I didn't know this and I've been using worm clamps on everything for like almost 30 years
And how many radiators did you break?
John you just asked a great question
None... To be clear, none around the area where the hoses go. I mean I've obviously cracked a tank or how to core leak and I've done that on copper brass radiators as well but nowhere near the hose clamp.
@@masjuggalo
Thank you. Now we all know hose clamps when torqued properly has no issue on the radiator
@@JohnSmith-xu7ev true but Ive also used the spring claps with little issue
Are they a pain to take off and put on? Yes! Is it worth it to us CP clamps? Yes!
screw. clamps do tend to leak. spring clamps are good but watch your fingers.
As someone who works at a Napa that supplies shops, I'll try and get them on their game
When replacing hoses, I always use the original spring clamps and never have a leak.
I completely understand why not to use worm gear clamps but there's sometimes where the convenes taken off that worm gear is better than the constant tension clamp. Best Dodge Intrepid thermostat replacement that's why I would use a f****** worm gear clamps.
Just learned why my Honda power steering reservoir hoses leak, thanks.
Turbosmart also makes constant tension worm style clamps. Also won't cut into hoses.
They put constant tension clamps and not screw type for a reason...constant tension expands and contracts with heat / cold allowing no leske
Oetiker combines a worm drive clamp with the ability to expand, but using a coil spring. These OEM clamps described in the video suck. They are not stainless and challenging to service. Next best thing to a v-band. So...when are radiators going with a v-band?
Simple, let’s use brass , metal fittings for our hoses again.
The real problem is the guy putting it on different sizes for different hoses, spring claps, and lose tension over time so too old don't work
K
Yes they make different sizes for a reason, gotta use the right size. You won't have any leaks for the life of the hose.
@@CPthetooladdict springs under tension loose their spring rate over time........ and through heat cycles....... to say they don't you can't call yourself a real mechanic.
That's why there's constant tension clamps on there from the factory there's a reason they are there, cp is right don't use worm drive clamps it's ok in a pinch but just use what the factory puts on there
Great info my friend Ben working on cars 50 years I didn’t know that. Thanks 🙏
Glad to help
I dont like the constant tension clamps. I love the worm drive kind. Most plastic rafiators i deal with have metal sleves inside the spouts
Read the instructions that tells you right they're which radiator are you replacing and putting in metal or plastic that tells you what clamp to you use
45 years in the industry have never had issue ,with either style.
I use constant tension clamps. No leaks at all. 2 years in. No leaks. Plastic radiator.
Finally someone who understands.
Constant tension clamps are superior to worm clamps. Have perfect circular tension.
Thank you for having an intelligent comment!!!
I have an xdm elite 10mm and it flings casings like they are a secondary projectile. Im confident i need a stiffer spring. Also, the recoil surely would be reduced.
Either duct tape or Gorilla tape. If that doesn't work, bubblicious gum. Bubblicious expands and contracts like mad.
My favorite adhesive is half chewed up skittles pressed into a thin crepe like patty. I’ll have to give your bubbilicious method a shot for sure!
Do it right. Elmer's glue.
Real wisdom on social media! You don't see that every day.
Makes sense.
Had to use a worm clamp to hook one of Ford's heat shrink bands on a lower radiator hose since Ford discontinued the hose. Seems good so far.
Tape works best. I've even seen some people glue the hose on. No leaks. Tap a screw into the side through the hose and radiator neck to prevent the hose from sliding back.
So why then in the heavy truck world the plastic radiators come with worm gear clamps from the factory? Because they make constant tension worm gear clamps. In the video the clamp was too big for the hose. Usually it's only a problem with very small hoses.
I always tell people that, although those clamps like to be positioned in all the wrong places😂
But what happens if it came from the factory with worm clamps?
What models?
@@CPthetooladdict SAAB 900's from 79-93' came with worm clamps for all coolant hoses. They still sell worm clamps as OEM replacements on official part sites
zip ties are the easiest.
Duct tape it on! Duct tape fixes everything
@@christophermccarty1867just use packing tape, works great
My auxiliary water pump was ziptied for 20k miles no issues 🤣
I’ve had pretty good luck with liquid nails
Flex tape 😂