Best radiator hose clamp?

Cubey

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Pesky worm gear clamp on the lower radiator hose at the radiator kept working loose. I happened to be at Harbor Freight and saw these. The largest ones fit.

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I had to use one at the barb end to seal it while I replaced the worm gear clamp, because it was trying to drain otherwise.

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I put an extra lock nut on for extra insurance that it can't work loose.

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Since I replaced that this morning, I found it leaking again this afternoon, so I took off the extra nut and snugged up the actual one, and it snugged up fair bit more. Extra nut was put on again.

After another 25 more miles of highway driving, no leaking at the moment. I'll look again in the morning.
 

Cubey

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Fit on a deep socket ???

It does for me with a 1/4" drive 5/16 or 11mm deep socket. You could shim it with washers or a bushing between the clamp's T and the nut, if you have to.
 

CDX825

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Everyone like to junk the spring type clamps used from the factory but they are the best because they keep constant tension on the hose. The next best is the type of clamps that are like a worm drive but have a constant tension spring or washers.

The hot and cold cycles cause the hose and the nipple on the radiator to change size. A regular worm drive hose clamp can't compensate for it. Constant tension clamps keep the hose tight no matter if its cold or hot.
 

Cubey

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Everyone like to junk the spring type clamps used from the factory but they are the best because they keep constant tension on the hose. The next best is the type of clamps that are like a worm drive but have a constant tension spring or washers.

The hot and cold cycles cause the hose and the nipple on the radiator to change size. A regular worm drive hose clamp can't compensate for it. Constant tension clamps keep the hose tight no matter if its cold or hot.

The 85 RV with the original 85 hose (in early 2019 when it finally sprang a leak) had the factory clamps. I saved them but I'm not sure I have them with me right now.

The van had a worm gear clamp when I got it in September and it wasn't leaking, but I recently replaced the bad water pump and the hoses for good measure, so it got disturbed. The engine side of the lower hose is a worm gear clamp and isn't leaking.

For reference, that's the type the RV had:

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Old Goat

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My 82 Datsun 720 KC had the OM 300ZX clamps when I bought it new. Never had a leak problem with them.

Goat
 

sieg01

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I like these clamps because they do their job equal and you can tighten them more.
Extra nut may not be necessary. But since the bolt is long enough...
 

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