Hose Clamps - What do you use?

[HEMIMANN]

Here's a topic only the hardcore gear heads could love - what kind of hose clamps do you use? Which do you avoid?

We use hose clamps for engine coolant connections, air intake connections, and fuel line connections. I'll list the different types below with their intended use / features.

I installed an S&B Cold Intake Filter Kit. It has a rubber boot to attach the hard plastic connecting tube to the engine manifold intake casting. It came with a plain old worm gear hose clamp. This clamp loosened over use time such that the boot actually vibrated off the engine manifold, leaving a big leak gap of unfiltered air. Unhappiness abounded. I discovered when I went to change air filter elements recently.

We all know rubber hoses take a compression set - at 1st clamp tightening, and then compress some more slowly as the rubber creeps. Some hoses compress more than others - depending on type of rubber and thermal cycling. What do you use for air intake boots?

Cheapo worm clamp - only a couple threads holding, loosen with vibration.


Improved worm clamp - has a flat holster so that all threads engage. Provides stronger clamp load, less loosening.


Constant tension clamp - maintains a clamp load over changes in rubber diameter due to thermal cycling. UL requires these on engine fuel hoses.


Prevailing torque clamp - maintains a clamp load over changes in rubber diameter due to thermal cycling. Generally bigger than constant tension clamps, and used on large engine cooling systems with silicone rubber hoses.


T-bolt clamp - capable of highest clamp loads, has anti-vibration nylock nut, but does not have constant tension feature. Mandated by cummins for use on pressure-side turbocharger air intake hoses.

 

[Burn2k12Ram]

This is a great post. Thanks for the great info in it. I too had an issue on an intake kit loosening due to a subpar clamp. So what one do you recommend? I figure the T-Bolt clamp? Let me know what one you go with for yours. Thanks again

 

[HEMIMANN]

This is a great post. Thanks for the great info in it. I too had an issue on an intake kit loosening due to a subpar clamp. So what one do you recommend? I figure the T-Bolt clamp? Let me know what one you go with for yours. Thanks again

I hinted above what we used on the heavy duty diesel engines in power generators at work. I'm leaning toward prevailing torque clamps because the constant tension clamps generally are for smaller diameter hoses like coolant and fuel. I use those on all cooling systems and fuel systems. They're cheap and effective. But only use USA made ones, or you'll run into low quality Asian knockoffs with bad material that breaks.

And - I wasn't aware of improved work gear clamps - these might not loosen or vibrate back, but they still might require one retightening after the rubber creeps over time. Prevailing torque and constant tension need no checkups.

 

[Lyle Longboat]

Good post, I use the heavy duty gear clamps and they have yet to fail. I replaced the tension clamps that the dealer had see on our coolant lines. They’re easier to remove with an impact lol. Only reason I switched was my Red silicone HSP coolant hoses came with them. Not cheap material worn clamps, a shop used those dumb things on my aftermarket trans cooler and one came loose causing the torque converter to over heat on the winter road, 2 hours from Home. Good thing I had extra trans fluid n the back of the truck and kept watching the trans temp and stopping and filling the trans back up as needed. Never used those cheap things again, except on my son’s toys lol.

 

[crazykid1994]

If I can I use constant tension clamps I do. I know they break with age or lose clamping force but they just grab more evenly. I don’t care to much for Worm clamps because they tend to warp the tube right at the clamp part because it’s flat. I’ve used worm clamps with a sleeve design to prevent the warping and to keep it from digging into the tubing. Never seen torque clamps anywhere before.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Good post, I use the heavy duty gear clamps and they have yet to fail. I replaced the tension clamps that the dealer had see on our coolant lines. They’re easier to remove with an impact lol. Only reason I switched was my Red silicone HSP coolant hoses came with them. Not cheap material worn clamps, a shop used those dumb things on my aftermarket trans cooler and one came loose causing the torque converter to over heat on the winter road, 2 hours from Home. Good thing I had extra trans fluid n the back of the truck and kept watching the trans temp and stopping and filling the trans back up as needed. Never used those cheap things again, except on my son’s toys lol.

Yeah, I never really liked constant tension spring clamps until UL required us to 'like' them. Then I got more used to them. But they are a pain to manipulate with a pliers, and require more access space to do so. I had one snap on the fuel line on my tractor after 8 years, because I change fuel filters every year, so it got mechanically worked more often than I think they intend. Pretty sure material is harder steel, cold-rolled or alloy, so subject to fatigue fracture with moving.

 

[pacofortacos]

My favorite clamp of all time is the round spring clamp of the 60s-70s maybe earlier.
While a pain to take off, they never broke and always had good tension and were easy on hoses.

The flat spring clamps are inferior to the round - I have had those break in half and stick to the hose, so you could never see it until you touched the clamp and it fell off. First time it took a while to find the coolant leak as it only leaked when the engine torqued - clamp broke in half but still had a slight tension on the hose so it didn't leak sitting still.