Spent the evening replacing some heater hoses, which I found were leaking after I pressure tested the cooling system a few weeks back. The main culprit was a hose I had installed with worm clamps five years back, after one of the OEM crimps started leaking. This time I did it right, using spring clamps. Worm clams suck. Don't use them anywhere if you can avoid it because they eventually fail. They don't adjust with temp expansion/contraction like spring clamps do, so they eventually crush the hose. If you use them around plastic, such as radiator necks, they will eventually crack the plastic.

This was the initial leak back in the day. If you look closely, you can see the coolant pooling on the left hose crimp.



Today's repair. This is down low on the block, near the tensioner. Pulled out the air box for some space to work.

 

Spring clamps will eventually lose tension, and they start leaking. I really don't care for them. Screw clamps may or may not start leaking after a bit of time, but, tighten them down again, and you are pretty much done with 'em. I have had far more success with screw clamps, than spring clamps. And screw clamps are MUCH easier to remove, without having to buy a special tool.....

Quite frankly, I think it is just a matter of personal taste which you prefer. I have heard arguments from both sides, but, I still stick with the screw clamps.

 

I've never had a spring clamp fail. Screw clamps loosen up after a while because the hose and what they're clamped on expand and contract. That's why they bite into the hoses after a while cause there is no give. I got tired of having to retighten. My spring clamp tool is a simple pair of pliers. Didn't even know about the special tool.

 

I have a bad spring clamp on my astro van currently..... It simply won't seal the hose. (new hose, radiator is not damaged.) Most of the problems I have seen with the screw clamps biting into the hose, is from over-tightening the clamp initially. There is probably a torque spec for them. But, I have never seen it, nor used it.

A selection of the spring clamps on the van, require the special tool, as there is simply no way to get at them with anything else. (it is a van.... so, space is most certainly at a premium in the engine bay...... Shoehorn and sledgehammer come to mind there. )

 

I've found that the aftermarket hose that I used is not as thick as the mopar hose, so that circumference difference affects the spring's clamping ability. Also, the spring clamps have slight size differences.

I have a bag of them that I pulled off at the junkyard and took the time sizing up with the hose till I found some small enough to work. Some I could stick the 5/8 hose thru like a loose wedding band.

 

Yeah, the right size does indeed make a difference.

 

I think I like the tension clamps best, mostly because they have a cleaner look. I used to have the correct tools to service them. The one thing I do hate about them is the tab thingies are always on the back side where its hard to get to them.

 

Even when you DON'T put them there.... They seem to migrate to the least convenient orientation for when it comes time to remove them. Either that, or someone sneaks into my garage at night, and moves them all.

 

And it's probably the same little SOB that runs in and hides the wrench you JUST laid down not 5 seconds ago and have to spend an hour tearing the garage up just to find it right where you remember putting it EVEN THOUGH you looked there half a dozen times during that hour.

For the record, I replace spring clamps with worm clamps wherever possible. So long as you put it right behind the raised area on the pipe and tighten it enough that it can't spin on its own and the inside diameter of the worm clamp is smaller than the OD of the hose at the raised area, it usually won't leak. I also go back a week or two later and retighten, once. From then on it's usually good until the hose goes bad.

 

Have you been working in my garage? That just sounds WAY too familiar.