TheSamba.com :: View topic - Leak at Stainless Coolant Pipe Join Hose. Replace Clamp With ?

Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:09 am

Hi folks.

I found a slight leak at end of mid point join hose on a stainless front to back pipe. Hose looks ok. Relative to purchase date, parts have relatively low hours. Hose looks like rubber, might be silicone? Pipe kit purchased in ~ 2012.

Tightened old clamp, it stripped. Installed regular worm type clamp. Idled van to temp, leak stopped. It might hold but would rather replace that new worm gear clamp with better type; I hope to leave on a longish trip soon.

There's a clamp "print" on hose. Possible causes of leak:

- slight misalignment of pipe ends
- old clamp possibly installed a little too close to "barb"

But leaving all parts as is.....

which or what clamp would likely do a better job of sealing hose to pipe?

- wide band clamp like this (not sure there's room between pipes to install it though):

or double up clamps with better type like this (this is type that was installed)

edit: theres *just* enough length at hose end for another clamp like this.

or ?

Thanks

Neil.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:22 am

Replace it with anything BUT a cheap "cheese grater" style you have pictured.

Some prefer Spring clamps,
Some prefer screw clamps.

I like quality screw clamps, the constant tension style is preferred or a good ABA clamp.

A thread discussing clamps........

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=710272

Dave

Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:37 am

djkeev wrote: Replace it with anything BUT a cheap "cheese grater" style you have pictured.

Note the difference between ^that cheap clamp that is found everywhere, and the clamp Neil posted. The latter is what Van Cafe supplies with all silicone hoses and are quality clamps. The key is to get the suckers tight... which a screwdriver won't do (at least, for me it won't). I used a socket wrench on them when installing the new stainless pipes and, so far, no leaks, including from the tower connector hose that leaked after it was initially installed years ago.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:59 am

Thanks Dave and Kamz

The new "cheese grater" clamp I installed last night will be replaced.

If there's room on hose maybe I'll install two better style clamps VS a wider T clamp.

The right way to do this would be to loosen the pipes, remove the hose, possibly replace hose, align pipes better etc. But I figure I'll do that when the coolant change comes due.

I'd used a 1/4" drive socket to tighten all the clamps that c/w the pipe kit.

A slight misalignment of pipe end to pipe end, and added stress of pipe to pipe due to well intended over strapping, may be the cause of the slow leak at hose to pipe.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:00 pm

IMHO for larger hoses this type of clamp is superior. Suitable for both silicone or fabric covered rubber. About $7 each. Once properly tightened to the specified torque they normally do not require retightening for the life of the hose.

Breeze constant torque clamp

Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:02 pm

dgbeatty wrote: IMHO for larger hoses this type of clamp is superior. Suitable for both silicone or fabric covered rubber. About $7 each. Once properly tightened to the specified torque they normally do not require retightening for the life of the hose.

Breeze constant torque clamp

That is the style I use on the SS pipes.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:25 pm

Just got back from FLAPS.

Bought a wider T clamp and 2 clamps for silicone hoses. Not sure which I'll use.

The silicone hose clamps are much different than clamp I removed. Can't recall if I used a mix of clamps for long pipe install or if all clamps I used were what c/w pipe install kit but the ones I just bought are smooth at entire ID, not just part of it.

edited.

Neil.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 8:28 pm

Be sure the "T" clamp is the correct size. It is too easy to just be a little bit larger and you do not achieve full tightness because you've bottomed out on the threads and not gotten the full squeeze you need.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:02 pm

Thanks Steve M. Good point. I ended up using two new better style clamps. I probably should've used the T clamp but it might'e been hard to slip on with hose installed.

I'm sure it's been discussed but I think there's a tendency for one to over tighten, then eventually strip, a clamp. And that might be more of a potential issue with clamps having raised teeth VS actual cut out slots for the screw. The type with raised teeth is what I just installed.

One culprit here was poor positioning of the hose. The end that was weeping should be further onto the pipe.

Ain't hindsight grand? ;)

Neil.

Wed Oct 30, 2019 6:47 am

I feel for you. I had 1 connection on my Stainless Steel Pipe set that justttt dripped a bit, with me reclamping it several times over a period of a few weeks. I always used a socket on the head of the clamp as others have noted versus a Screwdriver, and finally it stopped leaking. Def. Silicone hoses, I guess the pipe may have been a bit oval in shape or something similar. If it hadn't stopped leaking, I was going to replace the clamp with one like it, but it did stop, and I never felt the clamp was stripped out for holding pressure, so it was a weird one for a few weeks.

Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:08 am

One possible factor with this slow leak or weep was possible slightly poor alignment of
pipe end to pipe end causing the hose to be under a bit of tension.

Here on the samba, some say the vw spring clamp is better; IMO they are self tightening.
Not always convenient to use but I've had no leak issues using those.

The hose I worked on is silicone. It don't know if clamps on a silicone hose, vs
rubber, need to be checked and possibly tightened more often.

IF all the clamps in the kit I used were the partially slotted type with band
at part of ID, maybe better ones should've been supplied. But, I did not
see any damage at the hose end I worked on.

The issue was due to my install QC.

Neil.

Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:22 am

Vanagon Nut wrote: One culprit here was poor positioning of the hose. The end that was weeping should be further onto the pipe.

When I laid the pipes out, I saw that they needed to basically butt up against each other. Thus, I placed the hoses on top of the pipes and marked where their ends should be. I then put the hoses onto the rear pipe halves, installed the four pipes, and then shoved the rear pipe assemblies onto the fronts. The hoses are on the rear pipe lines, and about a 1/4" from the front lines... not bad for a weakling chick, IMHO. :lol:

Wed Oct 30, 2019 3:03 pm

kamzcab86 wrote: Vanagon Nut wrote: One culprit here was poor positioning of the hose. The end that was weeping should be further onto the pipe.

When I laid the pipes out, I saw that they needed to basically butt up against each other. Thus, I placed the hoses on top of the pipes and marked where their ends should be. I then put the hoses onto the rear pipe halves, installed the four pipes, and then shoved the rear pipe assemblies onto the fronts. The hoses are on the rear pipe lines, and about a 1/4" from the front lines... not bad for a weakling chick, IMHO. :lol:

Lol. Ya, I can't recall what method, if any, I used to install these pipes. Of course I'm sure I promptly threw the instructions aside and wung it.... ;) Actually, I did label them before install. All about the learning. :)

Neil

Thu Oct 31, 2019 12:29 pm

The factory VW spring clamps work great at this location, they are all I ever use.

Thu Oct 31, 2019 12:31 pm

kalispell365 wrote: The factory VW spring clamps work great at this location, they are all I ever use.

The hose thickness on mine was too great to use the stock clamps. I even shaved off the stop to get them to open more but no luck. I agree, I would prefer stock spring clamps.

Thu Oct 31, 2019 1:28 pm

I have GoWesty pipes and I used McMaster-Carr P/N 7329K18. They are constant-tension type and look exactly like the blue/black OEM coolant clamps everywhere else.