Leak at Stainless Coolant Pipe Join Hose. Replace Clamp With ?

[Vanagon Nut]

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.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[djkeev]

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
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[kamzcab86]

[Vanagon Nut]

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.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[dgbeatty]

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
_________________
Schau in das Buch

[dobryan]

[Vanagon Nut]

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.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[Steve M.]

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.
_________________
This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[Vanagon Nut]

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.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[jlrftype7]

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.
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[Vanagon Nut]

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.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[kamzcab86]

[Vanagon Nut]

[kalispell365]

The factory VW spring clamps work great at this location, they are all I ever use.
_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l

[dobryan]

[bettingonvans]

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.
_________________
1990 Westfalia, GW2.2, Peloquins TBD