r/Cartalk • u/badrillex • Feb 27 '24

Engine Cooling Can i use this clamp instead of the OEM one?

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I’m changing the original one as many people suggested to fix the leak I showed on my previous post

39 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

54 comments sorted by

132

u/Local-Success-9783 Feb 27 '24

You can, just don’t tighten the shit out of it. It’ll break the plastic nipple off the coolant surge tank.

26

u/Shidulon Feb 27 '24

Probably strip out the hose clamp screw first, it's one of the junky ones made in China. But yeah good point, don't overtighten it

15

u/dirtsequence Feb 27 '24

Those vw reservoirs like to shatter if you look at them wrong.

6

u/AlleyMedia Feb 27 '24

Ahhh don't look at it, and it's neither broken or unbroken until you look at it or something like that about a cat in a box, look up my boy Schrödinger.

3

u/Some-Geologist-5120 Feb 27 '24

The stock split hose clamps are superior because they clamp evenly around the hose. The screw or jubilee type clamps localize clamping pressure, and can also be overtightened.

1

u/ThePandaKingdom Feb 28 '24

Clamp is clamp

1

u/Tonyus81 Mar 03 '24

That particular "nipple" has a brass insert in it, so not so easy to break. Nonetheless, you are right, those "jubilee" clamps shouldn't be tightened too much, they easily damage the hose.

32

u/WellJustJonny Feb 27 '24

You could but don’t tighten too tight as those clamps can chew up the hose with all those little slits , Also the original clamp put constant spring clamping force on the hose and the screw on one does only to the amount you tighten it and can loosen . That leak might be a crack in the plastic not the hose.

6

u/Beginning_Web3064 Feb 27 '24

Use a Norma style clamp that doesn't dig into the hose

3

u/badrillex Feb 27 '24

That’s what I was afraid of i felt it would bite into the hose

3

u/forewer21 Feb 27 '24

Might benefit from a new hose if it's leaking like that. New ones are softer and will seal better, and are cheap.

Edit:just read a comment below--cut off an inch of the hose and try that instead

1

u/Headed_East2U Feb 27 '24

Or the ABA rolled edge worm gear clamps that don't dig into the hose. ABA clamps are made in Sweden.

11

u/buttlicker-6652 Feb 27 '24

I wouldn't.

I own an older VW with a similar overflow design. I just cut the last inch off the hose and reused the OEM clamp. It hasn't leaked since I did that about 5k miles (2 months) ago.

7

u/totalbrodude Feb 27 '24

You can, but it might leak.

The type that's on there now is known as a constant tension hose clamp. On hoses that are subject to expansion and contraction, like coolant hoses, they're better able to supply the requisite uniform tension at all temperatures -- also as the hoses age and slowly deteriorate. You don't need a special tool, any set of pliers that can clamp the tabs towards each other should work. An old trick is to squeeze them together with needle-nose pliers and pop a small socket on top to hold the tabs together and help you maneuver into position; or just use locking pliers.

The kind you're proposing to replace it with is a worm drive hose clamp. They're fine for things like PCV/breather/vacuum lines, but suboptimal when expansion is expected.

3

u/Beerand93octane Feb 27 '24

Look at the end of the hose for cracks, clean off that nipple and do the same. Looks like it's been through quite few heat and cool cycles. Plastic expansion tanks like that are like $30 and a new overflow hose section would be like $8.

3

u/adomnick05 Feb 27 '24

never use those hose clamps 9 fukin times out of 10 it wont even get tight at all.

3

u/Routine_Pressure4355 Feb 27 '24

It's leaking because the hose is too hard and aged. It's time to replace the hose.

There is a chance the plastic is broken under the rubber. Might be worth checking first.

Screw clamps do not change tension with temperature resulting in the hose eventually leaking and being in need or retightening. Doing this also have a high chance of breaking the plastic fittings it attaches to depending on how you tighten it.

3

u/Bimmer_Boi_ Feb 27 '24

Definitely prefer the oem constant tension clamps

5

u/AutomobileEnjoyer Feb 27 '24

Short answer is yes you can, long answer is no you shouldn’t.

1

u/Kingtripz Feb 27 '24

There's absolutely nothing wrong with them if you know how to use them

3

u/AutomobileEnjoyer Feb 27 '24

There’s a lot wrong with them, hoses shrink over time, these clamps do not. Hoses expand and contract during heat cycling, these do not.

2

u/Catsmak1963 Feb 27 '24

Yes, but the clamp isn’t the problem

2

u/GDRMetal_lady Feb 27 '24

You can and they'll work better than these stupid spring clamps. There are two types of people: those who know worm style clamps are superior, and those who are wrong.

2

u/Apx1031 Feb 27 '24

Fine as a temp, best to get a large pack of the oem style ones and direct replace them.

0

u/fawkmebackwardsbud Feb 27 '24

Yep. I won't put those OE clamps back on because they're too big a hassle, but I'm too cheap to buy the tool for them.

0

u/Dirty_white_cat Feb 27 '24

Clamp is clamp

-6

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '24

TBH if you have to come to reddit to ask that you shouldn't be doing your own auto work.

3

u/badrillex Feb 27 '24

Don’t you have a better use of your time than posting stupid comments like that?

-6

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '24

Oh no it's YOU who posted stupid comment. Really. Lacking logical thought maybe?

3

u/whyyunozoidberg Feb 27 '24

We're here to facilitate learning, not gatekeep.

Most adults have no idea how their vehicles work. They might as well be driving the magic school bus around.

1

u/carguy82j Feb 27 '24

That tank is probably broken.

1

u/RepresentativeAd9572 Feb 27 '24

Yes but don't tighten to tight

1

u/Pressure_Wash_Guy Feb 27 '24

Short answer.... YES!!

1

u/TheGapster Feb 27 '24

No it's illegal

1

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '24

used one on my car that used to righty tightyy but I unscrewed it all the way and put it back on and now it screws in tthe other way somehow. would have put the original back on but don't know where is plus like that I can completely take it off without freeing up one end of the hose.

1

u/KingNyx Feb 27 '24

Good ol' china

1

u/Full-Hamster-9400 Feb 27 '24

Yes… anytime you remove a hose replace the pinch clamp with a screw on hose clamp… saves you that much more trouble the next time and if the pinch clamp isn’t set exactly how it was it’s gonna leak

1

u/drive-through Feb 27 '24

The hose itself is doing most of the work at that connection. Hence the reason for a very small and weak, constant tension clamp. It would probably be best just to fix it by replacing the hose and appropriate clamp.

1

u/Tardis52 Feb 27 '24

I'd tichten it by hand, and gently. They make nut driver screwdrivers you can find at Lowes / Home Depot. Southwire has a decent one

1

u/AKADriver Feb 27 '24

That type of clamp will make that leak worse. That leak is caused by either the hose or the reservoir itself having a crack in it, not the clamp being too weak.

1

u/babsrambler Feb 27 '24

As a hose clamp, or as a wedding ring?

...probably not to both

1

u/this1dude23 Feb 27 '24

Theres some dealer tech that will start yelling at you because its not spec, but you are fine. Just get it snug

1

u/nitrion Feb 27 '24

I only would temporarily.

The OEM type clamps are designed to increase pressure on the hose over time as it ages, keeping the seal a lot better than the Chinese clamp will. I'd use that Chinese clamp temporarily and just replace the hose and clamp.

1

u/mattgunner1 Feb 27 '24

I’d just use a zip tie 😂😂😂

1

u/Allezander675 Feb 27 '24

Can you? Yes. Should you? No. The OEM version has more even clamping force.

1

u/Short-Resident-8895 Feb 27 '24

no, everything will explode instantly and cause millions of deaths

1

u/Only-Location2379 Feb 28 '24

It should be fine