Better radiator hose clamp?

EricE · 06-17-09, 07:55 AM

I have a slow leak on my upper radiator hose where it mates with the radiator. The hose is new and OEM. I am using two hose clamps but I have tried all kinds of different configurations and I still have a leak. Its not a big leak but it is a pain. I am about at the point of trying some glue or something to try and seal things up. (see picture) Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated as I am at my wits end.

Daisy 53 · 06-17-09, 08:39 AM

Is it leaking from the hose or from the radiator? If it is from the hose, is the nipple on the radiator clean? I have had issues in the past with the nipples on radiators being nasty and leaking. Clean it up with a wire brush and see what happens.

Daisy

gotmud · 06-17-09, 08:41 AM

I am using OE clamps. I know a lot people prefer the screw style like you are using: they are certainly cheaper and easier to find. My only problem with them is they tend to loosen over time. If you really want to use a screw style, go the extra $ and get the lined, constant-torque style.

-Spike- · 06-17-09, 08:43 AM

You might have a leak at the radiator seam, or as someone suggested the nipple or hose was dirty when installed. While perhaps not the best radiator clamp ever invented, those clamps have been around forever and there's no reason they should leak all by themselves, and especially not two of them.

-Spike

EricE · 06-17-09, 08:55 AM

The fitting is certainly clean. It is possible that there is a crack in the radiator itself but I doubt it. I thought that last time and ended up taking the radiator to a shop to be presure tested. They found no leaks so I think I am ok there. The hose is brand new so the hose doesn't have a hole in it. As you can see, all the leaked fluid shows up on the seam there. I can't actually see exactly where the fluid comes out but I am pretty sure it is just from the hose to Rad interface. I have a radiator presurizer that I use to find leaks with the engine off but it doesn't reveal anything new...just fluid showing up on the seam like you see in the picture.
Gotmud: I'll look into Lined-constant-torque style. Thats kind of what I was looking for here...was there a better hose clamp I should be using.
When you say OE style you mean the clamps that you just pinch together with a pair of pliers? You think those work better?

Daisy 53 · 06-17-09, 09:05 AM

When I asked about it leaking from the radiator, I meant from where the tank and radiator meet. There is an O-ring at the connection point that can go bad over time. Some folks have had luck re-crimping the tank connection and stopping small leaks.
Daisy

wxm · 06-17-09, 09:13 AM

The temperature around these hoses changes so much that you want the clamps hold tight along with the temperature move.

Have you try the constant tension torque clamp by breeze? The similar kind was highly recommended on this board for the PHH. Of course, you will need bigger ones for rad hose. I have been use them on my Nissan Maxima and am very happy with the result. The replacement for my LX will go in soon in my upcoming water project. (see picture below).

That's said, I would have to agree with the others to check different sources for your leak.

NLXTACY · 06-17-09, 09:35 AM

I spent $200 on JUST those ^ clamps for the LX.

http://www.normagroup.com/kunden/nor...Torque_Details

EricE · 06-17-09, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daisy 53

When I asked about it leaking from the radiator, I meant from where the tank and radiator meet. There is an O-ring at the connection point that can go bad over time. Some folks have had luck re-crimping the tank connection and stopping small leaks.
Daisy

How does one re-crimp it? Would a leak there show up as fluid where it is in my picture?

-Spike- · 06-17-09, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricE

How does one re-crimp it? Would a leak there show up as fluid where it is in my picture?

A stock radiator for the 94 80 is a brass core with plastic tanks. In your first pic the radiator looks like it has metal tanks, which indicates an aftermarket radiator. If so, you wouldn't have the o-ring, it would be soldered. A pressure test should show a leak in the seam.

What really bothers me about your pic is that the hose is on the wrong end of the radiator for a '94 with a 1fz motor (per your sig). Looks a lot like a 3fe setup.

The constant tension clamps suggested by wxm are available at NAPA in my area.

-Spike

Daisy 53 · 06-17-09, 11:44 AM

Good eye Spike, I missed that.
To the OP, Spike was correct, the OEM radiator the tanks are crimped on. The crimps can be "tightned" to seal a small leak. Your radiator doesnt appear to have the crimp style tanks.
Daisy

SeanAndHis80 · 06-17-09, 12:51 PM

Something is wrong there. The radiator, while subjected to pressure, isn't under a lot of pressure relatively. The connection should not be difficult to seal. in light of the questions posted about the origin of your radiator - how tight is the new hose when slipped onto the radiator? Is it loose before you tighten the clamp? ...it should be snug to begin with before clamping.

FirstToy · 06-17-09, 01:03 PM

The clamp is not the problem. you have some other issue there.

-is the hose the right size?
-is the nipple cracked, split, bent?
-is the seam leaking and not the hose?

just off the top of my head.

gotmud · 06-17-09, 01:05 PM

Do you have the correct end of the hose on the radiator? IIRC, that hose has two different sized ends.

EricE · 06-17-09, 02:19 PM

SeanAndHis80: As others have noticed it is a replacement radiator. The hose goes on snug and I believe I have the hose oriented correctly. The top of the radiator is copper and the hose fitting is copper. As such it is maelable or at least not hard-hard. The fitting has a small indent in it that I just can't get rid of which is part of the problem. I have tried a couple of times to fit something in there and swage out the dent with limited success. Perhaps I need to try again but I need something the exact right size to go in there and force everything back to round.

elhombre · 06-17-09, 02:22 PM

Try draining some of the fluid out of the radiator, just enough to get the fluid level below the upper tank. Use your pressure tester and pump it up with air. Spray soappy water on the area and look for the bubbles.

The oem clamps are better than the cheap screw type because when the system goes through heat cycles, it expands and contracts. The rubber hose will slowly become cut by the sharp edges of the cheap clamps where the tighnening screw rides on. OEM clamps don't have these little edges to cut into the hose. The problem with OEM clamps is that they will relax and loose tension over time. Or worse, break in half while driving down the road. The constant-tension clamps are the best. You will only find the constant-tension clamps on big deisel rigs because they preform better. But, they are NOT cheap.

unclegit · 06-17-09, 03:29 PM

Check the radiator neck where the hose clamps on.

I've seen them crack on the bottom and it's hard as heck to see what the issue is - it just looks like the hose is weeping - but its the neck of the radiator that's gone. Wiggle the neck slightly while it's running but still cold, it may make it more obvious where the problem is - the cracks can be HARD to see.

I just went through this on my M3 - pain in the neck as a simple top hose job that should have taken an hour stretched into a couple of days waiting on a new radiator.

-Spike- · 06-17-09, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricE

SeanAndHis80: As others have noticed it is a replacement radiator.

So I'm confused. Is the engine a 3fe or a 1fz? The hose is on the driver's side, indicating it's a 3fe, but your sig says 1fz, albeit apparently replaced. You say the hoses are OEM, but what you have in the first pic isn't OEM on a 1fz.

If it's some bastard replacement, the nipple is probably not the right size for the hose. If it's OEM for a 3fe, it might be something else.

Pics of engine?

-Spike

SeanAndHis80 · 06-17-09, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricE

SeanAndHis80: As others have noticed it is a replacement radiator. The hose goes on snug and I believe I have the hose oriented correctly. The top of the radiator is copper and the hose fitting is copper. As such it is maelable or at least not hard-hard. The fitting has a small indent in it that I just can't get rid of which is part of the problem. I have tried a couple of times to fit something in there and swage out the dent with limited success. Perhaps I need to try again but I need something the exact right size to go in there and force everything back to round.

I agree with Spike - something is up with that radiator orientation. Maybe I'm wrong but... maybe a 3FE spec replacement? All copper is pretty good.

Anyway EricE - post a pic of what you are describing. How big is the "indent"? - you can easily solder on copper you could clean it heat it up and "rub" some solder on it to possibly fill in the indent - hard to tell without seeing it.

IdahoDoug · 06-17-09, 09:31 PM

Not sure what you guys are seeing that I'm missing, but that hose is in the correct location for a 1FZ - upper left corner of the radiator. You're looking at the edge of the battery box, which is on the vehicle's left side. That should help you orient.

If you have a dent like that, I'd consider using JB Weld which is a high quality epoxy despite it's sort of hillbilly references over the years. I have a high end carbon fiber bike and a water bottle boss came loose and the factory suggested JB Weld as their choice. What you'll do is simply fill the groove(s) caused by the dent, let it cure overnight and gently use a file and sandpaper to blend the edges so you have a nice round surface for the clamps to apply even hose pressure. Then, spray it with paint to seal any micropores and repeat this again before letting it cure and then you're done. No need to remove the radiator unless it's in an unfortunate spot you can't work with in situ.

You absolutely must have a round surface for the hose to seal. The hose clamp won't apply MORE pressure to one spot with the dent. In fact, the opposite - it will obviously be less pressure where the dent is and that's your seep. Also you are a bad boy for using Prestone Green and your 80 is showing you it is not happy by doing this.....

DougM

DougM