Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[grifter]

I just noticed the bottom pipe on drivers side is weeping coolant when it heats up. I reckon the spring loaded clamp has lost it's tension, looks a bit darker colour than the ones up top, which are nice and silver still. Obviously disturbed it when I removed it to replace rad, so that in itself likely weakened it. Going to wait till it cools then pop one off for O/D measurement, vx says inner diameter is 27mm, all sellers (Ones I can see) sell by O/D doh! Guess there's probably only 2mm in it.

Anyone had this issue before, weakened clamps on the coolant pipes resulting in leak?

Yes, several times. Which is why I never refit them to my cars. I've finished doing a head gasket on an MGF about an hour ago, and replaced the few remaining spring clamps with reliable ones because we don't want any comebacks.

I'm more used to the jubilee clip types, never crossed my mind to check the spring loaded ones, but there you go. Done a full warm up test, road test, came back and it was little bit coming out the bottom pipe. I suppose just taking them off was enough to weaken them, found a few good ones I'd acquired from a scrappy, replaced the bottom and top ones on either end, the smaller pipes, as they looked a bit crusty, and the pinch points were a bit flattened, all good now.

[Nick W]

Hmmm, rereading my post suggests that I replace the spring clamps with newer ones. I don't like using/fitting them, don't trust them because I've had too many leak, and fit them straight into the bin. Good quality worm drive clamps are what I replace them with.

[grifter]

Hmmm, rereading my post suggests that I replace the spring clamps with newer ones. I don't like using/fitting them, don't trust them because I've had too many leak, and fit them straight into the bin. Good quality worm drive clamps are what I replace them with.

Interesting point, at least you know with a worm drive clamp, it's tight. Seems more cars nowadays have them, probably to speed up work times, but then the complexity of car maintenance now is much greater than X years ago, and climbing! Swings and roundabouts.