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What are the correct hose clamps for my ’25? And where can I buy them?
They should be wire with a square nut and a slotted screw. Restoration Supply should be able to help. Look in our Parts and Services section.
Thank you Bill, much appreciated.
Did Pierce still use that type of hose clamp in 1930?
Yes, and for most of the remaining years I think.
Thanks Bill. Jim
Guys,
Are these the type of clamps you are referring to? An ebayer named, tibwholesales has them in various sizes.
Bill
Thanks for all the advise folks. I certainly agree with the ‘using band clamps to set the hoses’, then running the car a few times and replacing the band clamps with the wire ones. I tried using the wires first but they leaked. tom griffith
Numerous heat cycles are necessary to set the hoses so that they do not leak.
You tighten the clamp a bit after each cycle.
I use modern S-S band hose clamps until the hoses set and then replaced them with the wire clamps.
There are fewer leaks this way as the wire clamps seem to be difficult for me to position correctly / snug sufficiently to initially set the modern non-natural rubber hoses.
As per the way this message board works, others will doubtless offer opinions and perhaps other more effective solutions to avoid the initial leaking problems with the wire clamps.
Also note the the clamps that I use seem to work the opposite of those shown above, in that the screw DRAWS /
PULLS the clamp tighter rather than PUSHING the clamp tighter.
I do not know which clamp is more correct or effective, but with with the clamps I use there is not an excess of screw hanging off one side when snuggled. It startles the center section.
Tomorrow, I will post a pic of the type of clamp that I use.
Because it’s difficult to start the thread on the wire clamps, my technique is to put a pair of correct wire clamps in the center of a section of hose, positioned as you want them for the ends and NOT tightened more than enough to keep them from rolling around, and modern clamps on the ends for the initial set. If you can, allow up to 20 heating/cooling cycles before peeling off the modern clamps without disturbing the set of the hose on its mating surface and sliding the authentic clamps toward each end of the hose.
Some water pump housings have eroded surfaces that will continue to leak. The solution for this is to coat the inside of the hose’s mating surface with Indian Head gasket shellac. Do so knowing, however, that the ONLY way you will remove that hose in the future is to cut it off!
And PLEASE remove markings of the hose exterior (e.g., the Gates green stripe) with lacquer thinner before installing the hose, or at least rotate the hose section so that the marking is not obviously visible.
I use Permatex ‘Ultra-Black’ RTV gasket maker to fill and seal rusted waterpump necks, radiator hose necks etc.
The ‘Ultra-Black’ remains pliable, it will allow you to remove the radiator hose from the neck at a later date.
When purchasing the wire type hose clamps, buying the correct size is very important. The wire tends to push into the hose and as mentioned in posts above must be tightened several times to take up the tension lost to the rubber hose relaxing under the wire clamp.
So look at the diameter the clamp will be when fully tightened, it should be about the diameter of the radiator hose, MINUS the wire diameter. Or in otherwords, if the wire compressed into the hose until the wire was flush with the surface of the hose, there would still be threads remaining to tighten the clamp more.
When using ‘Ultra-Black’ as your hose/pipe sealant, wipe on a thin layer on each surface, this then acts as a lubricant when sliding the hose on the pipe or water pump neck. Thread the wire clamp on the hose first, then with the ‘Ultra-Black’ as a lubricant the new, thick hose will still slide over the pipe, even with the wire-clamp on the hose. Trying to get the screw started on the stretched-over-the-pipe new hose is difficult at best, and often a two-sets of hands operation.
I’ve found that with proper size clamps, and the Ultra-Black RTV, the hoses seal fine if the hose is not moved or pressurized [not on Pierce engines obviously] for at least 24 hours.
I’ve been able to reuse a hose several times over several years of removal/reinstallation for radiator flushing when using the ‘Ultra-Black’ RTV sealant. Wipe any excess RTV off before it sets, and it will blend in with the normally painted black pipe or waterpump neck.
Greg Long
I like to sand blast the water neck and then fill the pits with either weld or JB Weld and then sand and paint. No sealing issues and you don’t have to over tighten the clamps.