High Quality clamps?

Not exactly sure what application you're looking at, but on my 308 I tend to go with ABA/Norma/Breeze clamps when I replace things. They aren't special though, just traditional clamps. The T-bolt looks nice, but no experience with them. When you get into specialty hose I would ask the manufacturer what they recommend. "Silicone hose" can mean a number of different things about the makeup of a hose, and any given application might vary.

 

I like to order up new shiny all 300-series stanless clamps from McMaster-Carr. Lots of options if you feel your location needs springs and whatnot.

You're wise to ask about silicone hose; it requires clamps that don't have the typical holes in the band as as to avoid extruding the hose material out through the clamp! You can really tell just by looking at the clamp, but it's also noted in the McMaster listings.

 

Thanks for that posting DanNE. I've been looking for something like this for years. They look good.

 

I've used the Norma and Breeze t-bolt clamps on my forced induction system (1.5 - 2.0 bar maximum manifold pressures). They have been great versus the standard worm-gear hose clamps. They do have an installation torque required on the nut to get a good seal without damaging the hoses. They are made from a 304L in most cases, and aren't that expensive. I found you can pick up the Norma and Breeze t-bolt clamps for about $3 each on Amazon.

I haven't ever used the constant tension clamps on these lines. Without large temperature changes like an exhaust system, I'm not sure that the constant tension is a big benefit for the cost. The most important thing is to get the right size clamp for the application!

Is this motor naturally aspirated or forced induction? I may have missed what it is you are working on.

 

DanNE,
It sounds like the t-bolt clamps would work well, although there are more experienced mechanics here than I that could tell you more.
I know that with my application I was having problems with the worm drive clamps damaging the hoses and allowing the intake to "pop off" the flange. I will admit that can be exiting (in a bad way). I haven't had a problem since switching over and torquing the nyloc nuts properly on the t-bolt clamps.

t clamp | MKIV.com This link will take you to a page that cross refernces the NAPA / Breeze part number. The page has white text on a white background, so you will have to highlight it to see it. It has been in his temporary folder for a long time now! If it isn't OK to link to another site, I'll remove it and duplicate the information here.

 

Theoretically the "Corbin" (spring) clamps are superior as they provide constant tension and don't bite into the hose. You need Corbin clamp pliers though or you will go crazy. I buy them in bags of 100 from McMaster-Carr for fuel hose and heater hose applications on my cars.

That having been said I never did try them for larger sizes.

 

The Cheney clamps that came on vintage V-12's had the advantage of not having any holes in the band (which I assume is easier on the hose because rubber isn't forced through the holes under pressure). Original Cheney's are unobtanium now, but the company still makes those clamps under the "Jubliee" brand.

I had a set of Jubilees before I was able to locate original Cheneys and they are very high quality. I don't know how Jubilees compare to the other clamps in this thread, but I think they are worth a look.

http://www.jubileeclips.co.uk/products-clips-high-torque.aspx

 

I agree the jubilee's are great!

 

I got them on eBay. The seller was "covcat" and they packaged them as a full set for Jaguar (which is pretty close to what's needed for a vintage Ferrari). This was back in 2008. It doesn't look like they have them listed now, but if you are looking for a full set it may be worthwhile to reach out to them because that was a very convenient way to buy them and they were reasonable (at the time). It's difficult to distinguish the Jubilees from Cheneys until you get up close to read the tiny engraved lettering.

Other sellers on eBay have them currently. It's important to look closely at the listing because Jubilee makes several styles (some of them are just regular hose clamps with holes). It looks like the ones without holes are available in stainless or zinc-plated from the current listings.

 

As a long time sailor, I can say this about hose clamps. Be careful when purchasing "stainless steel" clamps thinking they're going to be better than zinc plated. Often times the strap is stainless steel, but the screw component is ordinary steel. So, when the screw rusts to a certain point, the clamp fails even though the strap is just fine.

 

I use these,

STAINLESS STEEL CLAMPS FOR SILICONE VACUUM HOSE from Aircraft Spruce

the worm gear portion is not exposed to the hose side and you get less hose damage. Stainless too