Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

[Mike M.]

I purchased a nice '65 coupe recently and am trying to do a few things to get it more original. The radiator and heater hose clamps are all incorrect. Can one buy the correct clamps from a place such as Long Island Corvette or Corvette Central? Or do you need to search for nos type clamps? Same for the valve cover bolts. Thanks for any guidance as I set off trying to better the car along ncrs lines.
Mike

[Bob H.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Hi Mike

You can buy correct looking clamps from most any vendor. As I recall, original clamps were actually date coded (prior to assembly) and can be purchasedat some vendors. If you just want the "look" then you can usually buy the clamps in a package to cover all hoses. If the hoses don't have the correct markings, it would be the time to change them as well.

Bob

[Larry M.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Mike:

Be selective where you buy the Wittek clamps. Many today are reproductions that do not hold up and result in either clamp breakage and/or leaks under pressure. This company went out of business many years ago, and the supply of original OEM clamps is becoming scarce.

Perhaps a few of the guys on this forum can recommend a current source of good quality clamps that has worked for them. I bought mine about 15 years ago from Paragon.....and they have held up well. DR REBUILD also had a very large supply of original clamps a few years back.

Most of these OEM clamps are not dated, but some folks have found a source for getting this done. It's probably overkill at this point. The main thing is that the clamps work and do not create additional operational problems (leaks).

Let's see what others say.....

Larry

[D S.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Aren't the upper and lower radiator hoses side screw stainless Sure-Tites and heater hoses Wittek tower clamps dated by quarter/year?

[Larry M.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Aren't the upper and lower radiator hoses side screw stainless Sure-Tites and heater hoses Wittek tower clamps dated by quarter/year?

Radiator hoses are Wittek tower clamps. Others are a mixture of configurations including tower, wire, and side screw. Wittek had MANY styles and sizes. Corbin wire clamps were used on most of the heater hose connections.

Check your AIM and Judging Manual.

Larry

[D S.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Radiator hoses are Wittek tower clamps. Others are a mixture of configurations including tower, wire, and side screw. Wittek had MANY styles and sizes. Corbin wire clamps were used on most of the heater hose connections.

Check your AIM and Judging Manual.

Larry

Thanks. Larry. I own a '70 and am trying to learn more about what is correct for the C-2s.

[Harry S.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Take a look at.........

Their rep. at the National in Novi said they were OEM Wittek parts they bought from Wittek as they were going out of business?

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~dyndetail~Z5Z5Z50000050b~Z5Z5Z53192~P0.00~~~~S3A30PJPJ575679611619c~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000050B

[Domenic T.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

I mentioned this before but it is worth mentioning again.

I was looking for old clamps for my cars to throw in the cad plate box I was getting ready to do when I remembered that I had a box of old style dated clamps somewhere in the shop.

I found about 60 or so that I removed from aircraft engines so I could upgrade them to SS worm clamps. They were the same as the clamps I removed from my 67.

I found that they were dated in sets of 12 & 8 by month & year which was the amount a 6 & 4 cylinder aircraft engines. Also almost all were arouns 2" clamps.

Some have a hex and some have a straight slot screw.

The point I was making is that some aircraft shops (small ones) may have the dates you are looking for if you live by a small airport.

Then maybe they weren't pac rats like me and threw them away.

I did find my 67 clamps but only 1 radiator and one heater were usable.

They are in Burbank CA in a cad plate shop so I can't answer many questions about them other than they were dated in sets by month & year.

DOM

[John H.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

The dated reproduction Wittek tower clamps are junk - a 75% failure rate isn't acceptable to me. Doc Rebuild still has some genuine Wittek clamps in the correct sizes for the radiator hoses - use those and don't worry about the dates; never had a leaker heater hose with any of his Corbin clamps either.

[Gerald C.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Has anyone had any of John Hinckley's luck with Dr. Rebuild by buying their clamps from LICC?

I just bought a set and I'd prefer not to put them on with a potentially high failure rate.

Thanks

[Mike M.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

I appreciate the reponses to my original qusetion. I am trying to get a feel for what/how to get this car more original. I see that Dr Rebuild has a lot of what appears to be good parts. For example-heater hoses. If I buy the correct, ribbed, logo'd water hoses for a '65 w/o a/c, 300hp, (what my car is) is that going to pass muster at a judged event? Same with Dr Rebuild's clamp set? His radiator hoses? I want to buy the right stuff and not waste my time and $. I cannot/am not going to buy nos for everything I need. Thanks for any guidance. Mike

[Terry M.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Thanks. Larry. I own a '70 and am trying to learn more about what is correct for the C-2s.

Scott,

The OP asked about 1965. Your 1970 will have different clamps. I think the 1970-72 TIM&JG is pretty good on your requirements, unless you have C60 (and that may have been updated itn eh last revision, but I would have to look to be sure). If you want to talk about your C3 application it would be best to start another thread with the C3 icon -- just to keep from confusing too many people.

On the opther hand if you are trying to learn about C2 hose clamps, it is best to stick to that topic and to specify the year and options of the car. Just as with C3s those factors (year and options) make a difference in the hose clamps used.

[Edward S.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Mike, as you already heard more than once the repro tower clamps are not to be trusted - I have a 65BB and right after NCRS judging I remove them and put on strap clamps. Twice I had the upper rad. hose clamp fail, and at my age I don't ever want to go through all that cleaning again. If I go through NCRS judging again I will put the tower clamps back on right after parking on the show floor. Good luck.

[John D.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

More than one of my customers has complained about his top radiator hose blowing off.
Combination of repro clamps(don't know whose clamps) and repro radiator cap may have caused the hose to blow off.
Antifreeze puts a number on a freshly restored FI unit. Cost the poor owner big bucks to do over again too. And it's no fun doing the same job twice because of screw ups.
When my midyears were brand new we pitched those clamps.
On the other hand my 63, the LWC has nice set of repro dated clamps from Richie of LI and so far no problems at all. And I drive it to work everyday.

[D S.]

Re: Heater Hose/Radiator Clamps

Scott,

The OP asked about 1965. Your 1970 will have different clamps. I think the 1970-72 TIM&JG is pretty good on your requirements, unless you have C60 (and that may have been updated itn eh last revision, but I would have to look to be sure). If you want to talk about your C3 application it would be best to start another thread with the C3 icon -- just to keep from confusing too many people.

On the opther hand if you are trying to learn about C2 hose clamps, it is best to stick to that topic and to specify the year and options of the car. Just as with C3s those factors (year and options) make a difference in the hose clamps used.

Thanks, Terry. I found myself locked into the C-3 mode (1968-1972) and I really need to start expanding my knowledge a bit more about the C-1s and C-2s. I have a '66 Impala SS396 that probably uses a lot of clamps that the C-2 Corvettes used.