My weeping silicon hoses

[weg2727]

Hi

I have very nice red silicon hoses some are fitted to stainless steel piping with stainless clips from ACT.

But every time I look one or more of the hoses are weeping - not much but..., so out comes the screwdriver. I not sure if new hose clips might be the answer or is there some sort or pipe sealant I can use without any future problems.

Cheers guys

Stu

[Johno]

I use these ABA Spring Clips

They can be found cheaper than Demon Tweeks, but i have never used anything remotely as good.

Silicone like rubber expands and retracts when heated, and jubliee clips do not exert a uniform circular pressure. Normally after the first heat cycle you go round and nip them up, but my experience is like yours that you end up going round them nipping them back up endlessly if they are jubilee's.

With these, do em up tight, go through the first heat cycle, nip em up again, and generally forget about them . . .

Edited by Johno on Tuesday 25th March 09:51

[Stu R]

Johno said:

I use these ABA Spring Clips

They can be found cheaper than Demon Tweeks, but i have never used anything remotely as good.

skip them and go straight to mikalor clamps imo

[Johno]

It i a decent alternative, but I find I catch on them every time I go into the engine bay.

The other issue with these is that they do not protect the silicone hose itself from damage as there is no surface betweeen the tensioning band and the hose, where as with spring clips there is the stainless steel band, which is the mating surface between the 2 and expands and contracts and therefore is safer for for use.

[Stu R]

Johno said:

It i a decent alternative, but I find I catch on them every time I go into the engine bay.

The other issue with these is that they do not protect the silicone hose itself from damage as there is no surface betweeen the tensioning band and the hose, where as with spring clips there is the stainless steel band, which is the mating surface between the 2 and expands and contracts and therefore is safer for for use.

Perhaps they both have their merits and uses, with mikalors the big attraction for me is the clamping force they can apply, which on previous cars that like blowing boost hoses off saves a lot of problems, so I've replaced every hose clamp with mikalors on all of my cars in recent years.

As for protecting the hose, I'm tired and thus possibly having a thick moment so forgive me, but I can't really see why the hose would need protecting in the first place? If the clamping force is sufficient the clamp isn't going anywhere, and there should be no abrasion etc, certainly never had any probs myself with oem / silicon hoses.

Either ways they're both bloody good alternatives to regular jubilee clamps! Worth checking the hose itself too, I gather it's a coolant hose that poses the problem and not oil? as most silicone hoses tend not to like oil at all and they get ruined fast. fluoro line should be used with oil.
Pipe sealant you shouldn't really need to use if the hose is the right fit and the surface the hose is going over is sound, in which case either of the clamps mentioned should give you a lot more beef in terms of clamping pressure.

Cheers,
Stu

[Johno]

I find the ABA's protect the hose as they are 2 pieve construction. The internal rolled edge band stops any damage from the edge of the clips that apply the force, they tend not to cut into the hose as normal jubilees or other clips may.

Indeed the Mikalor clips are deigned to apply a true circular tension, but there is no internal sleeve.

Whatever clip you use, the hose will expand and contract and over time I find the ABA clips do not damage the hose.