getting ready to tackle my water pump in the next couple of days. Are the hose clamps in the picture one time use? if not, what is the proper way to remove without damage.

thank you.

 

There is a special hose spring clamp plier tool available at Sears and most auto parts stores. You can also use a pair of channel locks. I replaced those years ago with some SS worm clamps. Good luck with your project.

 

Do yourself a favor and buy some of these. They aren't expensive and will save your hands/fingers when dealing with the OEM clamps. I prefer the OEM just to look stock but I realize the good quality SS are fine too.

 

thank you. so with the special tool, they are reusable?

 

Yes, the clamp is reusable as long as you don't damage it during removal. Given the age though there's some chance it may not be as tight as new so that may create leak. If that happens, just replace it with a NORMA worm type hose clamp (OEM) of the proper size.

 

Yes if they still hold plenty of tension, but many prefer to replace them.

 

That clamp is still in good shape. If you don't bend it, it will be reusable. They are meant to be reusable. Having the proper tool is nice but a pair of adjustable pliers will work too but it can slip if you are not careful.

 

Which can be quite painful.

 

I would buy the tools suggested above and also replace the clamps with the screw type ones which you can get from Pelican Parts. It will make removing the clamps a breeze the next time.

 

Personally I would keep the OEM clamps just for looks. You can clean them, hit them with 400 grit sandpaper, and paint with non-gloss Ford gray used on medium duty truck wheels to make them look factory. I have the paint code if you need it.

 

KrazyK, If you went as far as to detail the hose clamps by sanding and painting them I wish I could of seen the engine when it was done. I'm pretty new to this forum and get the impression that you built or rebuilt a nice car but never drove it and then sold it. My hunch is it was a super nice car so why did you get rid of it? One time I had a 275 GTB4 Ferrari that I drove from New Jersey to Los Angeles where I lived. I then used to drive it all over SoCal. They were not worth all that much back then as the Daytona's were the hot model at the time. I loved driving the 275 but eventually I decided to have it restored. I offered a guy from the Ferrari dealership who was a fanatic to work for me full time at a price he couldn't refuse. It took a little over a year for him to finish the car working in my shop every day. I bought a new Boxer 512 to drive as it looked to me that the 275 would never get done. When it was finally finished it was to nice to drive and I had taken most of the fun out of owning it. I sold it and was lucky because at the time I sold it the 275 prices were skyrocketing and I had one of the nicest in the country. I still like super clean cars and bikes but I'll never let one get one to nice to drive again. The thing about the 996 is that no matter how nice it is it still is a cheap car, the most fun comes from driving it as it drives like an expensive one.

 

Here's an alternative idea.
Substituting worm drive hose clamps for the OEM spring clamps is questionable imho. If you want an upgrade that is easy to remove with conventional tools, consider a "constant torque" clamp that incorporates belville washers(odd compression spring) +hex head . Get the stainless steel and they will outlast the car. They tend to be bulky.
http://www.hoseclampkings.com/Cat-49...0-ss-screw.htm

 

Actually Porsche start to use the worm drive (Norma) clamps in their latest parts databse. Check out parts 2, 20, 21 and 30 for examples.

http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-p...section=105-05

 

JD, I really do enjoy restoring/rebuilding vehicles from Jeeps, Broncos, to Diesel pickups. (was joking about painting them but I did obsess about finding the wheel paint) Only problem is I sometimes get OCD to a degree that it makes them hard to finish with any profit.

About the hose clamps; There is a special titanium clamp used in the nuclear reactor industry/heat exchanger application which have a 0% failure rate by necessity. I can probably source some for your car but there is a lengthy wait and high cost involved. They were developed to prevent incidents such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Tokaimura. Just let me know when you need them.

 

My special tool has always been my vise grips. No need to waste money on a special tool you are going to use only a handful of times. Also the clamps will be perfectly fine to use over again.