Dodgy standard hose clamp caused coolant leak

[StuartWags]

Anyone seen this before?

Did a valve repair on a failed CCT bike that i have been running this summer. However, when it got up to temperature and pressure the cooling system leaked and sprayed coolant mist over my left foot... By the time i had stopped and got the tank and fairing off, any tell tail moisture had dried up.

Obviously all the connections and hose clip tensions got checked in the process... many times.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I finally tracked it down to a hose clamp that jammed before it gave full tension on the hose.

Thought, i was smart when i finally nailed this one. Rebuilt it and test rode it, leaked again. In all i found three clamps that where jamming up. Repair one and it would sprout a leak from the next weak link. Some of these i had not touched in the rebuild.

What i did learn is if the clamp suddenly goes stiff when being torqued up, it had jammed. They would also jam when not on the hose. When they got progressively stiffer during torquing up, then they were clamping.

[sirch345]

I've not come across this exact problem before, but good to know about it just in case,

Cheers,

Chris.

[Kev L]

Something similar happened to me when I first bought mine -

http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... me#p156852

Similar problem to yours, solved by visiting each clamp and tightening them.

[StuartWags]

i took 3 off and replaced them

[lloydie]

Yep I've had that too a few times and new clamps sorts it

[sirch345]

Does this happen because the clamps are made from stainless steel, and the thread picked-up

Chris.

[StuartWags]

It is difficult to say but i think it is a combination of 2 things. One the thread picked up and the other the subsequent twisting. They did come to a hard and sudden stop.

[lloydie]

It's the twisting and over use that fecks them up .
As all parts they ware out .
I've only had them go after refitting a few times and replaced them with a good quality jubilee clip in stainless steel

[sirch345]

Cheers Stuart and Lloydie for the info Now you mention it I do remember that type of hose clamp twisting when tightening them up.

Chris.