The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk A bad excuse for an early GM hose clamp!

Well since I can’t work on any of the major tasks that are waiting for me because of all the incompetence we have to deal with, I figured I could do some consumer reporting today.
I’ll start off with the hose clamps. When I send the radiator out to be gone over this spring I’ll be changing the hoses and clamps. I wanted to use the original style clamps because I am trying to “Restore” this truck back to its original configuration. I ordered clamps from Jim Carter as described in their catalog, “Original flat type, very close to those used by GM”. Very disappointed when I got them, they looked like they were made out of recycled tin cans and bend up with a pair of needle nose pliers. Chromed to look like SS, but not really, the screw is Hex head/Phillips, also they were stamped 42mm. hardly what GM used in the 50’s. At two bucks each I expected more.
Then I tried again with Dave Mihalko at Restoration Specialties in Windber, PA.
Now these look exactly like the original ones that GM used. Heavier by more than 25% and wider by more than 25%, Zinc plated to look like Cadmium and they have a slotted round head machine screw. The nut is captured as the original ones were where on Carters they are not, this is more clear in the picture. This is a good reproduction of the original GM hose clamps. And before I forget, $5.00 for the four clamp set, (upper and lower). I also ordered the heater hose clamps and they are of equal quality. Top notch product!!!
Hose Clamp Comparison picture; http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2918099810098611668VewHtn

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

What a difference and cheaper. Good to know Denny. Thanks

Way to go Denny! Your effort and info is much appreciated.

The more junk we get from these dealers the more we should let them know. If they are wise and I am sure most are, they will go back to their suppliers and hopefully set them straight. Unless our dealers know they won't wonder.

good job denny
to some that may be trivial, but if we accept less we will be getting less, no doubt.
tom

thanks for the info on the hose clamps denny. i'm about ready for the yearly flush on the cooling system and have a new hose to put on at that same time. always wanted the original style clamps as opposed to the napa knockoffs.

by the way. got the "e-bay" hub cap today. looks better than in the picture! it does have a couple of dents and a pretty noticable scratch, but it is in comparable shape to the ones already on the truck and would be easily restored if i ever decide to go that way.

Cahokia Joe??? Thought I'd lived in old Illini long enough that I knew them all! I’m gonna suggest we call that “least expensive” instead of cheaper, cuz it sure taint the cheaper of the two, quality wise.
Your right Gomer, it is one of those trivial little details, unless your a perfectionist. It’s a disease you know, that perfectionism. But when it’s all done and all those little details are attended to, it show do look nice don’t it! I do not have any aspirations of entering my truck for VCCA judging, it’s just that any work that I do I want it to be undetectable a few years down the road, other than it is still working properly and looks original to the truck.
Speaking of cooling system and originality, one of the vendors listed the lower hose as original with the GM logo printed on it, now that’s trivial. I can remember seeing hoses with GM stamped on them when I was a Chevy parts man half a century ago. Most of the suppliers stamped their hoses with their trade mark, such as Gates, etc. I don’t remember which catalog I saw it in, I hope it wasn’t my imagination playing tricks on me again.
Also, does anyone remember seeing a coiled wire support in the hose and on what vehicles used them???
Glad to here ya dint get ripped off on the hub cap p.j. I sure wish someone would get on the stick and start re-production of the 3/4 ton caps again.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

i have pulled that coiled spring from a lower hose on a 67 c-10 and a 69ss camaro, both v-8s of course.
it's only trival if you don't care that much
tom

Lower hose from 61 c60 with 261 engine has a spring.

Hobert

I just replaced the stock lower hose on my 62 C-10 a couple of years ago. It had the coiled wire support. The replacement from NAPA doesn't. So far no problems, but I would like to find one like the original.

The lower hose in my '53 has the coiled spring.
Seems to me it's in to good of shape to be original though.

-shrug-