I last had it apart 15 years ago and thought I was careful to put the clamps back clocked so that I could get at the head. Not so lucky on the outboard one. I got it a little loose but now slid to where I can't reach. Can't get it or the hose rotated or pulled out, any ideas?
Can't get to the hose clamp at the heater core
- Thread starter furious70
- Start date
I usually end up pulling the inner fender - just easier and less frustrating in the long run. Sorry.
If it is a worm style slip a plain flat screw driver between the clamp and heater case to prevent rotation. Use a small Gear Wrench to loosen to remove. If it is a wire spring type carefully cut into w/ a small cut off disk on a dremel tool about half way around. Tie back the wire harness and vac hoses and remove fender brace.
Pull the inner fender? Your not working on a Camaro! LOL
Seriously, if it slid to where you can’t reach it, then slide it to where you can reach it. It can be done, rotate the clamp so you can get on the screw. Not that hard.
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The issue is getting the hoses off to replace them if they haven't been touched in 15 years as stated, is my basic assumption. You don't want to try and pull them off without cutting them with a razor type tool rather than try to twist and pull them off since they have hardened into place after all that time and wont just slip off. Those outlets are made of copper/brass and they can bend or crack pretty easily if not careful. That is why I just prefer accessing everything at once and taking care of things properly rather than struggle and end up regretting it. Just my experience over many years on fuselage cars at least.
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Pulling the fender isn't exactly flat-rate... cutting the old hose off certainly is though...
I hate this tool, except for the days when I love it...
Can you get at the clamp with a 5/16 socket and 1/4" Ratchet? Combine with an extension with U-joint?
If the clamp isn't clocked for direct access with a screwdriver, nut driver, or similar, but you can get it partially loose, and the clamp is "attached" to the hose. Then you can usually put a screwdriver under the loosened area of the clamp to further break it loose from the hose, so you can continue to place it so it can be removed.
With the wire clamp, it probably has less tension against the hose than a worm-drive clamp might. If you can wiggle the hose/clamp to turn it, that's half the battle so that with the other end of the hose loose, you can rotate the whole hose to get at the clamp better.
With clamps removed, best to try to rotate the hose to break it loose. Using a flat screwdriver to push it outward from the firewall can sometimes, work too, if there's enough space for the correct tool to do it.
Otherwise, just slit the hose with a sharp knife blade to remove it. At which time a flat blade screwdriver might be needed to widen the slit.
To me, better ways to get there than fender well removal, except when necessary (thinking Fuselage Cars rather than Slabs). Sometimes, thinking like a dealership flat rate mechanic can be beneficial to expediting repairs. Time = money, even if it's your own. Additionally, for us, time can equal stress relief, as we re-focus on something we like.
CBODY67
With the wire clamp, it probably has less tension against the hose than a worm-drive clamp might. If you can wiggle the hose/clamp to turn it, that's half the battle so that with the other end of the hose loose, you can rotate the whole hose to get at the clamp better.
With clamps removed, best to try to rotate the hose to break it loose. Using a flat screwdriver to push it outward from the firewall can sometimes, work too, if there's enough space for the correct tool to do it.
Otherwise, just slit the hose with a sharp knife blade to remove it. At which time a flat blade screwdriver might be needed to widen the slit.
To me, better ways to get there than fender well removal, except when necessary (thinking Fuselage Cars rather than Slabs). Sometimes, thinking like a dealership flat rate mechanic can be beneficial to expediting repairs. Time = money, even if it's your own. Additionally, for us, time can equal stress relief, as we re-focus on something we like.
CBODY67
Yup trying all the tools
Pulling the fender on my 70 300 was a 20 minute job. Just sayin'.
And yes, taking an Xacto KNIFE to slit the hose once the clamp is off is......imperative to not ruining your heater core if the hoses are stuck. When putting it back together, a very thin film of silicone grease on the nipples will make it easier 15 years from now.
And yes, taking an Xacto KNIFE to slit the hose once the clamp is off is......imperative to not ruining your heater core if the hoses are stuck. When putting it back together, a very thin film of silicone grease on the nipples will make it easier 15 years from now.
One, the main, reason I put a thin skin of high-heat black silicone on ALL of the soft (engine, etc) gaskets I replace is how much easier removal and cleanup will be later on. NO scraping of "yellow snot" . . . been there, done that,
CBODY67
CBODY67
Yellow snot....we called it "birdshit". I quit using it for anything in about 1974.
I want to emphasize that I was referring to silicone GREASE for any cooling system nipples (including rad, water pump, heater valve, etc), not gasket sealant.
I just changed to new AMD repop valve covers, using Fel Pro 50145R rubber-coated fiber core gaskets with NO sealant. 70 inch pounds, and a retorque after some run time. Bone dry. Nice!
I want to emphasize that I was referring to silicone GREASE for any cooling system nipples (including rad, water pump, heater valve, etc), not gasket sealant.
I just changed to new AMD repop valve covers, using Fel Pro 50145R rubber-coated fiber core gaskets with NO sealant. 70 inch pounds, and a retorque after some run time. Bone dry. Nice!
No inners would help, thought about that when I put the turbos on, but I get caught in the rain sometimes. I have been thinking about r&r on the blower motor cuz even driving it off a relay it doesn't have great speed
I just replaced mine (and rebuilt the HVAC box, which is why I had the fenderwell out). New motor is powerful and quiet. Mounting is a little different from OEM, but no biggy. I had to file the flat on new motor's shaft so that the wheel could be slid closer to the motor, so that it wouldn't hit the bellmouth inside the recirc housing. For my 300, the shaft needs to protrude exactly 1/2 inch beyond the wheel's hub.
$60 at Rocky.
I have noticed that these old original blower motors tend to draw increasing current as they age and slow down, also burning out the blower motor switches increasingly and leads to the wiring insulation under the dash melting too. I replace the motors with new aftermarket ones to minimize these problems.
"Hose clamp tool"...AFAIK... made by Mayhew... it'll pop on a google search.
Fragile cable assembly is sold as a replacement and the newer ones are set up for a quick replacement, I wonder if that means mine is obsolete? This is one of those tools you buy to solve a specific problem you're working on, you love it when it does that job... but hate it when you pay for it and every time you look at the additional space it takes in the drawer. Then another huge PITA job comes up and you love it for another moment.
MrMoparCHP
Old Man with a Hat
I found them very easy to get to from under the car.
Alan
Alan
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