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I always use the factory clamps but have noticed they are different. I can't put my finger on it but I think the guage is a hair thinner. I have had leak problems in the last 2 years I have never had before. I had a lower hose blow right off the rad outlet with an NOS hose. Another problem is the hoses (all the hoses) are a thinner wall - The I.D. is right but the thinner wall thickness makes for a smaller O.D. which does not give the clamp enough meat to bite around. I put an original clamp on that lower hose and all is good. I think we have to start using clamps 1 size smaller than normal to compensate for the reduction in hose O.D. and for the (seemingly) reduced tension/guage - whatever the problem is with these new clamps. I had the heater hoses and the by-pass hose (smallblock) leak with these newer hoses/clamps. And- if I don't have NOS I use the best hoses I can get with the same issues.









I been using the repro clamp kits, original corbin clamps, NOS, or reconditioned,......newer hoses, even repro hoses are thinner, hence the clamps won't seal properly,....squeezeing the clamp to be "tighter" dosen't work, it only causes the clamp to "egg" in shape, and thus squeezes on the sides only, causing a leak,....I've found that purchaseing the clamps directly thru the manufacturers, I can purchase them in 1/16-1/8 inch increments to the sizes I really need for a tight fit,.....