Replacing Pipe Clips after catastrophic failure while driving

[bus_ter]

Recently while driving one of the pipes came off my radiator. This dumped out my coolant and quickly overheated the engine. Left stranded I had to call the AA. Turns out one of the metal clips (I don't know if they have a correct name, but they sort of spring on) that attached the pipe to the radiator had completely corroded through and failed. The pipe has since been replaced and attached with a jubilee/hose clamp.

A quick look under the car shows lots of these clips attaching various pipes including Fuel and Coolant attachments.

I have to admit I've lost some confidence in driving the car. I'm concerned more clips will fail and cause sudden major problems leaving me stranded again.

I've never heard these clips mentioned here. Has anyone else had a failure or take note of the condition of these clips?

I'm wondering if I should buy a bag of assorted hose clamps and replace all the clips I can find?

What do others think about this? Any advice appreciated.

[culzean]

Recently while driving one of the pipes came off my radiator. This dumped out my coolant and quickly overheated the engine. Left stranded I had to call the AA. Turns out one of the metal clips (I don't know if they have a correct name, but they sort of spring on) that attached the pipe to the radiator had completely corroded through and failed. The pipe has since been replaced and attached with a jubilee/hose clamp.

A quick look under the car shows lots of these clips attaching various pipes including Fuel and Coolant attachments.

I have to admit I've lost some confidence in driving the car. I'm concerned more clips will fail and cause sudden major problems leaving me stranded again.

I've never heard these clips mentioned here. Has anyone else had a failure or take note of the condition of these clips?

I'm wondering if I should buy a bag of assorted hose clamps and replace all the clips I can find?

What do others think about this? Any advice appreciated.

It just seems to be the clip on bottom radiator hose that gets most corrosion, due to its low down position it gets salt and water on it.  When I am in the area ( changing oil filter etc and need to get undertray off ).    I spray some wax (Tectane PW697 - rubber and plastic friendly, dries like plasticine ),  or even ACF50  http://www.acf-50.co.uk/   ( also use it on motorbike electrics, rubber and plastic friendly and able to creep into very small gaps, use it to keep electrical plugs contacts from corroding, does not interfere with flow of electrickery ) or even just good old GT85 - depends what is to hand.  Often thought about fitting a stainless hose clip over the top of existing clamp.  I think the idea of the 'circular spring' type clip is that you get an even, pre-determined  pressure on the hose, and also they can allow for a bit of expansion and contraction of the radiator spigot.  Modern radiator hoses just last too long, I can remember split or pinhole leaking hoses,  so the hose had to be replaced long before the clips would have failed,  in fact modern hoses will last longer than most older cars ever would have done.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/InduSKY-Adjustable-Assortment-Automotive-Applications/dp/B093C23ZKM/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=stainless%2Bsteel%2Bhose%2Bclips&qid=1627299978&sr=8-11&th=1

[bus_ter]

Yes indeed that was the clip that failed. It gives me some confidence knowing that the other clips probably aren't too bad, and probably not likely to fail on my next drive out.

I would stress to anyone to check the condition of this clip. If (or when!) it fails you have mere seconds until the engine overheats as the coolant ejects out very quickly.

[culzean]

Yes indeed that was the clip that failed. It gives me some confidence knowing that the other clips probably aren't too bad, and probably not likely to fail on my next drive out.

I would stress to anyone to check the condition of this clip. If (or when!) it fails you have mere seconds until the engine overheats as the coolant ejects out very quickly.

That is a 30mm ( ? ) bore hose, yes that will empty the <6 litres of coolant out very quick, and being the lowest point of cooling system will empty every last drop out.

[fashionphotography]

its not unusual . i had an old subaru forester once. although the pipe never blew off i noticed a slight coolant leak  for a few days then i noticed a drip from underneath.. and there it was . bottom hose clip completely rusted through just hanging there.. i was lucky. replace that with a new jubilee clip fixed!!

[Rory]

Someone mentioned it in 2010 on a 2003 car - so only 7yrs old at the time.

It's in the mk2 Jazz sub-forum though: https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=1242.msg4496#msg4496

[culzean]

Someone mentioned it in 2010 on a 2003 car - so only 7yrs old at the time.

It's in the mk2 Jazz sub-forum though: https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=1242.msg4496#msg4496

Yeah,  surface rust after 7 years,  at that age there would be surface rust on many bits of the underneath of car,  including suspension and brake bits. Hose clip on  Bus_ter car (2006 ) took 15 years to fail, most exhausts  never make it that far ( although at least they do not corrode from the inside now thanks to CAT making the condensation inside exhaust a lot less acidic ).   I think ACF50 is the real answer,  people use it on steel and aluminium bits on motorbikes through winter and get it off in spring with white spirit I believe,  apparently it seeps into the pores of the steel.... and it is guaranteed not to affect plastics and rubber.

There is a big question mark over WD40 and rubber,  WD is hydrocarbon based and will affect rubber,  but whether coolant hoses are made from rubber or polymer these days I don't know, they seem to last a hell of a lot longer than hoses used to.

[embee]

Leaded fuel was the real culprit in rotting exhausts. Halogen compounds were added to "scavenge" the lead out of the combustion chamber as volatile compounds, preventing it being deposited on valves and seats etc. The halogen compounds also formed acids (hydrochloric or hydrobromic etc) in the exhaust gas which rotted them very quickly. The white deposits in the tailpipe once thought to indicate nice "clean" running were actually lead halide compounds, remove the lead and thus the scavengers and the tailpipe no longer looked pale grey/white and people thought unleaded fuel made the engine run richer. Spark plug erosion was also very high with leaded fuels.

The term "rubber" is rather misleading. Natural rubber is rarely used for automotive hoses etc. What ought to be called "elastomers" are used for flexible items, and these are referred to as "rubber" in everyday language. There are very many variants of elastomer used for different applications.
Many automotive hoses are built up of layers, the lining will be ideally suitable for the fluid carried, the outer will be more resistant to oxidation from ozone, heat, service fluid contamination, abrasion, relaxation under compression etc. Coolant hoses very often use perhaps EPDM for the liner, and stuff such as chloroprene/neoprene/ethylene acrylic etc for the outer, which is resistant to other service fluids (oils) and heat. EPDM is not suitable for oil/fuel.
Coolant hose outer covering will very probably be reasonably resistant to such products as ACF50/waxoyl etc., but not the lining.
https://www.industrialspec.com/images/files/elastomers-chemical-compatibility-chart-from-ism.pdf

[E27006]

Many reasons for the improvements in service life of car exhausts,   fuel injection being one,  the exhaust gas  of a fuel injected car  is less corrosive.
The importance of the exhaust rose, from  an inexpensive length of mild-steel pipe,  cheap to replace,   changed to an expensive item including a catalytic convertor, the car makers had to improve the life of the components, stainless-steel?
 My brand new 1981 Ford Cortina exhaust was replaced due to rust and rot at 9 months, (it actually dropped off the car).
The exhausts on my Austin Metro would last for three years, cost £75 all-in.
 Few owners could afford to swap a modern exhaust on a modern car every three years.
Today the issue is not rust, it is theft of the catalytic convertor , as many on the forum will testify

[embee]

.... the progressive lowering of permitted sulphur levels in fuels has helped a lot too in minimising the problems of acidity (and acid rain etc). I think the permitted levels really dropped since around 2000 from what I can remember.
Last I had much to do with exhaust emissions first hand was around 1991 when "rotten egg" smell from cat exhausts was quite a big problem (H2S and SO2 depending on whether the transition was rich or lean going). You hardly ever notice any bad egg smell (from cars anyway ... ) these days.