Radiator hose clamps

[tsuter01]

Can anyone tell me how to loosen those steel radiator hose clamps? They don't have any unscrew mechanism like the air ducts hose clamps that can simply be tightened and loosened with a screw driver. What's the trick?

 

[transmissionguy]

they arent the kind you squeeze with pliers are they? do they have 2 ears on them ?

 

[tsuter01]

There's 2 hinges I guess you'd call them. One is perpendicualr to the clamp, and the other one is a few centimeters away and runs parallel to the clamp.

 

[transmissionguy]

do they look like they could be squeezed together to make the clamp bigger? im trying to but cant picture it in my head

 

[tsuter01]

It looks like you'd squeeze them together to get the clamp off.

 

[transmissionguy]

try to squeeze them together with some slip joint pliers , and slide the clamp if you can get to it

 

[Rhett]

You can use regular pliers too.

I would replace those clamps with aircraft-style clamps (the ones with screws) as soon as possible. MAkes it much easier to remove them.