Blew a heater hose on a '98 F-150 today on route 22

Was doing a quick oil change for a regular customer and noticed a puddle under the intake manifold. Turns out the old rubber hose just gave out after I touched it, spraying coolant everywhere before I could get the motor shut off. Anyone have a good trick for getting those stuck spring clamps off without mangling them?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige33122d ago

Blew a heater hose on a '98 F-150 today on route 22" reminds me of my own run-in with a similar mess. I once cut my hand open trying to pry one of those spring clamps off with a flathead screwdriver. The trick that finally worked for me was using a pair of channel locks and squeezing the tabs together at the same time, but it still took three tries and a few choice words. Those clamps are just designed to fight you every step of the way.

violaramirez22d ago

A buddy of mine tried the same thing on his old Chevy Silverado and ended up with a nick right on his knuckle that bled forever. He finally just bought a set of the proper spring clamp pliers from Harbor Freight for like eight bucks and said it was the best money he ever spent on a tool. Now he swears by them for any coolant job, says it saves him both time and bandages.

lilya7622d agoTop Commenter

Yeah those spring clamps are pure evil. Harbor Freight pliers are totally worth it just to keep your knuckles intact.