I don't believe the hose choice is the issue, it's matching the clamps with the hose. You basically have to be bring the 2 together to make the right choice.

The other day I returned 3/8" and 5/8" oetiker clamps (bought separate from the hose) because they don't fit the new hose. 3/8" clamp is too small and the 5/8" clamp is too large. The 5/8" clamp may have fit the old hose. The constant tension band that seems to fit best on the new (3/8") hose is a 5/8" band which doesn't fit the old (3/8") hose. For the oetiker clamp I'm now left with a metric set which seems to contain 2 different sizes that would fit although I believe the smaller size is not going to fit once the hose wraps around the pipe.

 

Have you looked at your wrench or socket set? What about 7/16, 1/2, 9/16? I wouldn’t have selected that type of clamp. How are you going to squeeze it together so it won’t leak? You’re making this a lot harder than it should be. Get the person at the parts store to select the worm drive or fuel pressure style clamp for you that goes with that hose.

 

Appreciate your concern. I see pros and cons with each type of clamp. Back in 2018 I had a transmission fluid leak on my car. Found the leaking area which had worm drive clamps (2 on each hose end). Tightened those but it continued to leak and I didn't want to or couldn't tighten them even more. Looked up the part and the clamp should have been a factory constant tension band which I bought. Here I've installed one of the constant tension bands:


Whoever installed the worm drive clamps couldn't stop it from leaking even with 2 worm drive clamps on each hose end. Granted the factory constant tension band should be and is a perfect fit. The hose in the picture is 3/8" (9.5mm) ID and is basically the same hose I'm using for the PS pump on the truck. I should just be using that factory constant tension band for the PS return hose on the truck. It's not the same as the constant tension band I showed previously which is currently installed on the PS return hose.

A worm drive clamp provides more freedom when matching the clamp with the hose. Which means you'll spend more time searching for an oetiker or constant tension band to match with a hose, as I'm experiencing. I'll use a worm drive as a last resort or even as a first resort when it comes to radiator hoses. But I have reason not to use worm drive clamps unless I have no other option.

 

im really confused. you DO NOT want to use them first line for rad hoses, infact, your truck if it is a 94 or 95, or maybe 95/96 has a TSB for using the proper clamps on the hoses. Because ford changedfrom the dual wire clamp somewhere in there to constant tension clamps that were not holding their tension very constant(not the clamps fault, the engineering had unforseen events) and basically ford went to a different collar on the engine/radiator and use "mega" constant tension clamps which had more surface area and were wider so they were harder to put on sideways. then the procedure had the tech make sure to place it in the proper spot and perpendicular to the hose joint. I believe it said trucks before or not in its list are to use their factory type, which some were worm. youll notice radiator worm clamps have less openings, are wider, and have larger area between each opening, and a larger screw with larger threads, usually a rather course or tall thread, so it would fit the larger middle sections better.
Ive seen worm clamps of all types on radiator. I also wouldnt recommend them based on that. I would recommend a band clamp that has a t bolt or whatever that is not constant tension BUT just dont ruin the threads, dab of low or medium thread locker to keep it from loosening, and you may just need to adjust(from compression of the rubber) once to keep it good. The whole point is even force around the entire sealing surface makes the hose and joint much better and able to perform over time and weather.

Your clamp situation.

Go buy a foot of 3/8 hose, nice and new, so it says 3/8 on it. Then in the Dorman HELP! section of the auto store, buy a 3/8 barb fitting. anykind. they have them that thread into gears or radiators etc, they are just smooth line with a flare on the one end. Then go buy the HF kit I mentioned with a variety in a large pack of gold looking clamps. I do not recommend using them for this, but it would prob work at least for a while.
Then take one of the many in the 3/8 slot of the box, open it with pliers, slide over the hose, then release. Tight, right? then slide your 3/8 hose onto a 3/8 barb fitting without the clamp on,so that the hose pushes over and past the barb by an inch or two, put a 3/8 clamp in your pliers(lineman work good for this), then run it over the hose length until you hit where the barb is. PASS the barb so that it isnt resting on it, but slightly behind it. release pliers.

NOW TRY AND PULL THE HOSE OFF! It wont, the clamp holds it down beyond the flare because the force needed to open the clamp is a fair amount, and the direction the force of the fluid trying to push off the hose is applying it in the completely inefficient direction, and the clamp has good static friction with the hose under it, which retains it in the spot, seals the perimeter of the clean, non porous connection, and it has equal amounts of pressure around the perimeter rather than pinch in one spot or the wrong size clamp.


Also i made a diagram of your subaru situation. this can help show what i was talking about. see th circles? That appears to be the spot where the flare which i have an arrow on was sitting on both the hoses. just based on the ridge of the old rubber. it looks like a lot, but there appears to be a lot of area BEFORE the flare that is intended to keep the hose from entering a bind/pinch by keeping the hose straight for a small section before it routes to where it goes on the right. See the top hose? It has a sharp upward angle, and the bottom is also a little sharp. The hoses would be less likely to kink if they were further on the hard line and the hose wasnt tight, it had some slack to keep it structural and not induce an early failure of the hose wall construction by applying pulses and vibrations to a certain point and instead use the whole length as the dampner and that increases longevitiy and lowers risk of rupture which would make a mess.ruin pump or trans etc. The likely event is it would start leaking before it fails and that would be repaired without a surprise or damage.

I see what you are saying. Believe me, i was the same way, you are over thinking hardware/measurements/how the system works, really dumb people understand how it works because it was advantagous to make a system that the technical measurements, etc, were done by some nerd in a lab or engineering company, while the application and functionwas made simple by listing the functional category of the part because of the size variations. a 3/8 hose goes on a 3/8 hard line with a 3/8 clamp because when you slap them together it makes a loose fit that isnt too loose, with a 3/8 tube flare put on the end(the hard line is a 3/8 line), which when you put the 3/8 clamp on, it makes a single system that is functional and efficient and done right will work for a long time. If it is a ps/trans cooler system, it is about as simple as that. if you have different chemicals, pressures, environemnts, you may need a different system.

such a a fuel injection setup, where the hose is a different kind, the line is made for fuel injection, the flare is there again, BUt sometimes its not!! (depending on how short or what its joining, what kind of hose) and the hose will have two clamps spaced slightly apart facing different directions and those clamps are not constant tension, they are set, yes, but they have a very intentional ddesign that keeps the entire surface around the hose sealed with equal pressure and in a non-digging in way(smooth, wide) so it lasts in a situation where higher pressures that occur and can handle the pulses from the pump which may be very directly transfered to that joint or similar(hard line from pump to hose, gasolines properties, pressure)/.

But lets not worry about that. Lets get back to center, you are not going to get a single place trying to wrap your head around converting ID, OD, between systems, and trying to go by OD primarily. The OD can be different, yes, but SAE and ISO standards and general "how its done" favor the system which has ID/.OD declared for fittings and the like, which is becaue threads are at play which are much tighter tolerances, which use sealing devices or products in many ways to handle the seal part. the hose aspect where we have barbs, flares, clamps, with hose usually being the seal itself, they for the most part are gonna play it easier with the size across the parts indicating what it works with, not the specific diameters or etc. that make sense at all? A 3/8 hose barb, fits a 3/8 hose, with a 3/8 clamp, then runs to a 3/8 hard line, with a 3/8 flare(flare isnt always used on hard line joint, compression fittings etc also exist, but lets not make it more confusing), with a 3/8 clamp and bam you have most power steering return circuits to the pump in a lot of cars.

Doesnt matter if the 3/8 clamp is a barrel crimp or a whatever clamp that the other guy recommended(wich i believe need a tool that pulls it tight and locks it), a simple clamp past a flare, a double opposed clamp on a tough exterior, tight fitting hose that minimizes possibility of it coming off, or any number... it all generally is going to be in standard sizing, with no shortage of quirky things like 15/32, yeah, they are that insane. 5/16 is a common hose size other than 3/8 for ps/return. both of those can be found for vacuum applications, which often dont have clamps becase of the nature of vacuum and construction of the hose, BUT They can still can have clamps and many people find tht this is a good idea. Look at your booster hose, i bet it has a constant tension on both ends. or they will have a right angle boot that is tight fit, but once over it grips the connection and tubing well.

SO YES, your 3/8 SUBARU clamps would suffice for your Ford, however it is my observation that the original ones either failed or the PO like you said replaced them, lost them. If they failed, I would use a different manufacturer. if they are quality, then they would work just fine.

Factory ford constant tensions, in my opinion, from this era, are not as high quality as GM but better than chrysler. GM loves constant tension and has for a long time, if you go to a junkyard, you could find many of them, although 3/8 size ones would be limited to the pump returns most likely. they have an even bigger hard on of those damn crimps that suck.... the one that grabs the hose and wraps around to the hard line. its quicker to manufacture those is why. You can fix those if they leak by carefully cutting the barrel and doig what i said way long ago. They hope you just replace the line with their pricey OE only, 2 year only, 1 model only etc hose assemblies. Anyway, my only word of caution is to be careful of where you source the clamp. Automotive stores like autozone have hardware racks with you name it options. other than dirt cheap ones, you can find nice plated, coated, wide, special use kinds that are made by good manufacturers or you can order OEM ones which usually are from things like Mcmaster carr or fastenal, which means if you are patient you can save yourself money and get them ordered online or retailer if local. The post 96 or fords really upped their game on clamps, so if you went that route it wouldnt be a waste. I only recommend a wide collar one because of the hose being old already, it will avoid leaking longer by more area being pressed. this does mean they are harder to open, but yeah.

OLD or special worm gear clamps are also valid, i say old because they used to be made quality, wide, and not dig so bad but the HF and rest of the china ones just break under their own claimed operating conditions lol

 

If you're going to use worm gear style clamps, there's nothing wrong with them. I would just advise, that when you're getting them from FLAPS, you tell the counter guy that you want *lined* clamps, not the cheap **** unlined ones that are in the little packages out on the sales floor. At the very least, I know that NAPA and O'Reilly have them in the back, in their bulk supplies. What is the difference between a Lined, and an Unlined clamp, you ask?

Lined Hose Clamp:
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/im.../3613-2015.JPG

Note how the crimp and whatnot from the aduster isn't exposed to the hose it's going to be wrapped around.

Unlined Hose Clamp:
https://www.hanessupply.com/media/ca...gear-clamp.jpg

This is your basic unlined hose clamp, that is going to tear up the hose when you tighten it down enough to stop leaks. Fine for temporary repairs, but I wouldn't use them on anything you like or care about.

Now in the case of something like Radiator Hoses, I prefer to use Constant Torque, or T-Bolt clamps.

Constant Torque:
https://cdn.mishimoto.com/media/cata...WG-117_2_5.png

T-Bolt Clamp:
https://static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/...ei=536&wid=536

Unfortunately, while I prefer T-bolt clamps, in general, just due to the way they're constructed, they aren't available in sizes under about 1-1/2" in most cases. But your FLAPS should be able to source either of them, or have them in the back, you just have to ask for them. If they bring you out any kind of unlined clamp, Just tell them to try again, it's entirely possible the kid you're talking to doesn't know any better.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll follow up with details once I get over today's events. Briefly, I replaced the hose on the PS pump. I actually used the original clamp on the pump side (thanks @My4Fordtrucks ) and an oetiker clamp on the lower end. Needed to get some fluids and burn some fuel because I wanted to add Techron for a bit of fuel (injector) cleaning. Drove about 35 miles and the engine started to die. Was able to start but bad idle and it quickly died, after which I couldn't start it again. Probably more the fuel injectors than the pump, we'll see. Waited 4,5 hours for aaa tow truck when things started to go bad.

We're on an incline in the mountains with the front facing uphill, and the tow driver starts to winch my truck on his bed. My truck is almost all the way on his bed when the winch (clutch?) suddenly releases and I see my truck rolling backwards of the bed and on the road until the end of the winch cable at which point the winch cable snaps free and the truck continues to roll backwards. I'm like a deer caught in the headlights or else watching a train wreck in slow motion. Tow truck driver sprints after the truck, manages to get in the cabin and hit the brakes. Truck rolled against a guard rail and stopped. Remarkably, no body damage. Seems just the front bumper was knocked out of place and the rear bumper was scratched. Nobody got hurt and the damage seems minimal.

 

Could have been worse.

 

Looks like my high pressure fuel pump failed. Less than a year old and less than 100 miles. Only getting around 9psi on the rails. Not hearing the fuel pump following key on, although I do hear the in-tank pump. Voltage to the pump seems to be good. Wasn't expecting this to have failed (so soon). Lifetime replacement warranty on this NAPA branded pump, but I don't see myself replacing it with the same 'brand', so I'm probably out the 100 or so dollars I paid for this.

As far as the power steering pump; I replaced the return hose which was really hard and brittle, especially on the lower end. Seems to me it really wouldn't matter which type of clamp was being used. I used the clamp that was on the old hose for the new hose. Also noticed a leak on the transmission fluid lines. Pipes coming from the transmission switch to a hose under the radiator. Initially wasn't sure whether the leak there was coming from the PS pump, but from the way the fluid is spreading it became clear it can't be coming from the PS pump or hoses. Guessing I'll have to drain the transmission to replace that hose.

On the bright side, I'm not seeing any leaks coming from the PS pump or hose.

 

My experience has been that napa should give you a refund and allow you to upgrade your pump to a better more expensive pump. It is better for them too. You will also get a new warranty whereas your warranty is used up on the old one.

 

Thanks, that's good to know. Looking online, it seems there's only 1 in-line (high pressure) pump listed for my vehicle, which is probably why they could only offer to replace it for the same.

 

Where is this hose located? I dont know what year your truck is but it most likely has metal lines from the radiator to the transmission unless your truck has a cooler that plumbs into the fluid circuit, which would likely have rubber. or was repaired at one point.

Buttt on your original thing, yeah sometimes the hose is just not good anymore and stiff, i do think your hose could have been fixed with snipping off the very end, BUT i do think using a new quality short length of hose will do just fine. @SFaulken thank you sfaulken for showing us the lined clamps, I have never seen those before but they will defiitely join the hardware selection in my shop lol. Infact, the perfect use for them I can see right now is the 25 gallon sprayer I have for weed spraying. The original are of course the ones that dig in and then loose their clamping because they just sink into the rubber and make it weak lol. I would prefer these over constant tension becuase I can just keep a small screwdrive and the surface area on a small clamp would be greater(small constant tension clamps usually have a good 1/4 of the band exposed, which makes all but the best bend and lose their spring). SInce the thing moves 2.1 gpm and some high pressure, It will prob do the trick. So would fuel injection clamps, but the surface area again is where that will be nice
@op, did you run your tank low on gas or did you do something like have a small amount of gas in tank and then added your cleaner? if you exeperienced pump issues after running low, i would be concerned you ran it too low and the pump burned out. but you have more than one fuel pump. I dont know how that setup works, but if the fuel filter is before the high pressure one on the frame rail(presuming that is where it is), running the tank low may have kicked up some debris and sent it towards that pump that was living at the bottom of the tank. I could be wrong here, I am not familiar with the setup, but you would be amazed what can be at the bottom of a fuel tank lol

 

1988

Fuel filter is after the high pressure pump. Could also be separate fuel filters in the tanks. Tanks are and have always been fairly full, and I'm more worried that the gas is getting old. Before this trip where I got stranded I had a 20 mile haul, stopped midway at the gas station and it took 1.7 gallons to fill it up.

 

it appears my theory of trans cooler is correct and it also looks like someone put a hose in place of original hard line. not a bad thing, just make sure the hose is a trans cooler rated hose and not oil or gas rated. and those clamps... haha been there LOL

I would jack the truck up in front a lot, so the line is no longer below trans,deflate the tires in rear in conjunction if you have to, use creative means, remove hose, clean the lines around the ends, if there is no flare, put a flare on both sides. it may have them. then put the hose if its good back on or a new length, then put two of those clamps with liner or fuel injection or constant tension etc. something that wont bite into the rubber but would apply force. its not rocket surgery fortunately being a cooler loop line. Especially since its inline two hard lines, that helps hold it in place. wantng to push off one side forces it against the other and two good clamps just makes it seal. looks like rusty lines caused it to leak or somethign

Then being where its at, even tho low it definitely had potential to get slung wherever from road wind and the fan. gets in that air stream and bam its going where it wants it to lol.

 

I've come across after market wiring for trailer brakes so I guess a previous owner did some towing, which would be in line with having had some kind of trans cooler.

Good idea. The tow truck couldn't park my truck in its usual spot in my driveway which is on an incline. The truck usually faces uphill but is now facing downhill, so I'll have to get the fuel pump back in business before I can turn the truck around. Together with the tow truck driver we had a really hard time pushing the truck up the incline. Had to repeatedly rock the truck to get some kind of momentum and then push it up 4 inches or so, then repeat for the next 4 inches and so on. I'll have to weigh draining and filling the transmission vs jacking up the truck on this somewhat modest but clearly present incline.

 

never a bad time for a fluid and filter change in that case