Technical WHO was the Einstein that came up with this 'great'idea ?...

The good old simple/reusable/dependable/very affordable/and available everywhere HOSE CLAMP.
You know the ones with a 3/8" or 5/16" nut (with a screwdriver slot!!) on top...
Great for small hoses to HUGE hoses....
You know the ones...........
WHO was the Einstein that decided..."Hey...let's switch 'some' of them over to metric !
But not one of the so-called "common" size metric...noooo.. let's use the 7MM size! That way..these poor do-it-yourselfer-wanna-be-shade-tree clod mechanics will need a whole fist full of sockets/drivers/ratchets/screwdrivers to turn a simple 5 minute job in about a 1/2 hour ! Stomping back and forth to his tool box looking for 'just the right size tool !" YEAH.. dats a great idea !
Thank you for your attention !
6sally6

 

Bad day?

 

This started in mid 90s when
Supplier , Vendors , Companies
Moved manufacturing to offshore's

 

Tell us where you bought the clamp so the rest of us can remain pain free China bean counters at work again!

 

Never seen a 7mm standard screwdriver.

 

^^^

 

Glad I have a drawer of old hose clamps....although the ones I have for 3/8" hose are dwindling, although it can be tough finding enough with the same size socket for one car!

 

Try using a 9/32" socket..............

 

LOL!

Ben

 

Most of the world is metric. Might be time to join in.

 

I have both metric and standard sockets (and wrenches) in my box, because the stuff I work on is never just standard. All my hose clamps work with my standard 1/4" drive sockets, but if I ran across one that wasn't there sure wouldn't be a 25 minute delay because of it. Sounds like you just need more tools.

I mean... Most vehicles made in the last 30+ years are primarily metric if you work on other vehicles than just your hot rod.

 

Sounds like the perfect excuse to start a new traditional hot rod project. Tell the wife you have to build it to save your sanity.

 

7mm is very common if you work on cars less than 40 years old.

I got some clamps that had heads that were not 7mm, not an inch fraction, not a MM size. And the combination slot/phillips did not work for either. They hit the trash can pretty quick.

But seriously, folks who work on modern cars would only use a 1/4" nutdriver on hose clamps, they don't fit anything else made recently. And they'd use an 8mm on the common hose clamps that have a 5/16" hex.

 

I don't care if it's standard or metric but what gripes me is when both are on the same car. Take a Ford AOD trans. It has "Metric" embossed on the pan. WTF? But I guess it could be worse. I could still be messing around with English cars and Whitworth spanners for British Association bolts and nuts.

 

I'm a big fan of the metric clamps cuz I get 'em for pennies or even free at the local Pick-N-Pull. Next time you're there, mosey on over to the european section and grab a handful. They range from 1/4" (or metric equivalent) up to about 4". Most are made in Germany and they're much more robust than the cheap american pieces.



The german ones are louvered instead of having just stamped slots and the edges are rolled unlike the american pieces. Much better holding strength, they don't dig into rubber and they won't strip!

 

I never thought I would come across a metric bolt or nut on my Model A, then I started fixing an oil leak and transmission mount.

After crawling under the car a few times I found 2 metric bolts for the mount, 1 nut for the shift shaft.

I have come across pesky hose clamps, they occasionally get cut off and they get replaced with an IDEAL brand stainless one.

 

@squirrel had a post or answered a post about old hose clamps with a round head and slot only. Sent me down a rabbit hole......now I have a bunch .


To the O.P, it's global market and we're one of the few countries to still use the imperial system (and our own version to boot).

 

progress is bitch

 

And don't forget these monsters, with the wrong pliers, they can be frustrating !

​

 

Stop using the crappy little 1/4" hose clamps and this problem goes away because. The larger size clamps are toleranced such that both 5/16 and 8mm always work

 

Gm trucks 90 to I think 97ish
SAE threads Metric heads ,
I have been running into Metric nuts sizes with SAE threads lately Big Box Store ,,,
Most modern worm clamps are very cheap made , When I see old ones I grab Also ,

 

I save all of the old clamps that I find
most of the new clamps fail when you try to really get them tight.

it’s not the metric system that makes them junk, it’s the material and design that makes them junk.
Model A spark plugs have metric threads

 

Battery clamps too! I go to chage battery and take 1/2" wrech with me, then find newer ones use a 12 mm, just enuff smaller that will slip..

 

vise grips usually get them off, or a grinder.
I don’t have the specialist tool or patience to get them back on, so the rubbish bin is usually the next stop for them !

 

Most spark plug threads since the early 1900's are metric.

Here's an interesting read that explains a bit of why that is. https://www.wiseautotools.com/blog/...g-sizes-and-the-influence-of-albert-champion/

 

The older I get , the more I hate change !!!

 

Here in Canada we tend to use both despite not officially having the imperial system since the 1970's. Mainly because continued efforts to officially change some products and measurements were halted in the 1980's. Construction and piping tends to use imperial, but when I renew my driver's license I give my height in feet and inches and weight in lbs and when my license arrives the measurements are in cm and kg. As an engineer we use both, but for precision measurements mainly use imperial. We have to know and understand both. We measure temperature in Celsius, volume mainly in litres or ml, and driving distance mainly in km. Shorter distances are imperial.

The metric system is simpler and more logical, but for no good reason we still use a lot of both.

 

Funny; I just bought a few Whitworth spanners for my Morris... unfortunately 60-70 year old nuts and bolts are rarely the original size

 

When GM started to go metric in the 70s, they went slowly...one of the things they did with the old transmission designs was to change the hardware that interfaced with the rest of the car, so the shift shaft threads and rear mount threads changed, but the rest stayed the same. They also went to metric power steering pumps and AC compressors, so you'd need a 15 and 18mm socket, along with fraction inch sizes, to change a water pump on a 350, for example.

There's no easy way to keep two systems going. It's just one of the little challenges of life that you can meet, or give up and sit on the couch and watch TV instead.

 

I agree that those German hose clamps are extremely good. I also like the ones you pinch with pliers to tighten. Kind of a one use thing but they get things TIGHT!

Now if you don’t have metric sockets I’m sure if you toddle down to your American version of Princess Auto (HF) you could find an inexpensive set...

My wife is going through a “policy” situation with GM about a shifter on her autotragic OT car. The policy is good for 18 more months and the only part they can find in NA is in Texas and the dealer wants $500 for it and GM will only cover $150! Now the dealership has had the car for 1 1/2 months which is WAY more frustrating than a measly hose clamp...