Were tower style clamps what GM used?

[IT Cowboy]

I still have a few of these style clamps in different areas so I am guessing that is what GM used on hoses for the radiator and cooling system

[Steeveedee]

Yup. But the worm gear clamps could be special ordered, and would show up on the SPID. When I worked as a mechanic, we cut the tower clamps off and trashed them, and installed the worm gear clamps. Time is money; at the factory, the tower clamps were faster and cheaper. Tower clamps were really a one-time installation; getting them to release and go back on reliably to not have leaks at the hose connections was an issue.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Yup. But the worm gear clamps could be special ordered, and would show up on the SPID. When I worked as a mechanic, we cut the tower clamps off and trashed them, and installed the worm gear clamps. Time is money; at the factory, the tower clamps were faster and cheaper. Tower clamps were really a one-time installation; getting them to release and go back on reliably to not have leaks at the hose connections was an issue.

Cool. I always wondered why I had some of those and when they stopped being used

[Sheepdip]

Back in my swap meet days I ran across a whole box of brand-new assorted sized tower clamps; I bought the whole thing for $25. Sorted them by size, resold them. I know those clamps made me $300 easy.

[davischevy]

Zoom in and you will see several of the original tower clamps here.

[IT Cowboy]

Wow those clamps are higher than giraffe tits, some a are $10 each or better on some sites if you can find them. Will those style clamps hold if they are new and I replace my worm clamps with them?

[clay68c10]

They'll hold once. Then they might not once you've taken them off. I personally think they're crap and won't use them.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by IT Cowboy

Wow those clamps are higher than giraffe tits, some a are $10 each or better on some sites if you can find them. Will those style clamps hold if they are new and I replace my worm clamps with them?

I use them on all my restorations and they work great.

I reuse them. When loosening, use a deep well socket and push down on the clamp to release it.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Yup. But the worm gear clamps could be special ordered, and would show up on the SPID. When I worked as a mechanic, we cut the tower clamps off and trashed them, and installed the worm gear clamps. Time is money; at the factory, the tower clamps were faster and cheaper. Tower clamps were really a one-time installation; getting them to release and go back on reliably to not have leaks at the hose connections was an issue.

I too used to work as a mechanic. I paid my way through college working for a local shop.
The owner, a good friend until is death, taught us to remove those clamps with a side cutter and replace with a worm clamp after the work is done.

[Orange Crate]

Cant seem to find one in the assembly manual...but I gave up after 40 pages.

[Steeveedee]

^ Tower clamps? I'd not expect the pics to be that explicit, given the cheesy nature of that manual. I've cut hundreds of those things off in my time of mechanickin'! For sure from the mid-'60s into the '70s, they were on GM vehicles. Chrysler had those Corbin clamps for decades. I had pliers for them and those clamps went into the trash, too. Most of the time they broke, anyway.

[Orange Crate]

^^^^^^ Actually there is a lot of good detail. Take a look for yourself. Mostly they used wire wound spring clamps. Again, not one tower clamp illustrated that I could see.