Gruven heater core T-connectors

[jatkinson8755]

Its debatable, you can google the topic and find as many for as against re-using spring clamps. Ive re-used spring clamps as well, mostly with success, but sometimes they do relax slightly and leak slightly. Not same steel or thickness as a leaf or coil spring, lol so that comparison is silly. And why chance it though ? A proper screw clamp, tightened down firmly onto a metal fitting would never leak, so why bother risking reusing ?

And Especially when this billet tee comes with the new clamps ... also the spring clamps are much wider profile, so Im guessing they just wouldnt fit here and its not even an option if you go billet on the heater core tees.

 

[Rocket Man]

Its debatable, you can google the topic and find as many for as against re-using spring clamps. Ive re-used spring clamps as well, mostly with success, but sometimes they do relax slightly and leak slightly. Not same steel or thickness as a leaf or coil spring, lol so that comparison is silly. And why chance it though ? A proper screw clamp, tightened down firmly onto a metal fitting would never leak, so why bother risking reusing ?

And Especially when this billet tee comes with the new clamps ... also the spring clamps are much wider profile, so Im guessing they just wouldnt fit here and its not even an option if you go billet on the heater core tees.

Actually if you Google reusing spring clamps it’s hard to find anybody that says to NOT reuse them. They last longer than the life of a vehicle. They will fit fine in this application or any other application. Yours is another factless opinion, so I’m calling you out on it. Don’t take it the wrong way, it’s not personal. Just keep it to facts though and if it’s an opinion, why not just say it is. The comparison to a coil spring isn’t silly, they’re both spring steel. Spring steel doesn’t “relax” after a couple uses. Or a few years. Screw clamps ARE known to leak though, that is a fact. The hose expands and contracts a thousand times and the clamp doesn’t which causes the hose to leak unless it’s re-tightened.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

 

[iamdub]

I saw a used spring clamp laying on the pavement in a Walmart parking lot. I picked it up in case I needed one.

 

[Tonyrodz]

View attachment 229101

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[HiHoeSilver]

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Hose clamp of choice.

 

[Rocket Man]

Hose clamp of choice.

Oh hey check out my new sig pic thanks to @Sevenevez !

 

[jatkinson8755]

@Rocketman - put the discussoin on hold a minute since you and i will disagree, and actually post a link to a spring clamp less than 3/8" in width that you could fit in this spot. Since you know everything, you know that any wider and it would not fit the billet tee and would be impossible to install here.

Im all for a good argument but this is totally pointless - there isnt actually a spring clamp that fits in tight spaces like where these billet coolant tees go. The spring clamps are much wider than the screw clamps.

Which is probably why they went with the ultra compact screw type clamps to begin with.

So what, then leave the ****** brittle plastic tees in there to break when you least expect it ? I guess at least you would have your aweome spring clamps, along with a 1/2 diameter hole in your cooling system.

 

[wjburken]

actually post a link to a spring clamp less than 3/8" in width that you could fit in this spot.

https://www.helixracingproducts.com/clamp-2

These seem to be about the right size for the application being discussed.

However I could be wrong. If so, I do sincerely apologize.

 

[Rocket Man]

@Rocketman - put the discussoin on hold a minute since you and i will disagree, and actually post a link to a spring clamp less than 3/8" in width that you could fit in this spot. Since you know everything, you know that any wider and it would not fit the billet tee and would be impossible to install here.

Im all for a good argument but this is totally pointless - there isnt actually a spring clamp that fits in tight spaces like where these billet coolant tees go. The spring clamps are much wider than the screw clamps.

Which is probably why they went with the ultra compact screw type clamps to begin with.

So what, then leave the ****** brittle plastic tees in there to break when you least expect it ? I guess at least you would have your aweome spring clamps, along with a 1/2 diameter hole in your cooling system.

I’m not interested in these overpriced metal tees that require a bunch of clamps. I figure if the original parts last 150-200,000 miles then worst case scenario is to replace them as preventive maintenance with OEM (NOT DORMAN pieces of shit) at these intervals. It takes minutes. All the problems people have after replacing them come from using Dorman parts. There’s a few places where I will use their parts but this is NOT one of them. And Im not going to go out and research spring clamps that will fit in the space necessary. They’re out there. If you want, you can go find them yourself. I’ve used them on my supercharger intercooler and it’s accompanying recirc tank which has hoses in even worse places than these. I have been customizing and building cars and motorcycles for over 40 years. I’m telling you from experience- if you have a hose that needs a clamp and it’s in a hard to get to place, the proper spring clamp tool and a spring clamp is way easier to install or remove than a screw clamp where you either need to get a screwdriver or ratchet onto it. It clamps the spring clamp open with a ratcheting mechanism, you slip the clamp over the hose end, the tool rotates to stay parallel and close to the hose , and you can use the tool to pull or push on the clamp until it’s in just the right position, and release the ratchet with a touch and you’re done. But Im willing to bet you’ve never laid a hand on such a tool because if you had, you’d know what Im talking about and would have quit arguing about it. And there’s no need for you to be a smart-ass to me. I’ll use OEM quick disconnects and you can use whatever you want. But you’re not going to convince anybody that there aren’t spring clamps out there that will fit. BTW I don’t even understand why for the love of it that you think these require clamps no wider than 3/8” anyway. Did you actually look at the tee? The hose slips on about an inch it looks like, just like every other hose fitting on any vehicle. There’s room for any damn clamp made on there. If you want to keep arguing, go right ahead. I can demonstrate for you if needed.

 

[jatkinson8755]

No I wont argue spring vs screw clamps, i see your points and you can use whatever you like. Theres plenty on my side but spring clamps are good as well, and as you said with the correct tool (which Ive never bothered to get) its probably much easier to install. But wow, you would keep on using the plastic tees when theres a billet option available ?

Yes I do have the billet tees, love them, mine plastic tee broke and nearly destroyed my engine when all the coolant leaked out. Also stranded me overnight in the middle of Oklahoma waiting on the nearest dealer whic hwas 2 hours away to get the part, towing a horse trailer. Real fun. NEVER AGAIN.

Its a smart preventative mtc measure. And yes Ive tried to find spring clamps to fit these, there arent any this thin (3/8" according to my ruler). All but the single wire spring clamps are too wide. The single wire spring clamps just dont provide enough clampging force.

Dont think theres any difference between Dorman and OEM plastic either, Dorman makes most of the OEM stuff for GM, so its essentially the same shit chinese plastic tee just under a differnent name.

I guess if you are going to keep on using plastic tees, replace them yearly and carry a spare in the glove box. It puts alot of stress on those heater core lines trying to unplug the "quick" disconnect fittings as well, so be very careful disturbing the hard metal lines going into heater core. If you break the plastic heater core, its pretty much game over. The truck is built around it.

Maybe I just run my truck hotter and harder, towing alot. So maybe if you baby your truck and keep the temps underhood cool, your cheap chinese plastic parts last a little bit longer.

 

[Rocket Man]

No I wont argue spring vs screw clamps, i see your points and you can use whatever you like. Theres plenty on my side but spring clamps are good as well, and as you said with the correct tool (which Ive never bothered to get) its probably much easier to install. But wow, you would keep on using the plastic tees when theres a billet option available ?

Yes I do have the billet tees, love them, mine plastic tee broke and nearly destroyed my engine when all the coolant leaked out. Also stranded me overnight in the middle of Oklahoma waiting on the nearest dealer whic hwas 2 hours away to get the part, towing a horse trailer. Real fun. NEVER AGAIN.

Its a smart preventative mtc measure. And yes Ive tried to find spring clamps to fit these, there arent any this thin (3/8" according to my ruler). All but the single wire spring clamps are too wide. The single wire spring clamps just dont provide enough clampging force.

Dont think theres any difference between Dorman and OEM plastic either, Dorman makes most of the OEM stuff for GM, so its essentially the same shit chinese plastic tee just under a differnent name.

I guess if you are going to keep on using plastic tees, replace them yearly and carry a spare in the glove box. It puts alot of stress on those heater core lines trying to unplug the "quick" disconnect fittings as well, so be very careful disturbing the hard metal lines going into heater core. If you break the plastic heater core, its pretty much game over. The truck is built around it.

Dorman makes NOTHING OEM! Their plastic tees are crap and will break prematurely. In case you didn’t pay attention, the OEM tees last 10 years minimum. Also, if you lose your coolant, turn off your engine. The DIC gives you plenty of warning. This is what AAA and tow trucks are made for. There’s no plastic heater core
either, they're metal lines. And you never need to “unplug” the quick connects, cut them apart if you’re replacing them. They’re quick connects, not quick disconnects. So you had a part fail after what 10-12 years and instead of turning your engine off you kept trying to drive it? You could have put a barb between the 2 hose ends and bypassed the heater core if you were desperate ( this is simply a hose coming from the engine and going to the front and rear heat so it can just be rerouted back to the engine instead of going to the heaters and disaster avoided)...
but at the very least the Dorman parts are at every single auto parts store which would get you through until you could get an OEM part. Now you have 5 crappy hose clamps waiting to leak. What part of this discussion do you want to argue about now? You have not made one single valid point thus far. Time to throw in the white towel yet?

 

[kbuskill]

You guys like to argue more than I do... lol

In a way it's good for this thread because it brings more attention to these billet T-connectors as an alternative to the plastic parts but I just don't see any reason to get all excited about it.

If you like spring clamps... use spring clamps.

If you like worm clamps... use worm clamps.

If you want to use zip ties... I wouldn't recommend it BUT it's your truck, use whatever you like.

Same goes for the T-connectors... I think the metal is the better option for durable and longevity but again... it's your boat... whatever floats it... right???

 

[Rocket Man]

Yessir. This thread is staying in the “Todays Posts” section thanks to us. I enjoy debunking misinformation and when I get an alert showing my posts have been quoted and then I check and see something I stated has been challenged with misconceptions or flat out wrong information, I’m not going to let that go unchallenged, which I doubt is any different than anyone else here. When someone for example makes a statement like “ Dorman makes most of the OEM stuff for GM” which we all know is total ******** as part of their argument, I know at that point they’re full of it and I’m not going to let that slide. If people who make statements like that aren’t challenged, it spreads misinformation and someone else who comes along and reads that might think its true and then go buy something like Dorman knock sensors thinking they’re OEM, tear the intake manifold off their engine and put them in, then find out they failed within a month and have to do it all over. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s probably not a good idea to challenge people lol.

 

[Rocket Man]

Maybe I just run my truck hotter and harder, towing alot. So maybe if you baby your truck and keep the temps underhood cool, your cheap chinese plastic parts last a little bit longer.

If you knew to look, the Dorman and OEM parts are different. They're not made by the same company in the same plant. And FYI, since you obviously don't know a thing about me , I run a Whipple supercharger on my '02 6.0, along with a Vinci HP cam, roller rockers, American Racing longtubes, Wilwood brakes, a trans built for 800 HP, the best suspension, steering and lowering components available, etc etc and I run the hell out of it and it's also my daily driver. My truck is all about pushing it to it's limits. There's no "babying it" allowed. I also tow. With boost. It gets hot under my hood. And see, no screw clamps. I have had a t break, at 150,000 miles. I shut the truck off and had it towed home and put a new set of OEM's on. This happened right after I had R&R'd the trans and had probably broke the connector myself installing the trans dipstick which was right next to it since I had to push the heater hoses out of the way.I fully expect these t's to last another 150,000 miles.

 

[wjburken]

I fully expect these t's to last another 150,000 miles.

Agree. Put 300K on my ‘07 XL Denali and still had the original T’s. Can’t say that we put it through the paces like @Rocket Man does, but 300K is 300K.

 

[gooffeyguy]

Yessir. This thread is staying in the “Todays Posts” section thanks to us. I enjoy debunking misinformation and when I get an alert showing my posts have been quoted and then I check and see something I stated has been challenged with misconceptions or flat out wrong information, I’m not going to let that go unchallenged, which I doubt is any different than anyone else here. When someone for example makes a statement like “ Dorman makes most of the OEM stuff for GM” which we all know is total ******** as part of their argument, I know at that point they’re full of it and I’m not going to let that slide. If people who make statements like that aren’t challenged, it spreads misinformation and someone else who comes along and reads that might think its true and then go buy something like Dorman knock sensors thinking they’re OEM, tear the intake manifold off their engine and put them in, then find out they failed within a month and have to do it all over. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s probably not a good idea to challenge people lol.

Liar, you just like the attention.... Lol

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

 

[Rocket Man]

Liar, you just like the attention.... Lol

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18

Well there IS that too lmao.

 

[thompsoj22]

No I wont argue spring vs screw clamps, i see your points and you can use whatever you like. Theres plenty on my side but spring clamps are good as well, and as you said with the correct tool (which Ive never bothered to get) its probably much easier to install. But wow, you would keep on using the plastic tees when theres a billet option available ?

Yes I do have the billet tees, love them, mine plastic tee broke and nearly destroyed my engine when all the coolant leaked out. Also stranded me overnight in the middle of Oklahoma waiting on the nearest dealer whic hwas 2 hours away to get the part, towing a horse trailer. Real fun. NEVER AGAIN.

Its a smart preventative mtc measure. And yes Ive tried to find spring clamps to fit these, there arent any this thin (3/8" according to my ruler). All but the single wire spring clamps are too wide. The single wire spring clamps just dont provide enough clampging force.

Dont think theres any difference between Dorman and OEM plastic either, Dorman makes most of the OEM stuff for GM, so its essentially the same shit chinese plastic tee just under a differnent name.

I guess if you are going to keep on using plastic tees, replace them yearly and carry a spare in the glove box. It puts alot of stress on those heater core lines trying to unplug the "quick" disconnect fittings as well, so be very careful disturbing the hard metal lines going into heater core. If you break the plastic heater core, its pretty much game over. The truck is built around it.

Maybe I just run my truck hotter and harder, towing alot. So maybe if you baby your truck and keep the temps underhood cool, your cheap chinese plastic parts last a little bit longer.

Im in now! Absolute difference between "Hecho en Mexico" And made in China. Dorman used to be a reliable aftermarket part back in the day but now it seems as though they could give a shat less! OEM parts still have the quality assurance of the manufacturer, Whereas Dorman should be called "chinaman".

Dorman makes absolutely no OEM parts.

 

[iamdub]

Everyone's opinion on this matter is wrong.

amidoinitrite?