Removing #145 Stepless Clamp from Line?

[holjim]

Ok, so I picked up my Home Depot Black Friday kegerator and had a (mostly) great week or so hosting lots of friends over a 1/4 barrel of commercial beer and now it is time to get down to business with my own.

I bought my first Corny as well as a gas and faucet connector kit.

In theory I guess I got a nice pair of lines with the fancy connector to a 1/4" MFL regulator outlet.

Of course, the Magic Chef kegerator isn't quite that fancy and does not have an MFL regulator outlet.

No problem right? Remove the clamp and go about my day.

Well not exactly. The connector is held in place with a #145 Stepless 1/4" clamp. Apparently there is some tool that "unlocks" these clamps easily but I don't have one and frankly, already spent a bunch of dough on the two lines/connectors.

Is there an easy way to get this dumb thing off so I can get my line connected to my unfancy regulator outlet?

Thanks in advance...

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

I believe that what you are looking at is an Oetiker Hose Clamp. I know that Northern Brewer sells the tool to clamp them, but I am not sure how to get them "un-clamped". Hope that this gets you on the right track.

Tools are at the bottom of the page: Northern Brewer

 

[McKBrew]

I believe that what you are looking at is an Oetiker Hose Clamp. I know that Northern Brewer sells the tool to clamp them, but I am not sure how to get them "un-clamped". Hope that this gets you on the right track.

Tools are at the bottom of the page: Northern Brewer

Beat me to it.

Took me a heck of a lot longer to figure out what the actual term for the generic pliers was, looks like they are simply end cutting pliers.

 

[conpewter]

I use those clamps, to remove it you just grab the tab on the outside with your end cutting pliers or other such instrument and bend it off, the clam is a one-use thing so just bent the crap out of it and throw it away.

The easiest way I've found is to open the end snips as far as they'll go and hook one side over the ear and the other under the tab and squeeze to deform it, then grab it and pry it off.

 

[holjim]

Well I managed to mangle the stupid thing off but of course now, I still cannot get the damn adapter barb out of the tubing. Ive tried hot water. I've tried pretty much everything. I guess I'm going to just have to cut the stupid thing. Although can I do that with gas line? What a total PITA.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

You already got the clamp off, but I used my dremel with a cut off wheel.

As far as getting the tube off, you're going to loose a barb length worth of tubing- cut the tube close to the bar, get a razor/knife and cut longways across the barb essentially splitting the hose off the barb.

*EDIT* You can do this with the gas line as well, just clear out the CO2 (be sure to shut off CO2 or shutoff valve on that line).

 

[lordbeermestrength]

+1 on the cutting. It's the only way I've ever gotten those damn things off.

 

[brontashay]

I ran across this thread while dealing with the same issue, and I was just about to go get my Dremel when something I tried worked. Take a very tiny screwdriver (Like the computer maintenance size screwdrivers) and wedge the tip into the opening in the crimp. Tap it with a hammer and it popped right open. After that get your needle nose pliers and rip it out. You can also use the little screwdriver to wedge into pull the clamp far enough away from the line that your pliers can grab hold of it.