My search for a quality, affordable, non-brand name, stainless steel v-band clamp assembly lead me straigh to eBay (once again).
I was hesitant to purchase due to be unsure of the quality of this particular piece, but for the price, I figured it was worth the gamble.
I used the "buy it now" feature at $24.99 + $10 for freight, and I received it three business days later.
Well, I confirmed my suspiscion. These eBay clamp kits are probably "seconds" or "blemished" in terms of quality batching.
I quickly noticed that the outer edge of each flange was different. One had a machined surface and the other had a natural finish. My guess is that they have loose tolerances as to what that outside diameter can be. They probably get varying diameters of round stock in to cut these out. I measured mine to compare and there was a .07" difference in diameter betwen the two. This does not affect they way they seal/perform, but it's probably what put it into the "seconds" catagory and it also accounts for them being much cheaper than what you would find on a vendor's website.
I did hold a magnet to test the material, and they appear to have a very low iron content. It's probably not the highest quality of stainless steel, but it will do just fine. Both sealing surfaces on the flanges appear to mate up quite well, and the inside diameters line up perfectly when clamped tight.
Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase. I would recommend these to anyone looking for a nice stainless, budget v-band clamp assembly.
PS - I will add to this article as soon as I get this welded up and on my car.
