You can't always get a torque wrench into an area,
@EricM. A good example is the transmission pan bolts. The aft half of the tranny pan is just above a frame cross member, and you simply don't have the room there for a torque wrench or even a conventional ratchet.
Spring clamps. I have a theory. After thousands of heat cycles a spring clamp may become less springy. It's just metal. Metals fatigue, lose their temper, etc. I don't trust 'em.
Read the following with the understanding that I hate/loathe/detest spring clamps and my objectivity on this topic is... questionable.
Typically, springs fatigue not from a constant position (compressed) or the relatively low heat we’re discussing, but rather from cycling; that is, compression and decompression. If it’s ferrous, it’s not going to lose it’s form or hold unless you’re up over 4 digits Fahrenheit. I think Titanium begins to expand at around 800 F, but again it’s not losing form, just expanding. Iron or steel will go much higher before losing its form. That said, I’ve had bad luck with these ‘spring’ clamps and hate them. Twice I’ve had leaks, after a reassembly and fixed the leak by replacing those damn spring clamps with a traditional, ratcheting (?) screw tightened hose clamp.
I’d have a hard time believing that heat fatigue would be affecting these clamps; the hoses themselves would have a much lower melting temp than the clamps. I could be convinced with solid evidence, but I admit I’d be skeptical.
Either way, let’s take yes for an answer here.
BTW,
@Ruger, you can get adapters for various conditions with a torque wrench. I’ve got at leas 3 T/W adapters in my ’smithing tool box for the various makers free float tubes. Between universals and “wrench head” adapters and such, there should be a way, albeit not always an easy one. ( he says before popping the hood to actually look at the coolant neck )... That said, I won’t publicly admit my age and the fact that I’ve yet to acquire an inch/lb torque wrench.
;-)