"Hence the needle nose vice grips are one of my favorites."

+1 on this recommendation.  I bought mine with the Westy's future in mind and upon returning home was immediately presented with a situation for which none of my existing tools would have been suitable.  Paid for itself instantly.  On fuel lines (if thinking ahead) I would probably clamp down on scraps of wood to clamp the hose instead of clamping the hose itself.

Stephen

--- On Fri, 7/25/08, Ken Lewis <kdlewis@NORTHSTATE.NET> wrote:

> From: Ken Lewis <kdlewis@NORTHSTATE.NET>
> Subject: Re: pinch the fuel line?
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Friday, July 25, 2008, 2:50 PM
> I purchased two of those special purpose hose-pinching
> pliers from Sears long ago. They turned out to be total
> garbage, always popping open at the worst time and never
> really sealing well. Not sure if it was the tools fault or
> Sears.
>
>   I never had any problem with the needle nose vice grips.
> Of course, you can't "shower down" on the
> hose. I usually close on the hose using the adjustment
> screw until I can not turn it any more, then open them and
> add an extra turn.
>
>   One can not carry an arsenal of tools around with you so
> finding one that has multiple purposes is a bonus. Hence
> the needle nose vice grips are one of my favorites.
>
>   I really do like the idea of fuel hose slipped over the
> jaws.
>
> Ken Lewis
> http://neksiwel.20m.com/