Originally Posted by
FBinNY
Stop obsessing, and think.
The clamp is tightened by the bolt heat pressing down on to it. The amount of force involved is determined by the tension in the bolt's shank. If you add a spacer under the head. So, think a moment------ what difference would having the head press on the clamp through a spacer make?
Hint- there is a difference, so the real question is two part. What is the difference, and is it material in the real world?
Right. The spacer acts like a very stiff spring so there is more axial deformation than there would be for a thin washer. However as you suggest, I suspect the difference in performance is negligible.