E-Z Clip Series Fitting, 5/8-18 Female O-Ring (Short Pilot), -08 Hose, Straight

Once the clips and cage have been closed and the assembly is complete, none of the E-Z Clip components are meant to be reused. That goes for the clips, the cage, and the nipple assembly as a whole. If you're pulling a hose apart for any reason, plan on having fresh components ready before you put it back together. Reusing them introduces risk into the connection, and that's not something you want on a refrigerant line.

Regular pliers won't cut it here. You need the FT1357 Clip Closing Pliers specifically. When you go to close the clips, those pliers need to sit square on the clip connection points and stay square all the way through the close. Using the wrong tool risks a bad seal, and with refrigerant systems you really don't want that.