Yep, one inch should be enough clearance. A lot of people are running into issues with the MP clutch. Maybe your radiator design is a little different then others.
As for the upper hose...
Have you seen where people will use a stainless tube in the middle with two rubber hoses at the ends? That's a really cool look. All you'd have to do is find a hose with the bends you need...then you can cut the bends off and attach to the stainless piece. I think they look much nicer then the flex hoses.
