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calvinlewington
08-12-2006, 08:30
I am getting ready to reinstall my 6.2 N/A after rebuild and cannot believe the price of replacement oil cooler lines.My dealer here in newfoundland wants $200 plus tax for the pair.I wouldn't mind the price so much if I thought they were worth it,but the ones I took of were lousy soft metal and not worth $5 in my opinion. Has any one got any good suggestions on replacements?
DmaxMaverick
08-12-2006, 08:39
Contact Greg at www.lubricationspecialist.com . He has THE solution. Less money. Better (best) quality.

Also, there's no law that says you can't repair or fab your own. It's just tubing and hose, afterall. The end connections are standard. The tubing can be flared (or use compression fittings, or even swaged) and hose can be fab'd by a local hydraulic supply. Any shop that builds hoses can do it.
bmiszuk
08-13-2006, 14:03
If you fab your own (or have them made) do you still run them in front of the fan like the stock lines do? IIRC, the stock lines there are solid metal and not flexible. I wonder if a flexible line could get sucked into the fan.
DmaxMaverick
08-13-2006, 17:55
If you fab your own (or have them made) do you still run them in front of the fan like the stock lines do? IIRC, the stock lines there are solid metal and not flexible. I wonder if a flexible line could get sucked into the fan.

The replacement lines do not include the part that goes across the radiator. The connection is before that, and to the block near the oil filter. I've never known them to be a problem. If the hard lines that are on the radiator need to be replaced, you can buy the tubing and a bender for a fraction of the cost of a replacement set. All you have to do is remove the originals, and replicate a set. Surely you know someone who can bend tubing. For the cost of shipping, I would do it for you if you have no other way. I just hate to see GM get $200 for a $20 item.
calvinlewington
08-14-2006, 04:59
I'll be manufacturing my own hoses for sure. I'm going to re-install my engine then either copy the oem tubing (in stainless steel)or re-route the hoses in a more mechanic friendly manner (if possible) I'll keep tabs on the materials and cost ,but I'm sure I can beat the dealer price in the end!
RoverIIa
08-16-2006, 15:07
I rebuilt mine when my hoses started leaking. A dremel cutting wheel made short work of the aluminum crimps on the hoses. I pulled off the hoses, installed new oil-compatible hoses on the old barbed fitting ends with a little bit of right-stuff gasket maker and 2 hose clamps each, and dropped them right in. I did use new O-rings, which pushed the cost up to almost $15 and 30 minutes.

I'm not sure if it really mattered, but I blew my metal tubing clean with a compressor, and then cleaned it out with carb cleaner and air. Make sure to tie a good rag around the exit end to keep from shooting black oil all over your shop.

I do this every several oil changes to help get more black crap out of the engine.
bmiszuk
08-22-2006, 19:35
Pulled my old lines today. Thanks, Dmax, I hadn't noticed that they disconnect just before the radiator.

My question is this: when the hydraulic shop makes up new hoses, should I have them made all the way up to the block? Connected to the engine block are steel lines with many bends and a really odd looking fitting between the steel and the rubber lines. I wonder if I can do away with all the bent steel and run the new lines right up to the block.
DmaxMaverick
08-22-2006, 20:08
Keep the steel lines. Flex hose has a way of getting in the way of things, like hot exhaust, moving parts, etc. They are also more sensitive to abrasion. If you are fab'ing up a set, have them flare the ends of the steel lines where they meet the hose, and install the mating fitting on the hose. That will give you the option of replacing only hoses as needed, and no more concern about the crimp fittings. The hose fittings can be reused indefinately, and can be installed by anyone with basic tools and some bulk hose (can you say "CHEAP"). I would opt for stainless fittings, rather than aluminum. They are less sensitive to vibration stress, and can be reused more times.
bmiszuk
08-23-2006, 15:14
Does it matter which line goes to which fitting near the radiator? Of course, in my haste I did not pay attention to how they were hooked up when I disconnected them!
DmaxMaverick
08-23-2006, 16:07
The " from block -- to radiator" line should be the lower line (bottom radiator tank fitting). The line going back to the block should be from the top.
bmiszuk
08-24-2006, 19:29
I visited three different hose shops and got three separate stories. The first wanted $40 and 'thought' they could make the new hoses in a couple days. The second wanted $120 and was going to cut the old fittings off the steel tube, weld new fittings on and make hoses to match. The third hydraulic shop could not match the fittings so they could not make entirely new hoses but they showed me how the old fittings could be disassembled. They sold me just the bare hose and I moved the fittings from the old to the new hoses. It was only $20.

Thanks for the advise.
JeepSJ
08-24-2006, 19:54
The " from block -- to radiator" line should be the lower line (bottom radiator tank fitting). The line going back to the block should be from the top.

But on the side of the block, which is "out" and which is "in"?
hoot_223
08-29-2006, 23:24
i dont know if my TC is locking up and i got a rattle from my torque converter when it is running
GregCrabb
12-10-2006, 14:59
Maybe a silly question, but....what size are the hoses? I am going to have to replace mine ASAP, found a new leak today so it's pressing. I'll probably make my own too. I was looking at hose on Northern Tool's website...can probably find it at Tractor Supply or Co-Op. Are the threaded ends standard or metric?
Thanks