Oil Cooler Replacement Lines Not So Easy To Install

[TurboDiverArt]

Hey All,

I had a bunch of maintenance items to do on the truck this weekend. Replacing the heater lines and T

[Hubert]

No there is not a whole lot of room. You can get to oil lines ok w/ front drive shaft out and oil filter adapter off. Depending on condition it can be one of those greasy grimy jobs for sure.

I don't think you'll ever get enough room for an adjustable wrench but on very few bolts on any vehicle ever again. This might get some backlash but for your home avg do it yourselfer who does occasional wrench turning Northern Tool and Harbor freight sell wrenches cheap. I picked up the opened end wrenches with one end offset 60 degrees and those seemed to fit for the adapters on oil lines at the block pretty good. Just had to flip wrenches and set them to get most out of a turn.

IIRC the adapters have a thread sealer on them that acts like glue. You need to get a good grip on 'em for the breaking loose torque. The torque on the banjo bolt of the filter adapter is pretty high too.

[Robyn]

Good time to do it when your ready to do an oil change.
Drop the filter housing and the front drive shaft.

The cooler lines on a Burb go into the radiator and the duallies go out front to a remote cooler.
The fittings need to be attacked with a tubing wrench and one needs to be carefyl so as not to cause issue with the radiator. The tanks are plastic "Dont Ya Know" :eek:

You should be able to use a break bar and a socket on the block fittings though.

Its a nasty job no mattter what.

I have some of those little clamps and are going to try the mickey mouse fix until such time as I have the engine out of the chassis. Then I can hot wash the whole bloody thing off good and start over with a clean slate. (no pun intended)

When I did the 94 Burb I had the exhaust manifold off as well as all the other stuff out of the way. I installed the fittings while the engine was on the stand and just taped them over to keep them clean until the engine was in the frame. With all that room the install was easy.

The dually requires the removal of the grill to get at the cooler fittings out front.
No biggy just a little different is all

Some nice stainless braided lines with JIC fittings would be just peachy though.

GM and their funky aluminum crimped lines are problematic at best.

Robyn

[simon]

On my 98 project truck I even had to take the ex manifold of to get one of the oil lines off.

When i get the engine together for this truck one of these years, i am gonna machine a remote filter adapter for it, the stockfilter location irks me to no end on these vehicles.

[TurboDiverArt]

The cooler lines on a Burb go into the radiator and the duallies go out front to a remote cooler.
The fittings need to be attacked with a tubing wrench and one needs to be carefyl so as not to cause issue with the radiator. The tanks are plastic "Dont Ya Know" :eek:

I have some of those little clamps and are going to try the mickey mouse fix until such time as I have the engine out of the chassis. Then I can hot wash the whole bloody thing off good and start over with a clean slate. (no pun intended)

Robyn
On my burb the oil lines definitely go directly to the cooler, not to the radiator. Only my transmission liens go to the radiator.

I remember heading about those oil like clamps. I think someone posted the NAPA part number. If I can find it I might pick some up as a stopgap until I feel the need to try the oil lines again.

Art.

[TurboDiverArt]

OK, I found the part number for the little 3/4" muffler air tube clamps. Do you only put one on each hose end or do you need to use two of them at 90-degree angles to each other? Also, how tight? I assume you don't crank it super tight since the underlying tube is aluminum and could crush. My assumption is that you put it tight enough for the outer factory crimping to start crushing then stop. Check it in 100 miles and tighten a little more as needed?

Art.

[lfytsmith]

Art, I placed one clamp at each end of the lines. I tightened as you said, watching for the clamp to start compressing the line. I checked it every few days and tightened as needed until all leaking stopped. I think it was less than $5 fix.

[Robyn]

The issue is like has been posted. "the tube is aluminum"
The bigger issue is that the inner tube does not have real heavy high profile barbs on it to dig into the hose and form a good seal.
Once these hoses have been through a lot of hot cold cycles the hose relaxes some and the infamous leaks start.

I have the same issue on my dually. I bought the clamps but have yet to crawl under there and go after the leak.

Being a tad cautious with the torque on these clamp would in my estimation be a good way to aproach the deed.
I would place the clamp about half way between crimp area and snug it down until the crimp just begins to crush and then fall back 30 and watch to see if the leaks stop.
Possibly placing the clamp on an existing crimp groove may be a good plan ????

Sort of a Mickey Mouse bandaid fix BUTTTTTTTTT if it works and the leak goes away its certainly a safe fix and is far easiler than the work involved to get the cooler lines out of the engine bay.

It would really be nice to have a set of stainless braided lines on there for sure with some real fittings.

Has anyone ever noticed that the automakers are constantly reinventing the wheel so to speak. With all the different fittings that are on the market for just about anything you could want, they have to come up with some new thing. Usually with some sort of POS plastic clip that fails or something that takes a special tool J2345678Z to remove the thing.

Like the little heater line fitting in the water crossover that corodes to the point that you literally have to cut it into two pieces and dig it out with a hammer and capping chisel and the retap the hole???????? :eek:

To what end? What ever happened to fittings that use real tools like a 3/4 boxend wrench.. :confused:

Good luck with the little clamps.. :)
Robyn

[hayhauler69]

To what end? What ever happened to fittings that use real tools like a 3/4 boxend wrench..
They do it for your benefit Robyn:D . The cost of the vehicle stays low so the regular workin' stiff can afford to buy one. It certainly doesn't go into the pockets of the coporate coffers.(DUH)
I don't know how many things I've had to 'saftey wire' because of cheap stuff.
At least it's not done on airplanes, thank the Lord.:eek: