How Come? more I read more paranoid- Slight leaks on the Oil Lines

[MTTwister]

About to go on a road trip - I have a 'Crud' build up ( slight - but it's there) on the 'crimp' ends of the Engine-oil lines at the cooler. How concerned should I be? - can't possibly get Greg's lines installed by ETD.

Looking for comfort, here. Most post when they have problems don't hear from those that never blew a line. Thanks.

[ttpost]

sorry about the cap locks on the earlier post.i am with you i am getting paranoid about the cooler lines,next thing i am going to fix after i get my truck shifting.mine have been weeping for some time but never gave it much thought till now.

[MTTwister]

Yeah ttpost- information overload. :rolleyes: After tranny flush and Amsoil install - jeez - seems to shift differently.
Good luck with Your project.

[CoachWagner]

I've had my truck for a year and just changed the oil lines on it. They seemed to be leaking on both ends. I'm sure it was leaking for a while. Mine did not blow but I did push it pretty hard last summer through the Rockies with a load. I still have a slight weap on one of the tranny lines to the cooler that I just discovered and will change that soon. I guess it's a chance you take but mine seemed to be a lot worse than you are describing. ;)

[dstoops]

My truck was about 5 yrs old when I had the engine oil cooler lines replaced because of leakage. My mechanic installed new GM lines. Alas one of them has begun to weep at the cooler end. Everything else looks fine. My theory is that they werent crimped adequately. Yesterday I cleaned it up and put a SS hose clamp over the crimp....When I tightened it there was a bit of oil that dripped out, indicating that I must have affected it. I will be monitoring it to see if it still leaks. I'm trying to come up with some kind of clamp that is more robust that will clamp evenly around the crimp.

[ttpost]

when i worked in another idustry we use to use banding clamps the had a wratchet type tightning device and a puch type device that locked em on, i have one around somewhere i think i will give that a try.
they were about 3 x stronger that hose clamps

[Cooperrw]

I had a close call with one of my lines, it leaked for quit some time so I just kept an eye on it. I noticed a puddle of oil on the ground after my wife had made a trip to California, one of the lines had stared blowing oil badly (close to losing the engine :eek: ) so I replaced it with an OEM line. The other one is wet now so they will both be changed to better lines in the near future.

[Randee of the Redwoods]

My truck is a 94. I have no idea if those lines have been changed before or not. The have seepage at the crimp end with a few drips of oil always hanging. You can even see where the oil goes by following the track it leaves down the front skidplate. When my truck was in the shop, I had the mechanic look at them to get his opinion. I say they are leaking and wanted an estimate on replacement. He says they are ok and not leaking any more than "normal". "Normal"? There's a "normal" when it comes to leaks? Well, I went with his opinion(replacement was $500) since he has so much experience with 6.5's. Have not had a problem yet(just tipped 187k miles), but will be switching to the Lube Specialist lines this summer. I just don't like the fact they drip at all.

[Phil Holmen]

I just finished installing a set of lines from Grand West. My factory lines were replaced in Dec 2001 when I had to replace the motor. They were so bad that you could turn the hose inside the crimp with very little effort.

[Beedee]

I've been watching mine for the last 6 months. I just got the quote back from the hose supplier so that I can build a set of stainless steel teflon hoses (that's PTFE for you techs out there). My price will be under $200 Can. compared to over $300 for GM and the ones that I build will be forever. Will be doing them some time during the next couple of weeks. I'm going on a trip to Calgary in June and definitley want to have them changed before I go.
But back to the original qusetion, I'm not worried about a failure right now, I'm not even getting a drip on the driveway, its just wet on the lines, so I'll take my chances for another couple a weeks. :rolleyes:

[Uncle Wally]

I've had to replace mine too. Seems as if brand new they leak in short order. I ran the original ones for quite a while before I changed them. I wasn't sure how long they had been in there, but assumed since it was new. With the experience of putting new lines in, there's no telling if those were old lines or not.

I ran mine pretty hard through the mountains in Wheeling WV all the way to Pittsburgh and never had a problem other than the occasional drip in the driveway. I kept a close eye on them as I was 1000 miles from home pulling one heavily loaded horse trailer. They're still intact, but then again, my engine is out at the moment. Hopefully will be together soon. (not related to oil line failure) When the engine goes back in, there will be new an fittings, hard lines and hoses installed to prevent this problem from reoccurring.

Waldo

[bigmikestud]

I need lines bad but who are "Gregs" and "Grand West"? Who else makes these beside GM? Oh yea, an FSD/Cooler from "The Diesel Doctor" won't fix it either!

[Turbine Doc]

Don't know Grand West but Greg is probably Greg Landuyt check here

http://www.lubespecialist.com/

[norm]

My last truck was a '85 K30 Dually, with 454 vapor burner mill. I had a good local NAPA store make me a set of hydrolic lines (like you would use on a backhoe or tractor) to use as oil cooler hoses. Very HD, made for extreme pressures, and not that expensive. If you can spec. them and get fittings and lengths right, it should be a good thing. (But I have not looked at my 6.5 with this in mind so it might be more diff. than the '85 was)

[Beedee]

One thing to watch out for if you are going to get a shop to make hoses up for you, just because they can take the pressure, they might not take the heat. I'm a heavy equipment mechanic, I've seen high pressure hoses turn brittle and crack because of the heat.
The PTFE hose that I was refering to in my post above has a temperature service range of -100F to +450F (Parker 919 PTFE hose with stainless steel wire braid) compared to a SAE 100R hose which will have a pressure rating up to around 3000 psi but will only have a temp rating of -40f to +212f.
There are hoses out there that are rated for higher temps.
Ask before you buy, so you don't get your self into the same problem with leaking hoses smile.gif

[norm]

Excellent point, Beedee, on knowing the specs on any part you are getting. A good jobber at a quality shop/supplier should know what to ask to get you the right materials on most any project, but you never know what's not said, so best to cover all the bases yourself if you can.

[Beedee]

I use Parker hose, its what we use at work, so I like to use it for other projects, mostly because of the ease of making the hoses. Parkers web site www.parker.com (http://www.parker.com) has all the specs on the hose, but be warned, they make a lot of hose and it can be very confusing trying to figure it out :confused: :D

[DickWells]

TT: My lines were weeping at the front crimps last summer. Didn't worry about it. Went to Oregon for deer hunting, pulling the camper with the quad on front. Went to Texas, by way of Ca., Ar., N.M. Left the trailer and came home for Christmas. Put on 5000 miles, round trip from Tx. to Vt. and back, trying to stay out of the snow. Left Tx. in March and went to Fl. by way of La., Miss., and Al. Back to Vt. two weeks ago.
Just started to get antsy about my oil lines back in Fl., when I got on the DP and read all the stories. So, I ordered up a set. They're out in the mud room, and I'm still making short trips with the Sub. and I ain't loosing any sleep. But. I just can't believe how lucky I feel, that I put on over 20K since last Oct., and I haven't fried my engine. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.
Oh. The new lines are indeed a quality piece. Air brake lines, with nylon shielding. Screw in at the engine end, not the pop in pop off type.
Now, if I could just find the time to put the Sub. over the pit, and take of the brush guard, take off the grill, take off the manifold, pull the pump, put in the mechanical pump, fit a throttle cable, get the cruise hooked up, get it timed, maybe wash it, and, and, and, etc., etc., etc. Oh! Maybe my wife would be willing to vacuum it out before we head for Oregon in September.
Dick Wells

[dstoops]

I'm curious to hear from those of you who have had catastrophic oil line failure. Where did they leak from? Did they pop off and blow oil all over or just leak fast enough that the oil level dropped faster than you anticipated?
Dean

[ANXIOUS-SUBMAN]

My lines didn't fail, at least not directly. The plastic clip that holds the lines to a metal bracket near the front of the engine broke. Because the quick connects on the engine block will swival in the fittings, the aluminum tubes sagged down and came to rest on the top of the front diff. During a nonstop run from Richmond Virginia to Beckley, WV one of the aluminum tubes rubbed through on the diff until oil was spraying out the side. I noticed my oil pressure was low while passing a semi at 70mph. It was still running at idle when I pulled over but the damage was done.