SSI Oil Line Confusion

[obscene]

Hello friends! I'm hoping you can help me understand my current situation better than the previous 2,000 SSI oil line threads can. I'm in the middle of installing SSI exchangers onto a '77 2.7L that previously had aftermarket headers.

I'm not sure what oil lines are on it currently, so I'm not sure what I need vs don't need. During test fit, the passenger side exchanger fouled on this oil line:



I often see people mention that you need a new oil line that looks like this:



But that looks a lot like what I already have...




On the drivers side, the exchanger fits up great but seems danger close to the clutch spring:



Is that acceptable??


And for your viewing pleasure, here's round 1 of the project itself:

[David Inc.]

Looks like you have the right oil line, and mine banged against the SSIs when I installed them as well. I ended up having to beat the exchangers a little and tweaking the oil line for clearance. It was a bear and I hated it.

Anyway have fun!

[pete3799]

Your existing oil lines should clear the SSI's Benny.
And yes the spring will be tight against the the one side. You my have to hammer ( lightly) a dimple in it so it doesn't hit.

[obscene]

Originally Posted by pete3799

Your existing oil lines should clear the SSI's Benny.
And yes the spring will be tight against the the one side. You my have to hammer ( lightly) a dimple in it so it doesn't hit.

Thanks, Pete. I guess my follow up then is what to do if they don't. Slight persuasion like David mentioned?

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by David Inc.

Looks like you have the right oil line, and mine banged against the SSIs when I installed them as well. I ended up having to beat the exchangers a little and tweaking the oil line for clearance. It was a bear and I hated it.

Anyway have fun!

Ditto. I had to "massage" the rear of my heat exchanger to fit. I took a long socket extension and pounded "lightly" on it to put a slight crease where the oil line hit. Doesn't take much.

[David Inc.]

The biggest problem for me is that the oil line ended up hanging about 3" away from the oil cooler side mount when installed at the case. It took hours to massage the bends using heat and whatever I had around (I am not a pipe fitter!).

Probably why that line is leaking at the case a few years later, now that I think about it....

[Flat6pac]

The 77 originally used thermal reactors so that scavenge line was necessary to clear the exhaust.
Thermal reactors used thick flanges at the heads.
Bruce

[Flojo]

fix your oil leak(s) first though :-)