Can't undo oil line for carrera engine drop

[preston_brown]

Hi everyone,

I'm dropping my carrera engine for the first time (for me, I know it has been out one time before at least for a clutch replacement). I haven't run into too much trouble but now I've hit a wall. I'm trying to undo the hard oil line from the flexible hose that runs forward to the oil cooler, and for the life of me I can't do it. I've hit the fitting with Kroil for 24 hours, heated it up till it was smoking (but not cherry red, I don't want to catch the rubber on fire) with my propane torch, more Kroil, etc. and I still can't get it to loosen.

I took the extra step of supporting the bottom of the hard line with a jack stand because it wants to torque downward when I am wrenching on the fitting. All I just succeeded in doing was starting to crimp/bend the hard line where it enters the fitting. So I stopped. I mean crap, I may need a new hard line at this point if I bent it too much. I'm using a huge crescent wrench.

Any tips on how to proceed? I did a search and saw lots of people suggesting cutting off the nut, but most of them are talking about dealing with issues of undoing the line from the thermostat end, not the motor end.

See picture for details, and thanks for any assistance.

[yelcab1]

What you need is 2 wrenches:

1. Wrench to hold on the hard line at the hex end on the left
2. The other on the hex line at the right. Turn wrench number 2 ccw (normal thread).

Thre is no need to support the hard line with a stand.

Having a custom oil line wrench (I do) really helps in this situation. I have also made an adjustable big pipe wrench work in this situation.

if you are out of choices, cut the oil line and replace it ($120), it may be time anyway.

[bell]

you need 2 big ass crescent wrenches, one for each nut fitting.
use your torch to heat up the fitting on the right side of your pic.
have the crescent wrenches set up fairly close together so you can grasp both with each hand.
then squeeze as hard as you can.....if still no-go i've had luck squeezing together wrenches with a big ass channel locks.

you need to apply equal pressure to both lines at the same time so they don't twist, don't get your skin or finger near the middle of the wrenchs as when it breaks free it'll bite you.

good luck, i'm sure more advice is on the way, but this is what worked for me when i did mine.

[Scott R]

I use one big crescent, and one extra large red pipe wrench that I got from Harbor Freight for $10 (it probably weighs 5lbs on it's own). My first drop ever the crescent wrench slipped and I lost a fingernail in the end, but every time after it came right off.

[lally911]

I bought the special oil line wrenches from our host and use two large (3') pipes on each for leverage. its the bigger nut on the flexible line that turns.

[Joe Bob]

Bicycle wrenches made by Park.....cheap and available at the local bike shop.

[Jeff Higgins]

Here is a "last resort" approach if the special wrenches, pipe extensions, and all of that are to no avail. This one has saved me a few times. This is my last gasp before cutting the SOB off, so it's not very delicate...

Look at the lower of the two flats facing you in the photo on the flexible line. On the bottom edge of it, where you labeled it "fitting that stuck", see if you can put a big enough divot in it, cut a groove in it, or whatever it takes to get a chisel tip to grab it. Use a file, a cutoff wheel in a die grinder, whatever.

Grab ahold of the fixed nut end of the hard line with your big crescent wrench. You might want some one else to hold it for you. Now get an air chisel going on that divot you made on that flat, so you are trying to loosen that big nut on the end of the flex line. The rapid rattling of the air chisel will often get it going, and leave both lines usable when you are done. Kind of cave-man, but desperate times call for despperate measures.

[preston_brown]

I used my big 15" crescent wrench on the fixed fitting and a Park 36" wrench on the flex line..still no go. I'm getting closer to going cave man I think...

this might be much easier w/two people and pipe extensions for leverage.

[Joe Bob]

Place them at 5-10 degrees off from each other and Squeeze them together with both hands. Prepping with PB Blaster helps....last resort, MAPP or Propane.....

[preston_brown]

I've prepped with Kroil (equiv. to PB Blaster) and enough heat from my propane torch to seem like we were about to have a little fire, and no go.

CRAP.

[Early_S_Man]

Preston,

Degrease the fittings with plenty of Brakleen or similar solvent and old paint brush or bristle brush. Apply 9% pickling vinegar with a clean brush and allow it to trickle around the threads, hpefully working into where the corrosion/rust has welded the fittings together. Apply & brush, wait two minutes, repeat ... for at least 30 minutes. Repeat the wrench work. If still no joy, move to stronger acid ... Muriatic Acid for cleaning swimming pools, diluted 1:1 with distilled water ... same technique. Be careful about splashing any muriatic acid on aluminum or body parts, and be sure to use goggles, gloves, and protective clothing so as to avoid any acid burns! Catch the acid runoff in a glass container ... it can permanently stain concrete!

Good luck!

[Jeff Higgins]

Good luck. Do the next guy (who just might be you) a big favor and prep all this kind of stuff with anti-sieze when you put it back together.

Warren's solution might penetrate and free it up. Some times the corrosion is so bad it just won't eat through it. If it doesn't...

This stuff really sucks; damn old cars. If you are really brave, or have been reduced to no longer really giving a *****, try the air chisel. It will either break loose or you'll feel better for teaching the recalitrant little b!tch a lesson. Get some new lines and move on. Speaking from experience...

[JP911]

I find that a little "impact work" usually does the trick here. Hold both sides with wrenches as you have been doing and have a helper whack the fitting side a few times with a dead blow hammer.

[randywebb]

ad to Warren's solutions: tap the fitting many many times with a small steel hammer or end of a wrench -- if this is done hundreds of times over several days... then the only recourse is cutting or brute force that will likely also destroy the fitting.

The ultimate would be to blast it with ultra-sound...

[preston_brown]

I tapped it. Hundreds of times. I degreased it and put on more PB Blaster. I painted it with acid. More tapping. Big wrenches.

It still didn't budge.

I had to go caveman on it and use the air hammer. I ground a flat on the big nut, like Jeff Higgins suggested, and took my air hammer to it. Took a couple of "tries" (air hammer liked to slip off, had to be careful about where it went next) but it started to turn, FINALLY and then I was able to wrench it off.

Triumph. Engine drop tomorrow, hopefully, and I think the oil lines are both still usable.

-- Preston

[preston_brown]

[kodioneill]

don't reuse that line. man

[john walker's workshop]

two 18" crescent wrenches and strong arms.

[randywebb]

there is nothing like beating the $%^*&(* out of something to provide that primal satisfaction...

did you get the oil line yet?

[88-diamondblue]

Ah, get the big Snap-On wrench out to get it off... Came right apart