Fixed my Crushed Oil line for $5 and a beer.

[Rusty Heap]

I had another post running for a while on how I was going to cut and solder in a slip on tube sleeve to fix the side oil line that runs up under the right hand jacking point to the front oil cooler. Previous owner or bone head shop in the cars history did the crushed tube, I found it while removing the side valence to put in new 28mm rear torsion bars in my 1982 911SC

I figured before doing major surgery and cut/solder, I might as well try the pressurize with air and heat the pipe with a torch to see if it'd pop out.

WOW, did this work slick. See my operatiing table, PVC fittings to plug both ends of the line, (1" caps) use lots of thread tape on the "fwd" end of the pipe and a 1" PVC cap threads on and seals fine. On the "rear" oil line fitting that has a flare fitting that goes into the thermostat, I used a short length of clear Vinyl hose, hose clamps, barbed to 1" threaded fitting, and another 1" PVC cap that I drilled and tapped for a Air Chuck.

Really small compressor set at 50 PSI, and a small propane torch. Started the compressor up and started gentle back and forth heating of the area, Nothing happening so bumped the air pressure up to 85 PSI, a bit more heat, and the major crushed area slowly started to expand into a round shape again. Bumped the pressure up to 100 psi, and the final creases except for the worst ones came out fine.

TOTAL HAPPY DANCE on my part, so I celebrated with a beer. Total outlay for my fix, about $5 in parts, about an hour or two of my time pulling off the oil line, rigging up the plugs, pressure/heat cycle only took 10-15 minutes, and the beer and happy dance was priceless.

Pictures of the operating table, then before and after of the oil line.

[rsrfan]

Very, very cool. I am going to try that.

JP

[1982911SCTarga]

Great job, and thanks for the details on how you did it!

Brian

[DanielDudley]

Nice job.

Looks like that crease was made by a Sears Craftsman 2.5 ton jack, circa 1986.

[mca]

Nice work. I am sure this will help TONS of people. Thanks for sharing.

[911st]

Looks effective!

Lets see, highly pressurized vessel, flammable liquids & gas, fittings of questionable integrity, and fire. Sound like fun.

Please concider safety gear when attempting this at home! Might what ear plugs to and to make sure the oil and solvent is out of it.

That thing may be a potential bomb while working on it...

I'd try it...

[waynesco1]

nice work ! Only one beer ? I will keep this in my bag of tricks !

[Wayne 962]

Excellent find. I will have this archived in our soon-to-be-coming Pelican Wiki!

-Wayne

[brads911sc]

Wow. Nice.

[vash]

great job, but i think that was kinda dangerous. cal osha limits how much we can pressure test our prestress ducts, to 25psi. i have seen guys go higher, and they go off like bombs.

[theclaw]

Originally Posted by vash

great job, but i think that was kinda dangerous. cal osha limits how much we can pressure test our prestress ducts, to 25psi. i have seen guys go higher, and they go off like bombs.

Cal OSHA....'nough said. Anybody use compressed air to pop a caliper piston?

Like there's not enough spinning belts and pullies when I check the oil!

Nice work.

[Rusty Heap]

THANKS guys, I really appreciate all the kudos.

I've learned many many tricks from you all also, and try to "pay back" the masses.

Lets see, safety gear did consist of me wearing safety glasses, the line had been flushed with solvent the night before and left open, I did start at 50 psi not 100+, there WAS a bunch of blow-by air past the threaded on "forward" cap seal so the fresh clean air passing through the cap was purging any fumes/vapors, and if anything I call the pvc cap a pressure relief valve if it popped off.

Lets see, a 1" diameter pvc cap might have about 1.75 sq inches of area and we're only talking then less than 150-175 pounds of air force on a cap that may weigh an 1/4 ounce max (gads, can you tell I'm an engineer?) so even if it did pop off..........oh the horrors, oh the humanity of it all.....

So to close, no p-car parts or owners were harmed in filming this event.

Cheap tricks like this make Pelican forums ROCK,

THANK YOU WAYNE for your own special tip of the hat. Your web service makes this all soooooo worthwhile and possible.

[euro911sc]

WOW, thats and ugly thumb... um I mean great job! Good wiki material!

-Michael

[88911coupe]

What, no pic of the beer...or the happy dance? Ok, you can skip the happy dance pic.

[911st]

Again great job, sent it to my shop and he likes it.

No, this is not in the same class as welding on a gas tank that still has gas in it.

Of most concern is somone having oil or solvent present in the line and under 100psi. Then adding the heat and having ignition.

You knew not to do this.

However, having the plastic pop could hurt to.

I have done risker things but don't usally know it is the case untill after.

[rnln]

Dave,
do you heat it up until red hot or just hot is enough?
Thanks.

[Bill Douglas]

Good skills Dave.

An excellent donation to the pool of skills.

A quick side question; your '82 engine with SSIs (and CIS?) how much of a difference did it make going to a 20/21 cam grind. And where is the power happening?

[dw1]

If anyone else tries this PLEASE be sure you thoroughly rinse all the oil from the tubing & fittings using a good solvent.

A blast housing, e.g. doing this inside a very sturdy piece of pipe, is also a good idea.

I have personally seen a similar wall thickness tube explode from the combination of oil & O2. Yes, that was pure oxygen & not air, but the risk is there.

Wayne, if you include this as a suggestion via a Wiki link, be sure to put in safety disclaimers so Pelican doesn't incur any potential liability from recommending something like this. Even if combustion doesn't occur, a weakened tube or one with small cracks, combined with excessive pressure, could make shrapnel.

FYI, it was not unheard of during WW2 to have fatalities caused in diving training by the old-style oxygen tanks - remember this is in pre-scuba days - and the fittings not thoroughly cleaned of oil. Pure oxygen + oil, while someone is breathing in. Lungs exploding are extremely messy, I've heard.

Yes, it may be a sea story told by an old CPO, but it still makes one cautions.

[dtw]

I thought I heard a version of this repair that involved filling the line with water, which avoided the explosion issues and helped with more even heating of the pipe?

[tea boy]

I have done a few of these, I use water pressurised by a stirrup pump. Then warm up with oxy acetylene. 100 percent success, no fatalities.