How to disconnect hard oil line?

[Rick Lee]

This Sat., I had the privilege of observing an attempted engine drop on a '79 930. Everything looked pretty straightforward and easy to follow EXCEPT for the hard oil line disconnect. We had a torch on it, a 32mm open end wrench, another crescent, a floor jack to hold the hard end fast and two people using all their might. It did not budge. Finally had to cut the line.

Now I'm nervous about doing my own engine drop, as this is a $300 line and looked unbeatable. What is the secret to disconnecting this line? I saw a special wrench for it in a catalogue, which was a whopping $52 - still a lot cheaper than replacing the line. What's the trick?

[KTL]

Richard,

When Kiwior and I did the engine drop on his 86, the connection between the hard oil line from the motor case and the partial flex line from the thermostat was a brute. We had a couple of crescent wrenches on there and Mark was beating the crap out of his wrench with a 4 lb. baby sledge while I was counterholding the other wrench. Kinda scary but it eventually worked. The same connection on my car came free with just me, two wrenches and some penetrating lube, so go figure.

All I can say is to do what they were doing (heat) and hope it lets go. You have to shock those fittings sometimes to get 'em loose. I was doing the fittings on the thermostat Sat. afternoon and heat helped. I didn't gall the male threads but a little on the inner fitting. At least the thermostat is still useable as I can still thread the nuts on there quite cleanly. I did have to cut the line that goes from the oil tank to the thermostat. The nuts at both ends came free, but the end at the thermostat didn't want to loosen from the hard part of the line. Had to cut it with a mini-hacksaw. That was fun. Probably could have whacked it with a hammer (the hard part of the line) but I didn't want to take the chance of damaging the thermostat.

I was considering the recommendation of cutting the nuts with the cut off wheel and Dremel method, but I was able to get the nuts loose so I didn't really need to do that. If all else fails, i'd do the cut off wheel method with cuts 180 deg. apart and then you should be able to split the nut away with some blows from a chisel. Don't smack on top of the threads. Hit it parallel with the oil line to see if you can spilt the nut off without boogering the male threads.

[ChrisBennet]

I've never had a problem with that particular line on a Carrera. I use an oil line wrench (DIN894 type ) and a big crescent wrench to counter hold it. I'm pretty sure it is 36mm.
-Chris

[KTL]

I have the oil line wrench that Chris mentions (36mm). It came in a set of four 27, 30, 32, 36mm that I got from Stoddard for around $50 I think. Not a bad deal (sorta) for four larger size GERMAN metric wrenches!

[orbmedia]

I have a Hazet wrench that has a small stubby handle that you're supposed to use by banging it will a hammer instead of turning like a normal wrench. It acts like an impact hammer. Works great. Here is a photo.