Any advice on removing oil lines?

VenezianBlau 87 · 05-03-2002, 06:29 AM

Hello all:

I'm trying to unscrew the 36 mm fitting (rear) on the oil line that connects the thermostat to the hard line to the engine. It's located in the right rear underside. Engine/oil cold when I tried this.

I tried Pelican Parts 36 mm oil line wrench and large
Vise Grips to no effect. I don't want to chew up the fitting any more.

Is there some trick to this that might work?

Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Bob Sauerteig
--------------------------------
'87 Coupe

Chuck Moreland · 05-03-2002, 06:38 AM

If you're trying to save the lines, start by soaking with PB Blaster. It's similar to liquid wrench. And let it soak for days.

When you do break them loose, use a sharp snap not a slow pull. You might smack the wrench with a hammer while you're pulling.

Also try tightening just a bit before loosening.

You can try a heat cycle with a torch, but don't loosen them while hot. The aluminum of the tstat expands faster with heat than does the steel nut, so heat only makes them tighter.

If you're not saving the lines, use a dremel cut off wheel to slice the sides of the nut just down to the threads. Do two facets on the hex then split with a chisel.

911nut · 911nut's Garage

The fitting nut is steel and the thermostat body is aluminum. Usually the fitting nut is seized due to galvanic corrosion. If you pull too hard you may strip the threads on the thermostat or pull it off of it's mount.
I just did this job a month ago. I took a Dremel with a fiber wheel and carefully made one transverse cut in the fitting nut. I then carefully split the nut open with a cold chisel and sprayed some PB Blaster into the gap. Then I was able to turn the nut off with ChannelLocks.
If you choose to sacrifice your oil line (replacement cost is approximately $90 from Pelican) cut through the nut slowly and carefully. When you begin to see the threads on the thermostat body stop cutting in that area and finish the cut back toward the line so you can split the nut.
I'm sure someone else has a technique for saving the line but I was replacing the line anyway and for me, it was pointless to spend hours screwing around with it.

john walker's workshop · 05-03-2002, 07:03 AM

i assume you mean the rearmost part of that line. you need a couple of LONG wrenches for leverage. i use a couple of 18" crescent wrenches. even then it's tough sometimes. a loud karate yell as you put on the pressure often helps.

VenezianBlau 87 · 07:12 AM

Thanks guys.

I think I'll just take your advice and cut the fittings. I just got some heavy duty cut off wheels for my dremel for another 911 project-cutting grooves in heads of ignition switch shear bolts. Never heard of PB Blaster. Sounds good.

Bob

edit: LOL...JW. Thanks. Guess it would'nt hurt to run by Sears for the longer wrench. I can imagine the metal oil pipe being ripped from the motor! Ahhh, I'll just cut the sucker off and replace. Probably the smartest decision I made all week!

Superman · 05-03-2002, 07:27 AM

If it's near the thermostat you're talking about, I found ithelpful to place blocks between the T-stat and the inside walls of the fender. One 2x4 works well behind the T-stat. Once these blocks are wedged in there, the T-stat isn't going to rotate and kink other lines. Plus, the thing you're wrenching on needs to be solid in order for large amounts of torque to be effective. I mean, 250 lb-ft of torque won't work well against something that is springy instead of solid.

yelcab1 · 05-03-2002, 07:48 AM

Five years ago, I bought a special oil line wrench from that now-defunct outfit in California, Automotion. It is along, 12 point (with a slot cut out) wrench which grabs the nut in more than 2 places and makes it much easier to do. I can lend it to you, but you are not in the Bay Area.

Short of that, a dremmel tool will cut through the line. WHen reattaching it, I would attach all the hoses to the thermostat first so that you have maximum hose flexibility for the correct allignment. The other way around, you will be more likely to cross thread the aluminum thread on the very expensive thermostat (speaking from real life experience, ofcourse).

Once stripped, it will not seal. I fixed mine with a special $25 fitting from Automotion. But, it was not fun.

john_colasante · 05-03-2002, 09:13 AM

This is a Hazet 36mm "slugging wrench". It is used to put impact into a job like this.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Here's a picture of the wrench I bought on eBay, having just watched a friend ruin his oil line trying with heat, hammer, floor jack and lots of ummmphing. I'm still scared of this job and it's coming up in a few weeks. Please post results. BTW, I can mail you my tool, if you can wait for it an get it back to me quickly.

Leland Pate · 05-03-2002, 10:14 AM

I tell you guys... Cary suggested to me that I start soaking the fittings with PB Blaster for several days before hand before we removed my crushed oil lines. I used WD-40 because that's what I had. Every day, I went out a couple times and sprayed them down.
When it came time to remove them, Cary brought his 36mm wrench and a section of metal pipe to use as a breaker bar over the wrench.
We got them all off, save one, without incident.
And the one that gave us problems was the one up in the front fender that just floats there... the pipe started to twist... but other than that... the two on the thermostat came off easier than expected...

Best of luck and hope this helps,
Lee

cary · 05-03-2002, 11:23 AM

We got lucky !!!!!!!! It isn't supposed to be that easy. We didn't get to cuss or throw the tools down or anything.

Geez, ask the wife..............she thinks that's half the fun. She alway's ask's..." your having fun right ? "

Hope some of that luck rubs off back home..... Leland, your in my thoughts and prayers.............

KTL · 05-03-2002, 01:24 PM

For those of you doing the work on the thermostat, if you've got some lead time, get in the fender well with screwdriver, awl, scribe, whatever and scrape the crud off the upper and lower parts of the nuts. This will help your penetrating lube get in there easier! Make sure you scrape the area where the metal part of the oil line and nut meet. Thats where my line didn't want to let go for a while and just turned with the nut as I loosened it. A good whack probably would have freed the line from the nut, but I wasn't feeling too lucky that day.

old_skul · 05-03-2002, 03:11 PM

This is all good info. I'm waiting for the check from Firestone myself, after they crushed my lines.

Is this a job I should tackle myself, or should I take it to the dealer and hand over the check?

Superman · 05-03-2002, 07:27 PM

I'd do it myself. What parts do you have?

ChrisL · 05-04-2002, 03:25 AM

If I use a Dremel to cut the nut, how easy is it to see the threads of the thermostat? I'm afraid of cutting too far. Anybody have any pics of this job? And if I cut the nut, do I need a special wrench?

Chris.

cary · 05-04-2002, 03:39 AM

You'll know. You can tell when the nut material is getting thin. This is when your coming to the other side. TAKE YOUR TIME.

Cresent wrenchs will work. But theres nothing like the right tool for the job IMHO. But then I'm Cary the Tool Man.

When I did mine ( way before Lelands ) I had the cut one of mine off. I took it out and did it in my big floor stand vise. Easy Deal.

But remember, anywhere you cut needs to be cleaned 3 times. Metal filings.

Good Luck

Joeaksa · 05-04-2002, 05:48 AM

John,

If you like your Hazet "slug" wrench and are interested in other tools like this, pls go to:

http://www.samstagsales.com/hazet.htm

452-36 Wrench, Slugging, 36mm $36.85

Its near the end of the page.

Very good place if you like good tools. Hazet is OEM with Porsches and most of their tools are second only to Snap-On.

Joe