Opinions needed: attempt repair or leave oil lines alone?

[tirwin]

While I have the engine out and I'm working on the rear suspension, it gave me a good chance to get my eyeballs on some oil leaks. It looks like I have 3 separate ones or maybe a couple are related. First one is the oil level sender. No biggie -- I know what to do there.

The next two are the boogers. It appears as though I have leaks at all of the crimped flexible connections of the lines from the external thermostat 1) to the oil tank and 2) to the hard oil line on the front of the engine.

It is not a lot of oil. Maybe it's the size of a half dollar when I park it after a drive. I understand it's easy to booger the thermostat trying to get these lines off so I get the wisdom that says leave it alone. Again, it's not a lot of oil so I'm ok with leaving it alone. But if I do let sleeping dogs lie for now, at what point should I think about fixing it? Just when it becomes a bigger leak?

One factor that may make a difference is this... If I didn't fix it now, could it keep me from participating in an AX or DE event if someone spotted it?

Any other wisdom or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Pics below...

[ThomO]

Looks like a job for duct tape

j/k

[timmy2]

I replaced mine and my thermostat after stripping one set of threads.
Doing it while the engine is out is the ideal time,. Just be prepared to lay out the cash for a thermostat if the threads strip.
Lots of info on doing it properly to avoid damaging the threads. Cutting the nuts off with dremel is probably the best. New lines anyways so who cares.

[Ayles]

I removed the lines from the thermostat with a dremel after trying everything in the book to get them off. Least amount of fun I have had building my car to date.

Just be careful with the dremel so you don't cut too deep. I had to make a couple cuts in each nut to free them up.

[mfiazzo]

Worst project I ever tackled with any car I ever owned. With that said, when I finished the job, I am now leak free. Well worth the effort

78 911 Oil Line Replacement ARHHHHHHHH

[RSTarga]

be safe and cut

[tirwin]

Ok so if I cut them do I just need to do that on the thermostat side? What about the line going to the oil tank? Any chance of boogering that one?

[Ayles]

I had no trouble on the tank side, that line came right off.

Here's a link to my adventure last summer. A couple other folks chimed in with what they were going through with this job.

Oil Lines

[tirwin]

Ok, looks like I will try to go ahead and tackle this. Thanks for all the feedback. I just realized I am out of cut off discs for my Dremel. Have to go on a biz trip the next couple of days so it will be this weekend before I get back to it.

Should I go ahead and put the Elephant Racing fittings on the ends?

Now I'm headed back to the garage to see if I can get the right torsion bar separated from the spring plate. grrrrr

[timmy2]

The new lines you are buying to replace the seeping ones will have new nuts on them.
No need to buy the other fittings.