Oil Line - Replace or Refurb or ?

[Red69t]

Hello all, I have a 1969 911T -- pretty much stock, with no oil cooler up front -- and I have some leaking oil on my two lines from the oil tank to the engine. I want to swap these lines out to keep the oil leaks somewhat contained (you can't stop em you can only hope to contain them!). On another forum I was told to send the lines out for refurbishment. However, my car is no garage queen/ concours champion in the making. I drive it regularly, care for it, and intend on keeping it for the long haul (i.e. I am not trying to make bucko bucks from someone who is scouring every single part for originality).

I guess what I am getting at is am I making a really poor decision to replace the lines and then sell the ones currently on there to someone else to refurbish?

And if I do replace them, the S-line seems pretty straightforward part swap, however the cross body line is giving me some issues in sourcing. On my car, it is a soft line from the tank past the valve cover, then goes to a hard line with a U bend under the trans/engine to couple to the other side of the engine. Yet on our host's site and others, it seems to say this should be a soft line the entire way (and the part I have found which most closely resembles mine - 90110772001 - looks like the line listed for an 80's 911 SC).

Thanks for the help in advance!

Tim

[yelcab1]

Buy them right here. They are quite inexpensive. you cannot rebuild them for less.

[Ayles]

I am firmly in the replace category as well. Its easy and you know they will fit the first time.

[rpc356]

Tim,
My cross body line (901-107-720-01) was shot on my 73T. Like yours, it's a hard line from the left side of the engine, under the trans, and makes a 90* bend at the oil cooler. There is then a soft line from there to the oil tank. I cleaned it up and shipped it to member BoxsterGT (Len), who had the hard line replated and put on a new soft line and new fittings. Very nice, original looking (or at least very close), and total cost was less than the new replacement. Turnaround time was long-ish because Len only went to his plater when he had a "load", due to their minimum charge. However, the plating step was optional, so turnaround would have been significantly shorter without the plating (and lower cost).

At the time, the only new replacement available was a two-piece solution that worked fine (seen it on another car) but didn't look like the original. IIRC, it was a hard line from the left side of the engine, under the trans, but ended before making the 90* bend. There was then a second piece that was a hardline 90* bend/soft hose that connected it to the oil tank. Not sure if that is still the solution offered, but sounds like it may be the better option for you. Call Pelican and they'll make sure you get the right part. I'm sure you can sell the original.

[BoxsterGT]

Thank you for the kind words Richard.

Tim, I may be wrong, but I think the issue here is the Hose Fitting size. The 69 model year has M26. The one-piece 70-71 Hose is also M26 and this may fit your application.

ALL later applications will not retro-fit because of the larger M30 fitting size.

I have new and correct M26 oil hose in stock. If you have crimped fittings I can "Re-Hose" this for you.

If you have the Argus fittings (Alum Aircraft type) I can send you just the hose to assemble yourself.

Either way, cost should be under $60.

Len

[BoxsterGT]

Hi Tim-

What did you end up doing?

Len

[Joe Bob]

The S line, buy the German one, seam goes on top, replace when you see any cracks.....you can have a sudden and expensive failure. Ask me how I know.....

[Red69t]

I decided to replace and ordered the line off of our host here. I broke free the one 36mm nut connected to the oil tank. However, the nut on the engine mounted oil cooler just will not budge. I have been working a combination of PB blaster and heating repeatedly over the last few weeks and it just will not move. After working at it with a simple 36mm wrench first, then the same wrench with another wrench looped on the back for additional leverage, it still won't go. I then bought a 36mm combo and have looped the 12 point part over the line and onto the nut for better contact but that still hasn't gotten it to move.

I don't want to damage the oil cooler, so I am considering using a dremel on the nut to try and break it free. Any other suggestions or tips for going this route?

TIY

[BoxsterGT]

I have found carefully cutting the nut in (2) places will help.

I have also drilled a small hole in the nut to allow penetrating oil to get in there and do its thing. Just be careful not to drill too deep.

Also curious, do you have 26mm fittings or 30mm fittings on the Cooler & Tank?

Len

[Trackrash]

I had the re-usable fittings on my car. I replaced the original rubber with Earl's stainless back in '85. Worked fine for 30 years.

[Red69t]

Originally Posted by BoxsterGT

I have found carefully cutting the nut in (2) places will help.

I have also drilled a small hole in the nut to allow penetrating oil to get in there and do its thing. Just be careful not to drill too deep.

Also curious, do you have 26mm fittings or 30mm fittings on the Cooler & Tank?

Len

Len, I am not sure what size the fittings are, I will have to check tonight.

[Red69t]

Well I put two cuts in with a dremel, careful not to bust through to the pipe, soaked again with PB blaster, steadied the pipe wrench with a jack and applied leverage to finally get the dang thing off....and off it came! However, the pipe on the oil cooler looks basically stripped....the odd thing is that the bolt that gave so much trouble, all the threads are clean, they aren't gummed up or what not.

So what I'm wonder is can I just put my new hose on? Will it thread? Do I need to rethread the oil cooler line? How do I go about doing that? And please don't tell me I need to replace the cooler entirely

Attached a picture of that helps at all.

And Len the fitting is 26mm

[BoxsterGT]

The photos tell all.

al lkosmal on the board here had one for sale but looks like its gone. Someone else will have on on a back shelf. I will look through my stuff.

Len

[Trackrash]

Isn't someone making weld on bungs in that size now? Might be an option.

Edit: Only 30mm, Len? Mazda Racing oil cooler, new $85. Anyone ever try these?

[Walt Fricke]

The external oil thermostat (which you don't have) has this kind of problem with some frequency - the male threads get buggered when the nut part is finally loosened. Of course, the thermostat is aluminum, and the nut steel. Is the threaded end of the "under the oil cooler" line aluminum? I suppose the oil thermostats are 30mm, so you could not just apply the fix that can be used on them?

It is possible, but not easy, to remove the oil cooler without removing the engine from the car. I can't imagine welding something onto that fitting with it still in the car.

Anti-seize is your friend, especially with fittings of dissimilar metals. I patted myself on the back for remembering to do this with the oil thermostat fittings when I removed a front oil line to remove a dent. Must be the same deal here.


I've not had this problem because all my cars have just used the clamp on rubber hose.

[Red69t]

So here is the next twist in the story. Me and @Rich76_911s were really mystified why the threads on the stuck bolt were not gummed up, and did not show any signs of stripping the line. I experimented and started threading the new bolt from the new S hose onto the old line....and it threaded on like there was no issue. It's tight as a drum now, no play, no movement, etc. It's almost as if this is how the line was on there previously? And I should note that the leak was not coming from this side of the connection, but rather the oil tank side of the connection

I have not put oil back into the car nor and as a result have not warmed it up yet. Feel free to give me a tongue lashing for at least testing the waters this way....

[Walt Fricke]

If it works, it works. The seal is between the male and female hemispherical parts. If they are adequately pressed together they won't leak, and the oil in that line is not under any significant pressure - just gravity, and to the extent the oil pump, when the engine is running, creates a negative pressure, well that ought to work against leaks shouldn't it?

So there must be enough good thread left to do that?

It is not a joint which is subject to many forces trying to pull or twist things, so perhaps one need not fear overmuch it letting go suddenly, draining a bunch of oil under your right rear tire on the highway or race track?

[Red69t]

Walt, thanks, I don't track it and drive it in spots where I could quickly get over without much issue should I see a sudden drop in pressure, so I'm thinking I give it a go and report back.

[Walt Fricke]

I think this might be a time for you to use your design ingenuity to create a sort of splint for this. For instance, imagine making two steel horseshoe collars, which will slip over the backside of the "nut" part which is attached to the cooler, and over the back of the actual nut which is on the oil line from the tank. Then imagine some system which allows you to draw the two collars together, clamping the parts together after the nut has been tightened. This would be suspenders for the belt of the threads for the nut. Should prevent any sudden failure (an oil dump from this location is going to be dangerous in highway driving, and you can't count on the oil pressure gauge to give you adequate notice before there is bearing damage, although a good synthetic will give you a little "no pressure" driving time - enough to shut it down, but not to get home. If things only loosen a tad, you can just keep watch on the oil drops on the garage floor to see how things are going.

The trick piece to save the external oil thermostat housings I just an adapter with the female part rather longer so it could reach in beyond the buggered threads and latch onto the several farthest in, where the steel nut had never gotten. With green (sleeve retainer) Loctite and these extra threads, the adapter is solid, and its new male threads work fine with the steel nut. But having one of these custom fabricated - I assume the sizes are different - would be rather expensive unless a guy had his own lathe and associated skills.

[Red69t]

Len, would you be interested in buying the old line? Not sure what these go for but would want to send to a good home for refurbishment.