loosening oil lines

[echrisconnor]

I'm trying to get some of my oil lines loosened. The ones back by the rear of the car have been able to go when I soak them with PB blaster for a few days and then put a whole bunch of torque on them. One on my front oil cooler is being subborn. I've tired the PB blaster, I've tried a little heat, and I've used a lot of torque. Is my next alternative the dremel?

Any secrets or tips?

[TRE Cup]

that's a tough one. if you try too much torque you strip the thermostat. if you don't care about the lines you are removing, then the fine cut of the dremel is the only safe way to go. It is a real pain when the long brass lines are the ones frozen to the t-stat. Patience, the torch (remove the whole set up from the car of course) and lots of penetrant may save the day
good luck

[Jim Sims]

Try tightening the nut first and then try to loosen it. Jim

[john walker's workshop]

you probably don't have one, but an air hammer with a chisel bit usually gets the nuts turning. heat and the air hammer for the real tough ones. if you can sacrifice the line, split the nut, especially at the t/stat.

[echrisconnor]

I don't have an air hammer and would prefer to save the lines. The one which is paining me right now is up front. It goes from the hard line to the soft line which goes to the front oil cooler. I can't get the soft line off. I've used moderate heat, but fear that any more heat will burn up the union between the soft line and the fitting. Then I'm just replacing cheaper line, but would rather reuse it.

I'll try the tightening first. More penetrating oil, and maybe a friend to help with more torque.

[Colby]

Ack, you're scaring me! I too will be trying to disco these lines in the next week or two once my RS bumper and oil cooler gets here ('84 Carrera). I don't want to trash my lines!

Colby

[Chuck Moreland]

Then you're in luck because those flex hoses are relatively inexpensive to replace. Cut the nut off.

[89911]

I've cut the nut off with a dremel and also heated one up with a torch. Ditto on the dremel if you don't need the line again. Just take your time and stop as soon as you see any threads. Use a large screwdriver to spread the nut and it should come off.

[Bones]

forgive me for living on a cold wet island just off mainland Europe but when you say dremel is that a grinder guys or what ?

[Jim Sims]

A dremel is a small electric power tool thats like a minature die grinder. It spins at up to 20,000 RPM. Many tupes of bits, burrs, stones, drums, wheels, etc. can be chucked up in it. A thin abrasive cutting disk may be chucked up in this tool and used to make a very controlled narrow kerf (width) cut. The disks will cut (grind through) about anything metal. They make sparks and shatter if you overload them or side load them. Wear eye protection and gloves. There's almost certainly an English equivalent tool or maybe even the "Dremel" trademark type available there. Check in hobby stores or consumer tool outlets. Cheers, Jim

[millzeee]

i can confirm they sell dremels in b&q for about £50, as i had the pleasure of our local warehouse yesterday

i am currently changing my front flexible oil lines on my 3.2 carrera, what a PITA i am using a normal angle grinder. i managed to grind the nuts that go on the brass lines ok but the ones on the oil cooler are somthing else i eventully got the cooler out and all three of the rubber mounts were buggered so i had to grind the nuts off, then when i got the cooler out i cut the bolts in two but they still won't budge, its like there welded solid if you look in the thred there is some yellow stuff which must be loctite or somthing certainly works but really struggling for ideas on how to get them off, i have tried wd40, heat, huge spanners, hammers, my head

[KTL]

The ones on the oil cooler can be tough.

My friend's 86 oil cooler just wouldn't let go of those flex lines. Heat, penetrant and a couple of fairly strong dudes could not get those things loose cleanly. Nuts ended up galling the alloy threads on the cooler fittings. Had to have Otto put some new fittings on the cooler. Around $100 maybe? Let's hope you don't have to do this.

So if they're really stubborn, i'd remove the whole gig from the car and cut the nuts in many places to try and save the soft fittings. If the problem is where the brass lines meet the flex lines, the brass threads are a little more sturdy so you can muscle-up on those a little more. Still use care and resort to the cutting if necessary. Those flex lines are only like $30 ea. MUCH cheaper than $325 for a new brass line (or the hassle of finding someone to repair and replace that metric fitting- why is metric still a hassle in the US nowadays? )

Others have said this and I think so too. WD-40 is no good for these kinds of things. I believe WD stands for Water Dispersant. Liquid Wrench isn't much better. The consensus seems to be PB Bl'aster, Kroil, and Wurth Rost-Off are the ones that actually work.

Good luck

[echrisconnor]

When re-assembling. Can you use thread lock on these fittings to keep them from seizing in the future?

[echrisconnor]

I meant anti-sieze, not thread lock... whoops

[Joe Bob]

The TTEG...Trailer Trash Engineering Group recommends....

Vise grips.....then we use long pipes that slip ove the end of the vise grips and two "engineers".....one pushes, the other pulls.....usually works. AT least on the 74 and 83 lines we broke loose.....

Good Luck.

[KTL]

Most definitely use antiseize!

That's what I did. Especially on the connections at the thermostat, the oil cooler, and that two piece oil line joint between the motor sump and the thermostat.

[RickM]

Wouldn't the TTEG consider using one of those big a** pipe wrenches?

[Joe Bob]

Nope...then we would be plumbers.....my a$$ crack is not big enough yet....