• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

Oil cooler line time..... Opinion?

Tookie

Tookie

Member
Messages
360
Reaction score
0
Location
Port Vincent, Louisiana
I have put up with oil leaks under my truck for a long time, but recently
I had a larger puddle than normal overnight - upon checking, it appears
that one of the stock cooler lines (which I replaced about 3 years ago)
has a leak, or maybe a crack, right at the area of the crimp.
I am gonna go to the hydraulic shop and have a couple of hoses made,
I know I can find the fittings for the block, but not sure if I can find the
ones to fit the cooler. If not, I plan on cutting the hard line after it curves
toward the back of the truck. My question is, would it be better to use a
compression fitting, or flare the line to adapt to it?
This tubing may be too brittle for flaring, not sure.
I know, I can buy a kit, but the hoses and fittings will be less than 100.00,
really can't afford the kit if I can help it (not to mention it galls me to have
to buy a cooler for no reason)
If I find the fittings, I'll post up here what I've got.
P:S: Also pulled off the turbo return line fitting at the block, been leaking
there for a while too - gonna put RTV, new gasket and hose
 
Tookie said:
I know, I can buy a kit, but the hoses and fittings will be less than 100.00,
really can't afford the kit if I can help it (not to mention it galls me to have
to buy a cooler for no reason)
Click to expand...

:iagree:
I checked with a couple of suppliers, and they won't sell me just the lines and fittings.:icon_bs:

It's their business. I was in business, and would rather have SOME of a customers money than to have none, as they go elsewhere to fulfull a need, not a luxury.

I'm in the same boat, and look forward to the fitting sizes. Thanks for your efforts.
 
IIRC, the fitting to the cooler is weird or not standard, one of those GM inventions.

That is why the supplier, Leroy and Greg sells the whole kit with the cooler that can accept standard fitting. Not that they don't want to sell you just the fitting, they could not find those fittings.

I could be wrong, that is based on what I have read over the years. It is like those connector to the PMD which we could not find for a long time.
 
I used this connector that I got from NAPA to go from a hydraulic hose to my stock cooler. The brand of the connector is EATON and the part number isn't clear in the picture but it is P/N C5315X8.
Coolerfitting2.jpg

CoolerFiitting.jpg
 
I tried cutting the hard lines where they went toward the back of the truck but the alluminum lines were corroded where they went into the connector at the cooler and they cracked. I noticed it was leaking after a test drive and when I just pulled on it the alluminum line broke completely loose, I really dodged a bullet on that one. The only other thing I will say about the hydraulic lines is that they are pretty bulky to make fit up in there. My truck is a 4X4 and I had to remove the oil filter adapter and go with a remote oil filter to make them fit.
 
Ok. I can help with this one. I used to work for a hydraulics company and we did alot of oil cooler line repairs. the factory hose is crap and isn't rated for the engine temperature so failure is so common. another problem is just after the crimp is a weak point in a hydraulic hose and that is where these hoses usually leak.

The easiest and cheapest way is to cut and chisel the aluminum crimped sockets off where the rubber hose is attached to the aluminum lines. The paired end can be pryed apart slightly so you can get it into the vise to work on it if you need to.

to cut the crimp socket you put it in a vise long ways and cut as far down as you can. Use a good sharp chisel and slowly chisel and work the socket off. at the top of the crimped end, the socket is crimped into the double flared piece of tube. Use patience here and the socket will come off in one piece.

the hose size ( don't hold me to it cuz its been awhile ) is 13/32. this is a -8 size for 100r5 hose ( don't worry a hydraulic shop knows what 100r5 is ) a standard automotive multi use hose. or -8 braided stainless fuel line hose for race cars are the same ( braided hose is alot more money though but for a couple of ft. it won't hurt and is a little easier to work with. you can cut it to length and clamp it back up with a desent hose clamp.


You can also use a hose called push lock although it isn't the exact inner diameter needed it clamps really easy and should seal fine.

This should cost you no more than $20 dollars and will be better than standard replacements because the hose itself is the failure.
 
try not to cut the hard line itself as it is metric and if you cut the line you will need to find a metric compression fitting. they are expensive and then you might as well just buy new lines at that point.
 
OK, after spending all day going to different hydraulic hose shops,
the closest thing I found was an A/C line fitting, and that was only
available (in stock) with an ell configuration, and included the charging
port. I have been daily driving my Jeep for the last week, I have one more
day off before I work all weekend, and maybe more, depending on overtime.
I don't want to drive the Jeep another week, so......
I went to NAPA, factory type replacement hoses will be here in the morning,
about 85 bucks for both - only one of them was leaking, but I'm already under
there, covered with oil, so I'm playing it safe.
If the factory hoses used steel tubes, I would have cut it flush with the hose,
and used a compression fitting to adapt to hydraulic hoses, but I was afraid
the aluminum would become brittle eventually.
And the rubber hose that connects the turbo drain to the block fitting was much
thicker than the replacements I can find???
 
Tookie said:
OK, after spending all day going to different hydraulic hose shops,
the closest thing I found was an A/C line fitting, and that was only
available (in stock) with an ell configuration, and included the charging
port. I have been daily driving my Jeep for the last week, I have one more
day off before I work all weekend, and maybe more, depending on overtime.
I don't want to drive the Jeep another week, so......
I went to NAPA, factory type replacement hoses will be here in the morning,
about 85 bucks for both - only one of them was leaking, but I'm already under
there, covered with oil, so I'm playing it safe.
If the factory hoses used steel tubes, I would have cut it flush with the hose,
and used a compression fitting to adapt to hydraulic hoses, but I was afraid
the aluminum would become brittle eventually.
And the rubber hose that connects the turbo drain to the block fitting was much
thicker than the replacements I can find???
Click to expand...

This is why after:

1.)all of my running around, a few days worth
2.)trying compression fittings only to have alluminum line crack
3.)finally finding the right oil cooler to JIC connectors (listed in above post) and having to have the hoses recrimped with JIC connectors
4.)then finding out I had to do a remote oil filter because the lines were too bulky to fit with the 4X4 oil filter adapter.

I said that if I had it to do over again I would have just bought the kit from one of the suppliers. In the end it was a pain in the butt but the bright side for me was that I ended up with a remote oil filter and my oil leak fixed for about what the kit from the supplier would have cost.
 
My post #24 shows what you are looking for sizes wise (follow the link in that post) and fonecop1 has posted what is obviously an Eaton equivalent.

http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?t=8241&highlight=cooler&page=2

To be honest as I have posted before about this style DIY conversion in hindsight buying a kit is the cheapest way to go as mirrored by fonecop1. It was only cheaper for me price wise because I got trade pricing on the parts from my hydraulic supplier.

Cheers
Nobby
 
x3 on the pre-made kits. I can't stand the day of running around parts hunting........ nothing worse IMO. So many better uses of time.

May get the brain workin if a line blows and the fastest way possible is replacement line, but I doub't mine will unthread out of the cooler anyhow.....

Cooler kit is a very very good preventive maint job/item to buy and install. One that I havn't done, I meant to this year, but I did so many other things... Ended up just puttinga diaper around the weep, and forgot all about it.....:)
 
I don't care who you are, you should NEVER EVER reuse the aluminium line, it just can't take being crimped, it collapses over time causing the dreaded leak and eventual boom.

When redoing your turbo drain, don't use heater use, buy silicone hose, it won't swell up and block your oil drain.

I managed to make my own lines on one van, took me 3 hours finding fittings but then on another with an external cooler, I could not find any fittings that would work, just bought the kit off here, so much easier, :thumbsup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top