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Cooler Line R&R went bad

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fonecop1

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Well I decided to tackle my leaking cooler lines this weekend. When I talked to the Napa guy a couple weeks ago he said he could make up a couple of hydraulic lines for about $25 each so I figured I'd give that a try since many others have had good luck going this way. I cut the lines loose from the cooler just below the radiator where I planned to use compression fittings. I took the lines out and hauled them to Napa, when he asked me if I wanted the lines a little longer or the same size I thought I may need a little extra so we made them 47 inches.

When I put it together the hydraulic fittings and line take up a lot of room where the filter adapter and filter fit in so I planned to go with a remote filter. Till I get the remote setup I just removed the adapter and left the front drive shaft out. There was a little extra line that kind of dipped down where the skid plate would be just like the factory lines did. Since the hydraulic line is so stiff it was kind of pulling down on the alluminum lines so I bent the lines back up about where they should be. I left the skid plate out and drove it to town and when I got there it had begun to drip so I figured I would have to tighten the compression fittings when I got home. I got home and crawled under it and noticed the leak was running down the line from the cooler. What had happened was that the alluminum lines had cracked at the connector where it goes into the cooler because of the stress from the new lines pulling down I guess.

I took the connectors out of the cooler and the lines were froze up and just twisted off. The connectors look kind of funky and I'm not sure that the parts store will have such a thing. I guess plan A would be to get new connectors and steel lines to just replace the alluminum and go right back to the compression fittings hoping it would hold up.
 
Lubrication specialist makes a great oil cooler line kit that will end your oil leak problems permently. Their kit includes a new oil cooler that bolts to the factory oil cooler brackets. Or you can risk your engine on the crappy aluminum factory line. Engines are a dime a dozen aren't they? $236.90 delivered to my door. All braided stainless lines that are rated for the temps that the engine oil can reach. www. lubricationspecialist.com
 
You're keeping the factory aluminum lines and using compression fittings? If you want to keep the factory junk, take the lines off and have some hoses crimped on at an AC or hydraulic hose shop. You'll likely need to have fittings welded onto the ends of the aluminum; the original crimp process deforms the metal. I would definitely not use compression fittings. ...maybe some double flare fittings, but not compression fittings. I also would not keep the factory connections at the block. You're just asking for them to blow out on the freeway at the start of your vacation 500 miles from home and leave you stranded with a blown engine.

x2 for the Lubrication Specialist kit. Why bother with all the hassle to modify the factory junk and keep the quick-disconnect fittings? Do it right; do it once.
 
Since you have lines, just order a b&m cooler, you can get it in the same size as your factory cooler, but get it with 1/2" npt female fittings instead of the funky metric with oring seal the oem uses.
 
IMO get rid of factory set up completely, bad design all way around, I have lube specs lines on both of my 6.5s, too many failures reported with factory fittings that have let go to give me a warm fuzzy keeping them.
 
I started to end my post by saying if I had it to do over again I would do the lube specialist kit buy I'm already invested now. I did replace the factory lines with hydraulic and 90's into the block. The Napa guys recommended that I go with compression fittings over flares at the cooler end because he said the alluminum would crack when you try to flare it.
 
i had a similar issue just go to a semi shop ask for a transmision cooler with 1/2inch pipe thread and they will show you a huge selection of sizes and cooling capacity get one that fits in place and your done cheaper than stock or the lube kit.
 
fonecop1 said:
I started to end my post by saying if I had it to do over again I would do the lube specialist kit buy I'm already invested now. I did replace the factory lines with hydraulic and 90's into the block. The Napa guys recommended that I go with compression fittings over flares at the cooler end because he said the alluminum would crack when you try to flare it.
Click to expand...

I misunderstood. I thought you were crimping at the block end and keeping those stupid blow-out fittings.

The cooler that came in my Lube Specialist kit is a "True-Cool" brand oil cooler. The tag reads, OC-M7B, (part number M7B ?) and is called a "SPCL TRANS/ENG COOLER". You might could find a replacement (as mentioned by several other folks) at your local parts store or truck shop.

Or at Racer Parts Wholesale. They have one that looks right, going by the dimensions, fitting size, and row count. I Googled "true cool oil cooler oc-m7b" to find the one at Racer Parts Wholesale. I'd post the link, but I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of advertising policy.
 
I think I might salvage my cooler. The Napa guy came up with a couple of adapters that I think will seal up into the stock cooler and provide a 1/2 in flare fitting on the other side. I went to a hydraulic shop and got a couple of 2 ft sections of 1/2 in steel tubing that the Napa guy flared for me to connect to those adapters. Now I will need to find a bender that will bend the steel line and I believe If I can get that steel tubing bent to where the hydraulic lines already want to be I think I'll be in business. The steel would connect to the hydraulic lines with compression fittings since that's what the hydralic lines have on them already and I don't really want to take them out to have them redone.

If I run into trouble I am going to buy that True Cool cooler with 1/2 in NPT.

Mitchedo why not compression fittings? Are they unreliable?

Thanks, Guys
 
Tim,
where did you locate your remote/bypass filters on your truck? I see Rodd did his on the passenger side outside frame rail and Matuva did his in the engine bay just wondering where you went.
Thanks,
Bob
 
Hi Bob. Joining in a little late here.

It's not that the compression fittings are unreliable, in my experience; it's that the aluminum lines coming down off the stock cooler crush under compression and crack. Swagelok fittings on steel line are great, but that isn't the issue here.

I hope you get it igured out; you might also be able to just get the cooler from Greg at Lubricationspecialist... his kit is a fair bit cheaper than the DSG one, so it stands to reason his cooler would be, too.

Leo (NVM) also did the hydraulic lines thing, but i think he got the right fittings for his stock cooler to just screw them on. You might want to squirt him a PM and see.

Jim
 
Well, colour me gullible. I thought you found fittings for those bizarre o-ring guys?

There was a big discussion on here about whether the Aluminum lines would accept compression fittings and the concensus was it wasn't a real great idea.

Guess we were wrong, huh? Lol.
 
JiFaire said:
Well, colour me gullible. I thought you found fittings for those bizarre o-ring guys?

There was a big discussion on here about whether the Aluminum lines would accept compression fittings and the concensus was it wasn't a real great idea.

Guess we were wrong, huh? Lol.
Click to expand...

The comp. fittings work well, don't over tighten them as that may cause problems. I just snugged them and checked for leaks and never had any.
Leo​
 
NVW said:
The comp. fittings work well, don't over tighten them as that may cause problems. I just snugged them and checked for leaks and never had any.
Leo​
Click to expand...
Worked ditto for me.I tried all over hell to find steel adapters to go in the cooler,no luck!
 
AlbertaRedneck said:
I did find the proper fittings for the factory cooler at Princess Auto. They are an #8ORB? IIRC...
Click to expand...

Was that an adapter that brought it out to a flare fitting or something? Or did you still have to get the bubble on the line that goes up into the cooler? In the beginning the Napa guy planned to reuse the original connectors and flare that bubble on the line but he found out he didn't have the die to do the 1/2 in bubble thing.
 
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