Oil Feed Line Troubles

[yottabit]

I knew I was leaking a little oil somehow, and now I have it pinpointed to the turbo oil feed line. (I found this out when I smelt burning oil and popped the hood to see the turbo smoking). So I've been driving my jeep for a while.

I was all ready to buy the SS lines from stinger, then I looked a little closer and found that the leak is only at threaded fitting the end of the line screws into. You know that 90 degree elbow that screws into the actual turbo housing, well oil bubbles up from that a little bit at idle and it must be significantly more under load.

I tried getting the oil line off from that elbow but I have the feeling its going to strip. I tried both cold and with the car heated up. It's almost like that elbow just needs to be tightened up a little more, it has a couple threads showing at the base.

Should I try to fix my stock oil line (it appears to be in very good shape) or should I just go right to a stainless steel replacement? And how hard is it to get to the back of the block and install the engine side of the feed line?

Is there a source for a new one of those little 90deg oil line elbows??









On a side note I started my internship (basically a full time job for 8 weeks) so the money is flowing in. I'm going to put it towards fixing the leak and upgrading power a little bit (3" dp and porting), and then hopefully redoing the entire suspension. I'm not rich, but I'm thinking the deflex poly bushings all around from opmd and stiffer springs from mc2racing to go with my kyb gas-a-just/gr2 shock/struts i have sitting around. Just gotta decide on that rear spring rate...

[mikerobison]

The 90 degree elbow is a standard 1/4 inch pipe elbow

[Mike McCreight]

Except where the oil line threads into it.
I use parts that totally eliminate the 90 deg fitting, and the clunky equivalent on the cylinder head that forces you to strip you knuckles and thread into a fitting you can't see. There's pics on my site (In sig).
I remove both of those fittings, and plumb in a manifold (It's anodized blue! ) THe oil line is a straight fitting at both ends, an Aeroquip an4 hose, and the manifold allows me to attach the oil pressure sender, the feed to my gauge, the feed to the turbo (up front, and on top where I can reach it!) and as there's flow through the manifold, the sender for my oil temp gauge. (manifolds are available with 2, 3 or 4 ports depending on your gauge situation)
I've sent out about a dozen so far.

[d red1]

Make sure you are using the correct type of wrench to take off the oil line. A typical box wrench will usually end-up rounding off the fitting, you need to use a flarenut/fitting wrench. I used to have the same problem with oil bubbling out of the 90° fitting all I did was take it off, clean the threads and apply some Red RTV. No problems since. I would try that first, DO NOT try to tighten the elbow one more turn, you will probably end up cracking the housing. Ask me how I know.

Oh, installing the engine side of the feed line can also be a roual pita. Deffinetly try the easy fix first.

[Maurice S]

My experiance has been that if what you decrribes happens you must take off both sides...then start both sides and do two threads alternating from the oil sender to the turbo...a pain in the a$$...but you may be able to save it...if not then try the stinger one,,,best to use the flair wrench, I bought a cheap one and cut it short for the oil sender side. Good luck.

[Ed Lijewski]

Is there a source for a new one of those little 90deg oil line elbows??

I looked for a replacement at parts store shelves and hardware stores without success. Then, on a whim, I asked the counterguy at an Autozone if they had such items (I had my old one with me to match with a new one) and he whipped out a metal box with various fittings from udner the counter and, Voila, it contained one with the same female and male end threads, although slightly shorter than the OEM fitting. But, it worked without any issues. About $1.00, IIRC.

YMMV

[thesameguy]

Except where the oil line threads into it.
I use parts that totally eliminate the 90 deg fitting, and the clunky equivalent on the cylinder head that forces you to strip you knuckles and thread into a fitting you can't see. There's pics on my site (In sig).
I remove both of those fittings, and plumb in a manifold (It's anodized blue! ) THe oil line is a straight fitting at both ends, an Aeroquip an4 hose, and the manifold allows me to attach the oil pressure sender, the feed to my gauge, the feed to the turbo (up front, and on top where I can reach it!) and as there's flow through the manifold, the sender for my oil temp gauge. (manifolds are available with 2, 3 or 4 ports depending on your gauge situation)
I've sent out about a dozen so far.

So you're using flexible hose out to the turbo? Do you keep the threaded feed fitting on the turbo, or do you switch to a standard T3 flange? Any comments about the merit of flange vs. threaded fitting?

[yottabit]

Make sure you are using the correct type of wrench to take off the oil line. A typical box wrench will usually end-up rounding off the fitting, you need to use a flarenut/fitting wrench. I used to have the same problem with oil bubbling out of the 90° fitting all I did was take it off, clean the threads and apply some Red RTV. No problems since. I would try that first, DO NOT try to tighten the elbow one more turn, you will probably end up cracking the housing. Ask me how I know.

Oh, installing the engine side of the feed line can also be a roual pita. Deffinetly try the easy fix first.

Ah, I was wondering if such a wrench existed. I did start to round over the corners so I stopped in my tracks and decided to wait for better equipment, hopefully I can get it off. I have my ways...

This way I can spend less money on metal lines and more money on whiptastic handling

[Ed Lijewski]

They're also called "line" wrenches. Harbor Freight has inexpensive sets of them.

YMMV

[Freejack]

Another little hint, when using the line wrenches:

If the fitting is being a bugger, put the line wrench on, then clamp a vice grip around it. That will keep the wrench from expanding and allowing the fitting to round, which can be a problem with the cheapy wrenches.

Jake

[Mike McCreight]

Except where the oil line threads into it.
I use parts that totally eliminate the 90 deg fitting, and the clunky equivalent on the cylinder head that forces you to strip you knuckles and thread into a fitting you can't see. There's pics on my site (In sig).
I remove both of those fittings, and plumb in a manifold (It's anodized blue! ) THe oil line is a straight fitting at both ends, an Aeroquip an4 hose, and the manifold allows me to attach the oil pressure sender, the feed to my gauge, the feed to the turbo (up front, and on top where I can reach it!) and as there's flow through the manifold, the sender for my oil temp gauge. (manifolds are available with 2, 3 or 4 ports depending on your gauge situation)
I've sent out about a dozen so far.

So you're using flexible hose out to the turbo? Do you keep the threaded feed fitting on the turbo, or do you switch to a standard T3 flange? Any comments about the merit of flange vs. threaded fitting?

Yup, no more hard lines for me. Once you've had one spring a leak in the middle of nowhere, that's it.
You sorta lost me on the flange thing.. I just lose the 90 deg. fitting and go straight in with a 1/8" fitting on an an4 hose. Here's a vintage pic! It's at least 4 years old, judging by the old IC plumbing etc..

[Baldy_54]

Mike, looking at the pictures of the blue hoses, it looks like you do not have hose clamps on some of them. First of all what are the blue hoses made of? Secondly are you using some kind of glue on some of them?

[Ed Lijewski]

In Canada, engine coolant never gets warm enough to expand and leak around hose connections...

YMMV

[Baldy_54]

I guess I asked for that.

[Mike McCreight]

Magic hose!
Actually, the pic was taken mid-installation. They're silicone from a Canadian manufacturer... Hey, how 'bout the invisible struts!
C'mon up, Ed, and stay in my guest igloo before it melts!
It's 90 f here today....