Oil cooler project. Was: Oil cooler fitting woes
 

Got this stuff today to replace the cooler end of my oil cooler setup.
Attachment 194049
I'm not sure if this video will work, but I'll give it a shot. This is with the collar threaded all the way in.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...IMG_0410-1.jpg
It looks like this, so I thought it was working right, but the collar threads all the way on by hand, and then obviously pulls right off.
Attachment 194050
Attachment 194051
Pretty sure I'm installing it right, but I haven't done one of these fittings for years, since I did my oil drain. Am I missing something? Is the hose the wrong size? Or is the reason I'm replacing the ends (cheap leaking Chinese crap) going to make these fittings not work?

That looks exactly like an ebay kit someone asked me to install for them a few years back. The lines exploded instantly. We replaced the lines with quality ones and the fittings blew off the oil cooler.
Your cooler may be constructed better, but I would not even use that line on any car.

The cooler is now this one:
http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/p...ol_Oil_Coolers
With the lower end (yet quality) Mocal fittings from racerpartswholesale.com Very please with all the stuff I got from them, and not worried about it.

The lines, old cooler, fittings, and sandwich plate are all from a $160 CXracing Ebay kit, as you said. It's held up great, no exploding lines, although one of the fittings at the oil cooler started leaking about a month or two ago. Hence the replacement, which I was hoping to splice into the current lines.

As is, it looks like I'll be spending another $80 at Summitracing.com to replace the hose, the 90* fittings on the other end, and 1/2NPT->-8AN adapters for the sandwich plate. In order to get the thing tightened and sealed properly, I had to remove the motor last time (had to reseal the oil pan anyways). This time, I'll most likely have to drain the coolant and remove the head. So my $135 fix just turned in to roughly $235 and two or three times the labor. Awesome.

Anyone know a place online where 10' of -8 stainless steel hose, 2 -8AN 90* fittings, and 2 1/2"NPT->-8AN adapters comes out to less than $75 before shipping?

summitracing.com

Oops, forgot to say that's where I'm getting the $75 quote. I did RPW because they had the good oil cooler choices, but for just the NPT->AN adapters, 90* hose ends, and 10' of -8 hose Summit is cheaper.

I'm honestly a little on the fence. Sounds dumb but there's a local guy with a running 1985 Honda Aero 50 for $80. I could buy both, or take my sandwich plate out and hold this oil cooler project for later. Not like I need it in the winter anyways. Or I could ignore the scooter. But that sounds like more fun. I'm honestly not going to notice the difference in oil coolers. I will notice the difference between a Miata and a scooter.

Check and see if there is a local hose supply or hydraulics shop or something near by. Those kinds of places are where I've always found the best deals for SS lines. And they generally build the lines for you so the ends are machine crimped.

Curly, did you cut the line? Did you duct tape it before cutting it?

That was not built properly at all. The braid should be flush with the end of the hose and cleanly cut.

It was tightly wrapped in electrical tape before being cut by my angle grinder. The stainless wrap sprung out like that after slipping the collar on and removing the tape before attempting to seal it. I made it a bit worse when I jammed it back on for the video. The red/blue fittings I bought, which I know are -8 AN, do not thread onto the oil cooler, nor does it look like the angles of the flares match, so I'm guessing it's not actually -8 lines like I thought they were, just a cheap imitation.

I'd have a hydraulic shop make them, but it'd be way too much work to try and accurately measure line length. I'm ordering the replacement parts now.

maybe just shitty braided line. I got mine from Summit and it went right on.

i have some wicked high pressure oil push on lines if you want. pm me.

same thing happened to me, a location hose shop charged me $6 to attacked 4 fillings. took me 2 hours to fail. shows you what my time was worth.

Its the way the ebay hose is made. It is a standard rubber hose with a stainless cover.

I don't think it's rubber hose at all, look how thin it is. It's more of a cheap irrigation hose or something. I'm spending the $85ish for new stainless steel hose, and 2 more 90* fittings and NPT adapters for the other end of the hose.

The AN fittings are designed to go on a specific type of hose -- that hose looks like it's the wrong size. The cutter on the fitting is designed to cut into the middle of the hose so that the inner part slides into the gap, and the outer part goes over it. Hard to describe, but if you were to take a properly-made fitting apart again and look end-on at the hose, you'd see a slit all the way around. (BTW, if you do this then you have to cut the end of the hose off to reattach it, you can't just put it back together).

My advice is to buy the Earl's hose from Summit. It's expensive, but that's because it's made right.

--Ian

I'd also opt for the nylon braided hose instead of the stainless. The stainless will abrade through everything it touches. Plus, the nylon hose is much easier to work with.

--Ferdi

Done and done. Hose and fittings are on their way, I'll post up a few pictures once I'm done. It'll be a while though, since it looks like I'll have to remove my intake manifold to properly get to the oil cooler sandwich. Which involves draining the coolant. FML.

The result of 86 more dollars, including a free razor:
Attachment 193881
Went with steel fittings to save about $10, and they come with a little brass bushing
I did install one of the other fittings, I swear to christ I better not have any problems with these. I haven't tried yet since I'm still working on dissassembling before I cut the line to length. It won't pull off at all now:
Attachment 193882
I didn't want to over-torque the fitting, but should the collar be flush? It's pretty tight right now.

Next concern is that my sandwich plate appears to have gaskets on the fittings. So either there's a needless gasket or I'll have to re-tap for 1/2NPT. I'm praying for needless gaskets.

Also, anyone know if I can remove the filter and sandwich plate without draining the oil? It should all be in the pan, right?

Are you sure those steel fittings are for that hose? Usually the fittings with the brass ferrules are for high-pressure teflon lines.

On all the hoses I have assembled, the collar sits flush with the fitting.

What brand sandwich plate? I know Mocal uses 1/2" BSP fittings that are not tapered, so that's why they have sealing washers. 1/2"NPT fittings will thread and seal into the 1/2"BSP ports, but you have to be careful not to over tighten and crack the housing.

Yes, you can remove the sandwich plate without draining the oil.

--Ferdi

It's a no-name eBay sandwich plate. I'll be careful when I thread them in, and I always use Teflon goo. I'm really worried the steel fittings are wrong too. I bought them to save a couple bucks, I hope I didn't over look the fact that theyre for another type of line. The way this project is going I wouldn't be surprised.


Good to know about the oil, that's one less fluid I have to drain.