Friggin shop says there is no way to replace hose on oil cooler lines !@#$%^&* - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ebrobb · #1 11-07-2013, 01:21 PM

Ok, so the starter went out on my wife's 87 300D-T, it had been sounding sick for awhile, so while taking it off to deliver it to a starter rebuild shop in my area, I noticed the inside of the driver's tire and suspension was soaked with engine oil, I could see where it was wet behind the panel that encloses the oil cooler. So I began taking the oil cooler lines off at the oil filter housing, which actually made it a lot easier to get to the wiring on the starter anyway. I extracted the lines, and oil cooler as a unit because the lines wouldn't budge. I got the whole thing up on the workbench and began heating and trying to work the lines loose, using almost a whole can of Seafoam spray and WD-40 and PB Blaster, I tried it all. I finally got them off but in the process the threads on the cooler are messed up. I ordered the 'screwed nipples' from the dealer, they are supposed to be in tomorrow.

In the meanwhile, I went to 3 different shops that do hydraulic lines and they all have looked at the hose set like a monkey staring at a math problem and they tell me there is nothing that they can do. They want to make up an entire new hose with their own fittings and send me down the road, since they don't have the necessary fittings with a new crimp sleeve already attached there is nothing they can do. No one wants to even try to reuse the existing metal parts on either end.

I know I have read on this and other forums where it was no big deal, they just walked into a hydraulic hose shop and walked out with the rubber hoses replaced for less than $50.

Crap I worked at a NAPA store while in college, and we did hoses, it's not all that hard but no one will touch this deal.

Can anyone give me some ideas of what to do. I live near Des Moines, Iowa. I called a place in Kansas City that said they could probably do it, but that means shipping it there, waiting, blah, blah, blah.

Or am I just out $500 for a new line set.

Thanks

pawoSD · #2 11-07-2013, 01:24 PM

I would just use the proper line set. Having them made does not cost $50. We had some made for a 300SD a number of years ago and it was still nearly $120, and they were huge and thick and it made it difficult to install. Original lines are a much better solution.

1project2many · #3 11-07-2013, 01:30 PM

Quote:

I know I have read on this and other forums where it was no big deal, they just walked into a hydraulic hose shop and walked out with the rubber hoses replaced for less than $50.

The problem is this: the fittings, hose ID and OD, and crimp band are designed to work together. Mixing and matching can result in poor crimps or no crimp at all. There are many, many different manufacturers and hoses and it can be very difficult to determine just who / what manafacturer's system you're working with. I have to deal with this type of situation somewhat often.

I'd recommend finding a shop that does custom A/C work. Get a length of hose from them that fits snugly over the fittings. Then use dual hose clamps to clamp the line ends. If assembled carefully and properly it will work for years.

Junkman · #4 11-07-2013, 01:35 PM

Original lines are $200 for an SD. This site had the cheapest price I found. I have to find the repair nipple. My lower oil cooler fitting has a crack. Roy has a bunch of oil cooler threads.

jay_bob · #5 11-07-2013, 01:44 PM

Reach out to member mach4, he is from the aircraft field and used -AN10 line and fittings to rebuild the hoses on his OM617 engine. Granted that is completely different than an OM603 but the theory ought to be the same.

Simpler=Better · #6 11-07-2013, 01:47 PM

Find a "speed shop" or a radiator shop or a truck repair place.

The radiator shop I used for hard lines was incredible, fast, and cheap.

mach4 · #7 11-07-2013, 02:04 PM

I'm not familiar with the oil cooler setup on the 603s, so I don't know if my solution (custom 617 setup) might work in your case.

What I did was adapt aircraft style AN fittings and stainless braided oil lines for my cooler. Here's a link to the process

Cheap oil cooler hose replacement.

It does require brazing and drilling/tapping, so it might be too complex.

The primary advantage to this solution is that the fittings are reusable so if you ever need to replace the lines again you can just make up a new line yourself and be ready to go.

Again, I just don't know whether this would be a potential solution in your case, but one never knows.

mach4 · #8 11-07-2013, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

Reach out to member mach4, he is from the aircraft field and used -AN10 line and fittings to rebuild the hoses on his OM617 engine. Granted that is completely different than an OM603 but the theory ought to be the same.

Ha, I was obviously typing while you were posting...

compu_85 · #9 11-07-2013, 02:07 PM

The 603 setup has a "remote" oil cooler mounted in front of the wheel. Though different in execution the concept is the same, and I'd think your stainless retrofit would work fine.

-J

jay_bob · #10 11-07-2013, 02:22 PM

Both the OM61x and OM60x have the oil filter in about the same relative location, left rear of the block.

The coolers are different.
OM61x cooler is next to the radiator, tall and skinny.
OM60x cooler is behind the left bumper in front of the left tire. It is almost square.

The lines both start as hard lines at the filter housing. They transition to flex lines along their length at different points. The 61x is almost all hard line with a little flex line. The 60x is about 60/40 hard/flex.

You'll still have the same situation. You'll need to have adapters in the oil cooler ports. And you'll need to cut off the hard lines just past the crimps for the flexes and braze on adapters.

pgringo · #11 11-07-2013, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mach4

I'm not familiar with the oil cooler setup on the 603s, so I don't know if my solution (custom 617 setup) might work in your case.

What I did was adapt aircraft style AN fittings and stainless braided oil lines for my cooler. Here's a link to the process

Cheap oil cooler hose replacement.

It does require brazing and drilling/tapping, so it might be too complex.

The primary advantage to this solution is that the fittings are reusable so if you ever need to replace the lines again you can just make up a new line yourself and be ready to go.

Again, I just don't know whether this would be a potential solution in your case, but one never knows.

you forgot to mention..."and it looks EFFIN' SAHWEEET"

mach4 · #12 11-07-2013, 03:09 PM

Some people will say the stainless braided lines are not original - true enough, but let it be known that Mercedes has gone with braided stainless in their later engines.

Just upgrading to "current MB technology"

ebrobb · #13 11-07-2013, 04:17 PM

Thanks for the replies. I forgot to say in my original post, the hoses were not leaking the cooler was. I just figured it was a good time to get the rubber hoses replaced while getting the cooler fixed, that way everything was done all at the same time and hopefully good to go for awhile.

But seeing how it is not as simple as I originally thought, I may just put it all back together and save up my money to buy a replacement set. I wish I could find a set for $200, I would order them right now. The cheapest I have found on the net is $460 for my set.

I will have to pony up $280 for a cooler if the radiator shop can't fix it, that would bring the total to $740 for the whole job.

Now I understand why I have seen people bypass the cooler by cutting the hoses and connecting them back together in a loop.

If this car wasn't in such good condition I may consider it myself, or at least until I can save some $$$ toward new parts.

I do like the stainless steel braided hose idea, but I have no idea where to start ordering what fittings, sizes, adapters, etc. If I was familiar with that kind of stuff I'm sure it would work fine.

JB3 · #14 11-07-2013, 04:25 PM

you could always go aftermarket on the cooler. Those are quite cheap, and some have excellent reviews. Best part is many are available with AN fittings integral

Diesel911 · #15 11-07-2013, 04:35 PM

The Screwed Nipples for the 617.952 Oil Coolers may or may not fit your Oil Cooler.
The threads on the 617.952 Oil Cooler Nipples are 22x1.5.

The issue with the Hydraulic Shop. What the Shop does is expected to be warranted. They can only warrant parts and assemblies they know are going to work.

They could be Nice Guys and hobble something together for you. If the Hose comes apart and destroys an Engine some People would take them to court on that. Time lost having to appear in Court also equals Money Lost.
I have also seen on those Peoples Courts where Shops did something to help someone out. If the charged for what they did the Judge held them responsible for the outcome.
The Judge basically said that the Shop making Money even to help someone out should not be more important then doing the Job correctly and that the Shop should have refused to do the job.

Summer. If you want to do a Job to Help someone out don't accept any Money for the Job. If you accept Money for the Job do the Job correctly or don't do the job at all.

In one of those 3 long Oil Cooler Hose repair threads one of our Members used and Air Conditioning Hose, the AC Hose Collar Crimping Tool and the AC Hose Collars.
That seems expensive but at least you have a nice Crimping Tool set left over from the Job.

Also on the 617.952 Oil Cooler Hose the Oil Cooler Hose ID size is 15mm. In 4 years of looking on the internet all I can say is US Hose Companies do not make this size of Hose.

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