Oil Cooler Lines - AGAIN! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TomJ · #1 11-11-2003, 07:01 PM

Yet another way to deal with these things.

Was going to install new, factory cooler lines (my lower was leaking like a sieve, upper was seeping) and tore everything down to that point, even removed the filter stand (holder) to replace that gasket too.

My luck with MB dealers/parts houses is going from bad to worse. Now the guy I ordered parts from (sells on ebay) says the parts I paid for three weeks ago (with cash in paypal) were shipped and gets hostile with me when I ask about tracking.

Need to get things done and WILL NOT have this hulk sitting in the driveway all winter (and probably summer) waiting for parts that never come, dealers who never refund, etc.

Decided to mod my oil lines to effect an easier removal next time they need work.

Took my old lines up to a place in Greeley that makes hydraulic lines, but the 15mm tubing pretty much discarded that idea. So I bought some REALLY tough looking hydraulic line from them (it says airbrake line, but they claim it's good for oil?) that is steel braided internally and seems like it should last forever.

Here's the line:

The steel tubing was cut and a 1/2x3/8 NPT adapter was machined out (turned the ID of the 3/8 end large enough for a slip fit on the oil tubing) for the tubing. The tube was then silver soldered into the fitting.

Next thing is to tighten the barb fitting for the hose into the soldered adapter:

will cut the hose to fit tomorrow when I have the oil filter stand back in and take pics of the install.

BTW, if I were to do this again and ONLY needed to change the oil lines, I would just cut the hell out of them to get them out and not unbolt a single thing (except for the ends that mate to the filter housing and the cooler). Then do this same thing.

The hose I used was $5.80/ft (ouch!), I'm thinking regular tranny cooler line would work fine for this app.

kerry · #2 11-11-2003, 09:13 PM

I seem to recall an old post where someone wrote about making up flexible hydraulic hoses to replace the originals. Can you say more about why the person you went to couldn't do it?

TomJ · #3 11-12-2003, 12:13 AM

The shop had 1/2" and 5/8" fittings for crimping hydraulic lines to steel tubing, but neither would work for 15mm (one too small and one too big). They have really sturdy sst hose clamps (360 deg clamps like the orig merc clamps on the vac lines and such - I'll post pics tomorrow) that should do fine on the barbed ends.

This way also leaves me free to take it apart to add another cooler inline if I want or to easily blow out all the oil.

TomJ · #4 11-12-2003, 09:00 PM

Cont'd.....

The line is cut off so that there's enough straight length to run the fitting onto it:

Here's mods to the fitting so the 15mm oil line will fit:

Fitting is inserted, then the line is flared to keep solder from flowing through to the threads:

Fitting is then silver soldered to the line:

You can see that the solder flows all the way into the fitting and up to the end of the line:

Here's the finished "filter" ends of the lines, ready for install (good thing snow's coming tomorrow, eh?):

kerry · #5 11-12-2003, 09:29 PM

Are you implying that hydraulic shops don't have the correct fittings to make up a hose which would attach to the fittings on an MB? Is that why you used the existing fittings? Surely there must be a lot of Asian backhoes and such in the country that require metric hoses??