oil line question 4.5

[kickstart111]

72 280sel 4.5 .some great mechanic tried to fix a broke oil line by putting a bolt in the head where the oil line goes.(dumb***)anyway what i need to know is the right way to hook the line up.is it a nipple with a compression fitting?or do i just need a compression fitting? after of course i make sure the threads are good.car is oiling ok just like to see it on a gauge

[ctaylor738]

I probably broke because the line is plastic and gets very brittle. The right way to fix it is to buy the fitting and the plastic line from a dealer. You need to pull the instrument cluster out to attach the line to the gauge. I had to do this on an SL and it was around $120 for the parts.

You can try a compression fitting, but I suggest one with a sleeve that fits up into the line to reinforce it from breaking again. The trouble is, the plastic line is so stiff and hard from heat and age that it won't compress to allow the fitting to seal.

[kickstart111]

Do it the right way? who ever heard of that?i didnt know if maybe it was something of a special fitting or what. i had already planed on replacing line and all .Thanks

[Tomguy]

I'd suggest getting a line from a junker but I've heard of people doing that and having it crack either in transport or during dis/reassembly (People = me)...

I'd test the line with compressed air, if it leaks out don't reconnect but it might not be bad, it just may have had a head job and a lazy or incompetent mechanic who didnt know it went there