Oil pipe replacement

[Guest]

I am in the process of replacing the two oil lines from the oil thermostat to the engine and the oil tank, just one small problem with this, I can't get any of the oil unions free!
I have tried long levers, a plumber's torch for a heat source, I had them soaking in penetrating oil over the winter lay off , with no success at all.
Does anyone have any ideas or tricks of the trade etc. that I may try? Unfortunately I live in a very remote part of the UK, so I do not have easy access to specialized engineering services, plus the car is no longer drivable due to the oil slick that follows it around!

Thanks in advance

Richard

 

[bones]

It's common for the these unions to seize solid and refuse to budge at all despite heat and penetrating oil. Maybe Berny will chip in with a tip, try reposting in the early register section. The outcome is often replacement of the thermostat as when the unions are eventually removed by brute force they strip the thermostat's threads, I have heard of a rethread kit but I don't have any first hand knowledge of it.

 

[Guest]

Hi Richard,
I had the same problem when I replaced my oil pipes the unions were very tight .
I recommend you use very rigid spanners, that is spanners that will not flex and you will need to hold the thermostat housing as well to stop it turning, once you have applied the force hit the spanner on the union nut with a hammer to "crack" the joint. The object is to apply the force where it is needed, this worked for me.
For your information when I replaced the flexible hoses at the front oil cooler the spanner idea did not work therefore I had to split the nuts on one side using a hack saw i.e.cut through one of the flats parallel to the pipe, I did saw into the threads of the union but it is only local and you can file the damaged threads with a needle file to repair. Just be careful not to file the sealing cone.
If all fails using the spanner idea you could split the nuts as I did although the access is difficult, I found that although the nuts are cad plated they were still rusted on the threads but once the seal had been releases the nuts came undone. Either use a junior hack saw or a standard blue blade shortened to say 6inches long held at one end.
Hope this helps
Cheers
John

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the info John and Pete, I am off to try the hacksaw method, hopefully with a light touch, as I don't fancy forking out for a new thermostat. Watch this space for an update! Hopefully with good news.

Regards

Richard

 

[Guest]

Richard,
Good luck with the hack saw method and take your time.
Another tip for you.
When you have split the nut insert a large wide bladed screwdriver into the slot you have just cut and turn it by hand or with a spanner on the screwdriver blade to open the nut. You only need to open the nut slightly say 0.1mm to "crack" the joint, then put WD40 into the slot and let is penetrate for a couple of hours. You should now be able to unscrew the nut.
Good luck
John

 

[Guest]

John and Pete

Here is an update on my progress:

Firstly I removed the complete oil system from the oil cooler backwards, having previously cut the two damaged oil pipes in half, then I used a small angle grinder with a thin metal cutting blade, which I used to cut a groove in the union nut, until the shadow of the threads appeared. Next a oxyacetylene torch was used in the groove for four to five seconds, to make the cut expand, and very quickly a small cold chisel and hammer was used until the nut started to crack and move.
WD40 was applied, and then a spanner or shifter completed the job. And no damage at all, to the threads on the thermostat.

I hope this might help others, regards,

Richard

 

[Guest]

Richard,
Well done, a successful conclusion.
John