Thread: OIL Cooler Lines Leaking

Heres a can of worms...Any one ever found a way to stop the engine oil cooler lines from leaking all over their driveway, Other than the usuall replacement @ $200.00 a set. Has any one taken them off and found a way to mount the filter on a 97 6.5TDI Im on my third set in a year no more warranty and I'm tired of buying them from GM
Any help would be appreciated.

You can take the old hoses to a place that makes hoses
and have them cut the swedges off and put better quality hoses on
In california I use the Hose Man.

If your lines are failing at the factory crimp behind the grill there is a quick and easy fix.

1) PULL GRILL ASSEMBLY AND CUT OUT FACTORY CRIMP WITH HOSE CUTTER AND TUBING CUTTER ON ALUM END
2) TAKE A BRAKE LINE FLARING TOOL TO THE ALUM LINE TO SWEDGE IT BIGGER
3) PUSH THE HOSE OVER YOU SWEDGE AND DOUBLE CLAMP IT WITH HOSE CLAMPS.

OR IF YOU HAVE TIME

FIND YOUR LOCAL HOSE DEALER TO SELL YA PARKER -6 RE-USEABLE HOSE ENDS - GATES MAKES THEM ALSO

4) BUY A FEMALE PIPE NPTF AND THE ADAPTER TO PLACE ON ALUM LINE
5) FLARE OUT THE LINE AFTER INSTALLING FITTING
6) INSTALL RE-USABLE END & CLAMP ON RUBBER SIDE
7) WRENCH BOTH ENDS TOGETHER

IF YOUR LINES ARE LEAKING AT THE BLOCK PULL EM OFF AND HAVE THE HOSE SHOP FAB UP NEW LINES OUT OF HYDRALIC HOSE.

ANY HEAVY EQUIPMENT DEALER OR FORKLIFT SHOP CAN DO IT FOR YA - PLAN ON SPENDING $75-125 FOR BOTH HOSES-ANY MORE THAT THAT THEY ARE HOSING YOU AT THE COUNTER LIKE GM!!!!!

HAVIN OVER 20 GM'S IN MY FLEET AT WORK I HAVE MASTERED THE COOLER LINE HEADACHES ON THE 6.5L's
1

Mine use to leak, I bought a bottle of some stop oil leak treatment stuff. I didn't think it was working while it was still in there because I was still loosing oil. But after the next oil change It hasn't leaked a single drop after that. Cost me about 5 bucks at autozone.

I did as JONESTRUCKS stated (trimmed off the aluminum crimp at the connection between the aluminum tubing and rubber hose and clamped with a couple of hose clamps.

Been working like a charm for a couple of years, cost nothing other than four small hose clamps.

Even if you trim off the crimp and replace it with hose clamps you still run the risk of the clip breaking on the block end of the line and dumping all your oil very quickly (at 65 mph your motor is usually toast by the time you notice it and get stopped). I replaced the block sweivel end with a 3/8 brass ell (there is not clearance for a steel standard street ell) then I had a local shop make me new hoses out of their Stainless Steel outer Teflon inner liner hose. Or you can just use standard 3/8 hydraulc lines from Tractor supply. I chose the stainless hose because of the heat from the exhaust manifold.

Decisions Decisions ...stop leak to hydralic hoses..yes there leaking at the crimp below the radiator, I think I'm going to find some sotra leak gunk, while I sorurce a place that can make me up some lines..Thank-you all for your information.

Injected Mike, I fixed the lines on my 96 6.5 c1500 by cutting off the factory crimp and installing hose clamps. this fixed my leaks.
Ken.

A long time ago a person on this forum wrote about this. Here is what he said what is happening; and I believe him 100%. This guy REALLY thought out the problem.

He said the new hoses are installed wrong. Yep, that's what he said. I thought how in the hell can you install a hose wrong???? He explained. The average person, or even a trained tech will take the new hose and screw one end to the engine. Then he will screw the other end to the cooler. When he does this the flair nut will get tight and start to twist the hose. When you tighten the nut tight it will put the hose in a twist which loads the hose to crimp on fitting. After hours of operation and vibration the hose will weaken where the rubber meets the steel. Then it will fail.

To prevent this with a factory hose, one needs to twist the hose counter clock wise about a 1/4 to 18 of a turn when tightening the flair nut. Then when the nut tightening the hose will go into a no load situation. This will save your factory hoses.

Now, what would I do. Junk the factory hoses and get some AN fittings and some good AN hose and be done with it.