Oil Cooler Hoses

[Billy Mild]

My oil cooler lines leak a bit. I would like to fix this issue. Seems like most go with Jerry's lines or make their own. I have a place in town that can rebuild hoses. They rebuilt my stainless flexible brake lines from the master cylinder to the ABS pump. Has anyone else had the lines rebuilt?

[tccrab]

Your best bet is to go through Jerry, his are exactly what you need.
They will work first time, no problems.
What you will find with having your existing lines rebuilt is that there will be fitment issues and multiple trips back and forth to the shop to get them exactly right.
If you have the time, no biggie.
Heck, you might get lucky the first time and have no problems, but from my experience it's unlikely.
I had mine rebuilt by a pneumatic shop that specialized in commercial vehicles (tractors, big rigs, back hoes, etc.), anyway, it took a couple of tries but the end product will likely last a lifetime (quite unlike the original GM product).
At the end of the day I wish I had just called Jerry.
Would have saved myself lots of headache.

My $0.02.

'Crabs

[Fully Vetted]

Yun did a couple of runs of these I believe. I have a set I haven't installed yet. You may want to check with him. He may have some left.

http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread....l+cooler+lines

[bdw18_123]

I had them rebuilt on the '90 Z I used to have. Had them done by a local place and had the size of the AN fittings reduced to match the smaller ones that the later cars have and got some different adapters that would reduce to the smaller size ('90 ZR-1's have very large fittings on the oil filter adapter side for some reason even though the inner diameter size is the same as the later cars).

I only paid $52 and they came out really nice and performed well, never leaked. No fitment issues either, they fit the first time. When/if I get another Z and it has leaky oil cooler lines, I will probably do the same again.

This is a picture of them from my restore thread:

[Billy Mild]

I thought about doing this, but decided to support a local vendor out of Edmond, OK. Good people and would like to keep them in business.

[Dynomite]

SS Braided Oil Cooler Hoses and Fittings

1. Tools.

One 10 inch cresent wrench (Box Wrench is best), One vice, Air compressor, Angle Grinder (with Cut Off wheel). The best tool for cutting the SS Braided Hose is a Small Angle Grinder (with Cut Off wheel) which does not fray the SS braids on the hose ends. It is also best to use an appropriate size Box Wrench on the Hose Fittings (box end) to minimize leaving marks on the fittings. I use Aeroquip Reusable Fittings and SS Braided hose from Summit Racing.



To remove existing 12AN x 3/4 NPT fittings from the Oil Filter Housing use a 1 inch box wrench (combination box/open end) with the box end on the fitting interlocked with a 3/4 inch box wrench on the other end. This will provide the leverage/torque without excessive horizontal pressure to remove the fittings. I use permatex when installing the New 10AN x 3/4 inch NPT fittings into the Oil Filter Adapter (lower fitting first). Let the ZR-1 sit over night before removing the existing Oil Cooler Hoses to minimize oil spilling.

2. Measuring SS Braided Hose Length.

A. Follow Step #3 below and make up one end of each SS Braided Hose (cut longer than required to reach the Oil Cooler Adapter) with the 45 degree Aeroquip Reusable Hose Ends.
B. Install and snug up but not tight the 45 degree Aeroquip 10AN Hose ends onto the 10AN x 3/4 inch NPT fittings installed into the Oil Filter Adapter.
C. Take the free SS Braided Hose ends curved freely around the radiator housing as they would look in the final installation. Mark the SS Braided Free Hose Ends along Red Line A and Red Line B as shown.
D. Cut these Hose Ends about 1/4 inch longer than that mark.
E. Install the 90 degree Aeroquip 10AN hose ends as in step #3 below.
F. After installation of all four 10AN Aeroquip hose ends is complete, install the 90 degree hose ends on the Oil Cooler Adapter.
G. Tighten the 10AN Fittings into the Oil Cooler Adapter (18mm x 1.5 or 6AN Straight Fittings).
H. Tighten the 10AN 90 degree Aeroquip Fittings onto the 10AN male fittings of the Oil Cooler Adapter at the angles shown by CD and EF.
Make sure there is a small gap between the bottom 10AN 90 Degree Fitting and the AC Line and the two 10AN 90 degree fittings (top and bottom)
I. Install the other end of the SS Braided Hoses 45 degree Aeroquip Fittings onto the respective Oil Filter Adapter male fittings and tighten.
J. Now making sure the "O" rings are in place on the Oil Cooler Adapter (I use Permatex on the adapter "O" ring face), position and the adapter on the face of the Oil Cooler and insert the 6mm x 1.0 x 35 mm SS Allen head bolt with SS washer into the Oil Cooler Adapter and tighten the bolt. No modification of the Fiberglass Radiator Housing is required since the Oil Cooler Adapter is installed on the Oil Cooler AFTER the fittings are connected and tightened on the Oil Cooler Adapter.



3. General SS Hose Assembly with Re-Usable Fittings.

1. Place SS Braided hose in vice and cut SS Braided hose to length using Angle Grinder with Cut Off wheel. Angle grinder is preferred since minimal SS wires are left free of the cut.
2. Make sure NO SS Braided wires enter the hose end and make sure ALL loose SS Braided wires are ground flush with end of hose. Keep the hose in the vice with about 2 inches on the free end out of the vice. (Clean the inside of the hose end Cut Off before going further with Cotton Cue Tip .
3. Take the AN reusable hose fitting and unscrew the male part from the female part. The other end of the male part will have an NPT pipe thread or "O" ring seal thread size (AN) as desired.
4. Take the AN reusable hose fitting female part and screw/push onto the SS Braided hose (counterclockwise) by hand pushing onto the hose as you rotate the female hose fitting counterclockwise. Aeroquip Nickel Plated Aluminum Reusable Fittings are not threaded but ARE serrated requiring a push onto the hose only. Make sure ALL SS Braids are inside the hose fitting just pushed onto the hose.
5. Screw/push the AN female reusable hose fitting onto the hose fitting such that the hose is at a depth into the female fitting as defined by the lines on the female fitting surface.
6. Lubricate the inside diameter of the SS Braided hose with oil through the end of the female fitting.
7. Insert the male reusable hose fitting into the lubricated hose through the end of the female fitting.
8. Push the male fitting into the hose as you rotate the male fitting clockwise using a cresent wrench (Box Wrench preferred). Once the threads are caught, continue rotating the male fitting into the hose untill approximately 1/16 inch space is left between the hexigon of the male fitting and female fitting.
9. Install the second hydraulic reusable hose fitting on the other end of the hose as per steps 2 through 8 above.
10. Last...but not least....take an air hose (Air Compressor) and blow the hose clear to make sure you have a clean assembly (if the SS Braided hose is not too long look through the hose end to end for any debree). You now have a SS Braided hydraulic hose with fittings good for maybe 2,000 psi hydraulic pressure more or less.

4. Parts Required for SS Braided Oil Cooler Lines with Re-Usable Fittings.

The SS Oil Cooler Lines are very easy to make up in SS Braided hose using Aeroquip reusable fittings and SS Braided hose available from Summit Racing. The Aeroquip Fittings are Swivel so self aligning when installing.

1. Use two 10 AN Stainless Steel Braided hose
2. use two Aeroquip Reusable Hose Ends, 90 Degree, -10 AN Hose to Female -10 AN, Aluminum, Nickel Plated
3. Use two Aeroquip Reusable Hose Ends, 45 Degree, -10 AN Hose to Female -10 AN, Aluminum, Nickel Plated
4. On the Oil Filter Adapter remove the 12 AN Flare fittings and use two 10AN Flare to 3/4 inch NPT
5. Oil Cooler Adapter
With the secondchance design use one "O" ring on each 10AN Flare fitting with 18x1.5 metric thread.
With the Jeffvette design use one Stat-O-Seal, 5/8 in Inside Diameter, Aluminum with O-Ring on each 10AN Flare fitting with 6AN Straight Thread.
6. One 6mm x 1.0 x 35 mm SS Allen head bolt
7. One 6 mm SS washer
8. Two "O" rings for the Aluminum adapter manifold to oil cooler interface.

The first seven items can be found at Summit Racing.

Secondchance Design of Oil Cooler Adapter..................Jeffvette Design of Oil Cooler Adapter



I have never had one of these hydraulic lines with Aeroquip Reusable Fittings leak and they are much much tougher than original crimped fittings and easily replaced or adjusted if you want to at some point make them longer or shorter (the fittings are reusable and swivel). And......you will find a much better routing of the lines if you make them yourself by looking at the routing of the existing Hydraulic Lines. The Aeroquip Reusable Fittings come in all sizes and angles to fit any situation. You can make your own oil cooler lines as shown here and Power Steering Lines or any other hydraulic line you might need on the ZR-1. See SS Braided Oil Cooler Hoses and Fittings

As an aside, I use the similar Aeroquip reusable fittings and Aeroquip 1509 hydraulic hose on all my farm implements and tractors. I make up all my implement hydraulic lines often replacing relatively new lines that come with the implements with my own lines that are much more dependable under extreme usage. We are talking hydraulic pressures over 2,000 psi on the hydraulics of some of these implements when the cylinders reach the stops.

Once you experiment with making your own hydraulic lines with some using SS Braided hose you will never look back at buying ready made hydraulic lines again. All you need is a vice, hand grinder (or even a hack saw will work), and a couple box wrenches of appropriate size. Oh...and an air compressor to blow clean the lines after assembly.