Oil Cooler Line Replacement (Gen IV)

[Steve M]

A couple weeks ago I noticed my stock oil cooler lines leaking a bit - there was a single drop of oil on the floor, so I decided I'd better take care of the problem before it turned into a bigger one. It seems that these lines are prone to leaking either at the crimp or the quick disconnect; mine was leaking at the crimp on the lower line at the block.

Rather than replace them with the stock lines, I decided to go with the Viper Specialty pre-made lines seen here:

http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/655068-Gen-3-and-Gen-4-Stainless-Steel-Braided-Oil-Lines

It didn't look like it would be a hard install - that was a poor assessment on my part. I decided to install the lines in conjunction with my oil change...6 hours later, I finally got it done. My hands hurt like hell too.

A couple tips to make this install easier:

1. Don't do it on your back like I did...big mistake.
2. The portion of the quick disconnects that screw into the block and oil cooler were incredibly hard to loosen...I'm pretty sure God Himself did the original tightening. These fittings are also rather large - about 1.25", which meant that I didn't have a wrench or a socket that would fit them. 10" and 12" adjustable wrenches came in very handy, especially for the upper fitting on the block.
3. Unscrew the two 10mm bolts that hold the A/C condenser line to the oil pan...you can bend it out of your way, and it makes things much easier.
4. It should be obvious, but do the longer line first, and expect it to take 2-3 times longer to get this one in place than the shorter line.
5. You might as well do this install in conjunction with an oil change - you'll be removing the oil filter to be able to access the lines.

As it turned out, both stock oil cooler lines were leaking - the lower one at the crimp near the block, and the upper one was leaking at the quick disconnect also near the block. Oh, and I now realize why these were quick disconnect fittings...this would have been much easier if I had just replaced the lines with OEM ones. Hopefully this will be the last time I have to deal with these stupid things for a LONG time.

I will say...the Viper Specialty lines are very nice, and look pretty too.

 

[Viper Specialty]

Thanks for the kudos on the lines!

However, yes, your experience is fairly typical without either having the pan off, or having access to the exact tools needed. It can be done other ways, but as they say, the right tool for the job!

A few more pointers:

1. It is 1000x easier to do this install with the pan off.

2. The best options for tools are a 1.25" socket for removal, and a 1.25" stubby open ended wrench for install.

3. Install the long line first, and install the ENGINE sides first.

4. 45* fittings are engine side, 90* is oil cooler.

5. Two people makes the install easier, the second person just holding the line up in place and keeping tension off while starting threads.

6. Of course, clean up the fitting area both before and after fitting removal, you don't want dirt making its way into the lines or ports during install.

7. Pop the clips out of the QD fittings after pulling the plastic back and remove the lines, then use a socket to remove the adapters.

8. Replacing OEM lines with OEM lines will NOT solve the seeping issue. It is a design flaw, not defective parts. Nearly all of them have the problem sooner or later to some extent.

9. Wrap the fittings and/or wrench with masking tape or electrical tape to prevent scratching them during install.

 

[Steve M]

To address a couple of your pointers:

1. Yes, dropping the pan would have made it much easier...it was always in the way. Having never dropped a Viper oil pan (to include never seeing it done), I was hesitant to even try.

2. A 1.25" socket (it also looked like a 32mm metric would fit, but I'm not even sure if those exist) would have made removing the factory adapters MUCH easier, especially that upper one on the block.

5. A second set of hands would have been mucho helpful - I spent a solid hour working on getting that first line in place on the block side, mostly because I could only get one hand up there to both hold the line and tighten the fitting.

9. I had good luck keeping the fittings looking nice by using a set of anodized aluminum AN wrenches I had from working with stainless braided lines in the past - they were good for installing your lines, but didn't have enough leverage (by design) to loosen the OEM adapter fittings.

I'm pretty sure I reached my yearly cursing quota within the first 20 minutes of this project. I am very glad it is done though...thanks for offering this product.

 

[Timnineside]

Great write up. I noticed while doing my oil change the other day on my 08 I had a bit of oil on the lines. Assumed this was the case. I wiped the lines off as the car is getting ready to go into storage and put oil in etc. I figured in the spring/winter I will address the problem.

Any idea if the lines would be covered uder maxcare warranty?? I don't mind paying for the lines, but sure as hell don't feel like spending 6 hours playing around with it.

 

[SSGNRDZ_28]

These look great; is there any way to get the fittings in black instead of red?

 

[Steve M]

Great write up. I noticed while doing my oil change the other day on my 08 I had a bit of oil on the lines. Assumed this was the case. I wiped the lines off as the car is getting ready to go into storage and put oil in etc. I figured in the spring/winter I will address the problem.

Any idea if the lines would be covered uder maxcare warranty?? I don't mind paying for the lines, but sure as hell don't feel like spending 6 hours playing around with it.

MaxCare should cover those, at least I'd hope so since it covers everything else.

The seepage you describe is how I'd describe mine...not a ton of leakage, but certainly not bone dry either. I've had my car in the same spot in the garage for about 10 months now, and this was the first drop of oil on the floor I'd seen from it this entire time, so it was a very slow leak. I just wasn't sure if it would have gotten worse, and I'm always a bit leary of oil leaks, especially coming from an engine with so much oil pressure on cold starts.

 

[Viper Specialty]

These look great; is there any way to get the fittings in black instead of red?

Yes, but it is an additional charge and wait time.