How To: Repair Your Leaky Coolant Hardline. ***PICS***

94GTCoupe

10 Year Member
May 7, 2006
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CA
Tools Needed.

A vice.
Hammer or mallet.
Tapered spindle (or something similar).
Pick.

Supplies needed.

2- O Rings
(size 1/2 ID - 5/8 OD - 1/16 W. Can be found here www.theoringstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=367_23_22&products_id=1111 )

Silicone Grease.
A Scotch Brite pad.

First a before pic of the problem.
These tend to leak when removed for an intake manifold swap or even looking at it wrong.
Over time, the heat destroys the 2 o rings under the rotating fitting.
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Lets get started, I'll be showing the steps with the hardline already removed from the car.

1-Coolant Hardline.
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2-To remove the fitting, the flare will need to be knocked down to slip the fitting over and off.
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3-place the flared portion into the vice. Gently tighten the vice to collapse the flare, do this all the way around the flare.
This will collapse the flare just enough to slip the fitting over.
DO NOT use too much pressure, the hardline will crack.
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4-you can now slip the fitting over and off.
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5- with you pick, remove the old o rings (if present) and clean the hardline and fitting with the Scotch Brite pad.

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6-set up in vice.
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7-lube up o rings and slip onto hardline.
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8-lube up a little more, and slip fitting over.
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9-with the tapered spindle (or similar) gently reflare the hardline.
You want just enough to flare out the end.
Be careful, the hardline can easily crack, I cracked an explorer line I practiced on earlier.
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And there you go!
Heres a picture of a line I repaired previously.
No leaks and has over 500 miles on it.
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...something to reflare the end.
I used a larger punch, don't know the technical name, but it got fatter gradually towards the top, and was fat enough at the tip that it didn't bottom out in the tube. I hammered it in, expanding the end just enough to hold the fitting. I had the fitting pushed all the way up as high as it would go, so it didn't inhibit the expansion. That's about the best I can offer for advice.

I think the best advice for taking the fitting off initially is to only reduce the flare just enough to force the fitting off. Too much and I think you are asking for problems.
 
Sorry about bumping an old thread, but this was exactly what I needed! 94GTcoupe, if you are still around, thanks!

wow, it’s been so long since I’ve been on stangnet that my old avatar of when I had my old notch is still on here.
ironically, the eddy performer lower intake I installed on my ‘94 (which caused this issue to arise) was originally bought to go onto my ‘90.