Oil Cooler line connections: Use Teflon tape?

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

red and blue fittings from disco era?????
How about red and blue fittings from the Cobra era?????

As far as I've ever been able to determine, the red and blue anodized aircraft fittings didn't show up in cars until at least the mid-1970s and didn't become common until the early '80s.

Can you produce a era pic of these fittings on Cobras or equivalent cars?

[Jerry Clayton]

The AN fittings were around race cars way going back after WW2 and Korea--By 1970 we were running hard lines with the 37* AN adapters--and any era pics would be black and white!!!!
You can look at the pics of my dragster in my gallery for evidence of 1970 leading edge plumbing using BLUE AN nuts, sleeves and adapter fittings.

[Gunner]

I'm not necessarily arguing, Jerry, but I've never seen anything but anecdotal evidence that the red and blue fittings were used before about 1975. A pic of any era car NOW is dependent on someone's statement that it was that way back when.

There ARE color photos of these cars in the 1950s and 60s. Those I've seen show silver fittings only, sometimes brass. In my experience, the colored AN fittings were new and kewl racer tech around the mid-1970s, not before. (My personal recollections don't go back to the Cobra era, but my dad was a racer in the 1950s and I grew up around various performance cars and engines, none of which had those fittings.)

I would genuinely appreciate a positive, non-anecdotal proof of red/blues in use in the original Cobra era. A dateable era photo would be sufficient. Even a good enough b/w photo would show something other than silver or black.

[Jerry Clayton]

The pics of my car were in Hot Rod Mag in fall of 1970---is that dated enough???

[patrickt]

Why don't we just ask Computerworks? Asking him a question like that is like asking a dog to bark.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Just so everybody knows, the Easy-Off was not an April Fool's joke. I went back and found the reference. ENTDOC usually gave pretty good advice, so I'm inclined to believe him.

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

You may not like the oven cleaner bit as when finished it leaves a dullish, somewhat oxidized look. If you try to wire wheel to remove it, that will gall the fitting. Just replace with Aeroquip nickle if it bugs you.

Why do you think I said that? It's not a joke, it's old as the hills and I did it 15 years ago. I had tried to save you a lot of work and disappointment. Are you therefore disinclined to believe me?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Why do you think I said that? It's not a joke' it's old as the hills and I did it 15 years ago. I had tried to save you a lot of work and disappointment. Are you therefore disinclined to believe me?

No, I believe you. But if I'm going to replace them anyway, wouldn't it make sense to try the Easy Off first? And if it looked like shi_, well I was going to replace them anyway....

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by patrickt

No, I believe you. But if I'm going to replace them anyway, wouldn't it make sense to try the Easy Off first? And if it looked like shi_, well I was going to replace them anyway....

The logic makes sense but the practice makes it a total PIA and not worth the effort. You can't just disconnect the fitting, mask the area and spray away. The $hit is caustic and will eat everything it touches and stain the braided line.. So the the fittings need to be removed from their lines and soaked in a bath of it. Then brass-brushed and rinsed with water. Then you have cloudy, oxidized-looking fittings.

Just plan on emptying the oil system and replace with nickle fittings all at once-you're hours and labor ahead. Changing the tons of braided line for black Startlite hose will save weight and work fine-they're rated for 300psi and are much easier to bend and work with.

OR-leave well enough alone-they don't leak. A beige car with two roll bars can get away with red/blue/silver chotchkies sprinkled about.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

OR-leave well enough alone-they don't leak. A beige car with two roll bars can get away with red/blue/silver chotchkies sprinkled about.

Hmmm, maybe you're right....

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

The pics of my car were in Hot Rod Mag in fall of 1970---is that dated enough???

Sure. But it's five-six years past the Cobra era and into the earliest era I'd take someone's word the fittings were in use on cars.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by Gunner

I would genuinely appreciate a positive, non-anecdotal proof of red/blues in use in the original Cobra era. A dateable era photo would be sufficient. Even a good enough b/w photo would show something other than silver or black.

I have photos from the 60's showing blue fittings. I recall some Coupe pics I have from 1965 showing blue fittings.

...not the bright blue of today...more a turquoise blue, but nevertheless....blue.

No red, though.

Here is a 427 Comp car as delivered. Photo was taken in 1968

[patrickt]

Well, that answers that. Woof-woof....

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Woof-woof....

I ignored that. Don't poke the dog too often.

[Jerry Clayton]

But----we were leading the pack at getting rid of the heavier braided line in favor of lighter weight stainless and aluminum hard line---as used on jet aircraft then

[Jerry Clayton]

wow 4 posts in 2 minutes

that blue fitting is a 90* AN 37 degree to probably 3/4 npt--the hose is a 37* version of a cheap heavy double walled hydraulic hose that was commonly used on oil systems,
and most racers would have them replaced at the first oppurtunity.

[Excaliber]

CW,,,uh,,, it was funny though.


...woof.

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Brass? Hmmm. I'm at the point now where if I don't like the original look, I say "screw it" -- I think I hit that three seconds after the second roll bar holes got drilled. Got any shots of what the brass fittings look like?

I believe the fittings that couple the hard fuel line to the log and also the hard fuel line to the mechanical fuel pump are brass. I don't have them yet though, they are in transit. But they are NOS, so they should be accurate. I will let you know when I get them.

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Just so everybody knows, the Easy-Off was not an April Fool's joke. I went back and found the reference. ENTDOC usually gave pretty good advice, so I'm inclined to believe him.

I may give this a shot. Easier than replacing them. If I hate it, I can replace them anyway.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by dcdoug

I may give this a shot. Easier than replacing them. If I hate it, I can replace them anyway.

That's an excellent idea. I think you should get on that this weekend and post pics no later than Sunday night.

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

The logic makes sense but the practice makes it a total PIA and not worth the effort. You can't just disconnect the fitting, mask the area and spray away. The $hit is caustic and will eat everything it touches and stain the braided line.. So the the fittings need to be removed from their lines and soaked in a bath of it. Then brass-brushed and rinsed with water. Then you have cloudy, oxidized-looking fittings.

Just plan on emptying the oil system and replace with nickle fittings all at once-you're hours and labor ahead. Changing the tons of braided line for black Startlite hose will save weight and work fine-they're rated for 300psi and are much easier to bend and work with.

OR-leave well enough alone-they don't leak. A beige car with two roll bars can get away with red/blue/silver chotchkies sprinkled about.

I retract my previous statement about trying Easy-Off first.....