Dammit Get Outta There!!
 

Well guys I have removed all lines and hoses off my engine and it is ready to be pulled out. Fully unbolted the tranny and the downpipe and the motor mounts and everthing. The engine rocks back and forth if you move it. The only things holding me in are those dumbass oil cooler lines. Where the hell do i disconnect them at? I tried to at the oil cooler and that damn thing begins to move when you are trying to untighten the bolts. Its driving me crazy!! I am ready to get this thing out and tear it down and rebuild. Where do you disconnect the oil cooler lines at and does anyone have any pics. I have a 88 GXL w/ complete S5 T2 swap on everything. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Mike

disconnect the oil cooler lines at the engine

At......the......engine.

^^^ same as above. There is a 23mm bolt just forward of your starter and below the lower rear spark plug. You'll need to use a breaker bar (just because it is long) and go under the car like you are working on the starter.

The front one should be easily seen (if you took your radiator and shroud out). But it is tricky becaase it is like an adaptor with the oil line in it. You'll see it.

Just keep going and when its not fun anymore....step away. Start again tomorrow.

Okay I clearly saw the two places where the oil cooler lines connect. Here is the issue...I could not fit a breaker bar down their on the bolt that is near the starter and how do disconnect the one on the front of the engine. Do you turn the bolt right beside the block or the big one behind it. I see that it is an adaptor and when I turn it the whole oil line turns and tries to turn the oil cooler. I just need to get these lines disconnected and the engine is out.

The one on the front of the motor:

You have to break the line loose from the adaptor first. Find a wrench thin enough to fit on the nut part of the adaptor and then one on the line nut and break them loos first. Then the nut on the oil line will spin freely.

The nut close to the starter frustrated me for about a day so don't feel bad. I had to go and buy a short 23mm socket and a 3/4" breaker bar and slide it up past the starter area ( with the starter off and lying on my side) and I could only get a very small turn on that nut each time. Once it was loose I could turn it with my fingers.

don't let it beat you, I know you can do it. Just be patient.

no update???

I didn't need the old oil lines, I just used bolt cutters. Pinched it nice enough to not let any residual oil leak out.

When I had to replace the oil lines on my good car, I used an impact wrench where the connect to the cooler. I had to remove the front driver-side tow hook. At the rear of the engine, I used a ratcheting box-end wrench, and luckily I could break it loose with muscle.

whoa there Thor! replace oil lines is a costly endevure considering you just need to remove bolts.

My oil line at the front of my engine is somewhat twisted from when it was put on. I didnt notice this until a couple weeks back when trying to get the engine unseized from sitting for about a year.

But yeah...all you had to do was what jhammons mentioned....really easy if you got the muscle. Have fun replacing the lines. :)

Why don't you get the engine out and then disconnect the lines?

Take the oil cooler off the brakets and strap it to the top of the engine, or somewhere it won't get damaged while taking it out, or if you have a someone that can help you just get them to hold it while your pulling the engine.

When the engine is out then you have alot more room to work on those Bolts.

I just ended up cutting the lines i think (this was 3 years ago) since they were already broken and i was replacing them with SS

I got the rear oil cooler line with a 1/2in drive ratchet with a 1.5 foot length of pipe on it as I was pulling the engine out. since the engine moves forward it should give you some room and slack to play with...

yeah first thing I did when me and Landers did the t2 swap on my vert was to replace the oil cooler lines with some from corksport.

i also cut mine, who knows how old they were. i had a shop make new ones with the old metal fittings.

you use two open end wrenches for the front oil line, get under the car for the rear, one wrech-- using your free hand(or dead blow) to hammer on the wrench.

Alright guys thanks for all the help that you all provided. Well I got the oil lines disconnected with no problems at all. It was really easy once you all told me how to do it. The front oil line I put a wrench on the front nut and grip pliers on the big adapter piece and turned them in opposite directions and that easily broke them a loose. Then I got a 23mm short socket and put it on the end of a breaker bar and broke loose the rear oil line. Thanks I probably still would be frustrated with those if not for u guys.

I like to help when I can. I don't know too much but, if I can take some slack off dDub and Kevin L (among others) I try. This forum helped me rebuild my entire motor. There is a lot of info right here.