Oil tube install intake
Recommended interference fit for oil fill tube install in aluminum intake.
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Re: Oil tube install intake
Ed,
I think you are asking a question but your statement above does not have a question mark (?) at the end. I will assume (and you know what that means!) you are asking a question so here is what I do.
The tube should fit snugly to the point where it will not vibrate and fall out. Somewhere around .002/.003 interference fit. You should be able to carefully tap it into place using a rubber hammer or a block of wood to cushion the blows. Bill -
Re: Oil tube install intake
I know that in the past decade there have been tubes that were slightly too large od. If you force those down too hard, the aluminum manifold will crack in that area, so tap firmly but gently!Comment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
The new chrome tube was .012 to large so had machine shop turn tube down to required dimensions. ThanksComment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
Ed, Smart move as I have had to deal with split intakes/baseplates. The repro tubes are too fat. If you get an original replated same issue.
I wrap the bottom of the tube with a piece of duct tape. I dont' measure the height but I put it about 1-1/4+up from the bottom.
Then I use my 3/4 HP motor with a course grinding wheel and grind the chrome off etc. I install the tube with a rubber dead blow. On a fuel car I like the tube to go in the whole way so the balance tubes have a chance of alignment.
ALL of the fuel injection repro fuel tubes on the market are totally incorrect. Junk is a strong word. So I will say they are not typical of factory. Elbow too far on the tube. Elbow is the wrong configuration, etc. Really is a sore spot. John D.Comment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
I experienced all of the problems mentioned above when I bought an aftermarket tube from one of our vendors. (1963 375 unit). I sent it back and re-used the original. Absolute garbage.
-Dan-Comment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
You said it Dan. Do you know the hardest part for me to find for a '63 FI restoration is the oil filler tube??? Even harder than finding a good plenum. JohnComment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
You said it too John. You would think by now these problems would have gotten back to our suppliers and they could have corrected it, but apparently not.
As mentioned above, the interference fit can be corrected, but I saw no way of fixing the elbow, and it could not have been used the way it was.
On the original that I re-used, one of the elbows was very loose on the tube. There was a gap and it would have leaked air for sure. I saw no way to get a tool inside the tube to back-up a penning attempt, and it looked even harder to make a tool to somehow fit over the right-angled elbow. So I tried an experiment. Not sure how good my fix is yet, but I will find out shortly. What I did is I secured it with Loctite - 609 retaining compound. It is tight and appears that there will be no air leak. I can see no light leaking around either elbow. We'll see. I could think of no other solution, so I had to try something.
-Dan-Comment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
My helper has been trying to remove a '63 Fi chrome oil filler tube for weeks now. (of and on).
Here's how WE removed it.
Clamped the baseplate in a huge hydraulic press. It was sandwiched between two of old time fat pieces 2 x 12"s. Upside down of course.
Soaked it with Aero Kroil. Then we did Not heat up the aluminum. Heated the inside of the oil tube at the bottom area.
Now here's the exciting kicker. The tube fell out and bounced off the concrete floor. Amen.
Previous to that all the usual attempts were made to remove the tube. It would not budge.
So happy. John D.Comment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
This is interesting John, I'll tell you why.
First, if your tube 'fell out' after applying heat, that tells me it was being held in by corrosion or some kind of sealer, not an interference fit. Sounds like it will be a loose fit when you go to re-install it - unless of course you have it re-plated and the plating thickness is sufficient to effect a tight - but not too tight, fit.
When I did mine the original tube was loose in the adapter plate. So I used Loctite on that too, in addition to the elbows. I did not remove my original tube - that was done by another person. I don't know how he got it out, but there was no damage to either the tube or the adapter plate.
This makes me wonder if GM had a problem with some or all of these tubes and used a sealer of some sort to retain them. It could be the tubes or the hole size in the adapter plate that was wrong. My guess would be the tube.
This is the only experience I have with these but I am sure you have much more experience. So I was just wondering if you have come across any others with a loose fit.
-Dan-Comment
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Re: Oil tube install intake
Per Dan's comment:
"You said it too John. You would think by now these problems would have gotten back to our suppliers and they could have corrected it, but apparently not."
The only conclusion I have been able to come up with is "they don't care".
I just purchased a chrome dipstick (gauge) and it took both hands to remove it from the tube.
The spring section at the top of the gauge stuck out too far and made the bulge in the gauge to wide and thus difficult to remove.
I fixed it by grounding it down on a belt sander and had to Loctite the lower tube in so it would stay in the block.
I am going to use it till I get a "better reproduction". Then I will through it out!
Door panels that don't fit, mufflers you couldn't bolt in and retro fasteners that didn't even match the diameter or TPI of the originals.
I keep sending stuff back and informing them of the issues. Very few even respond.
Not saying that I haven't received some excellent reproductions. Licensed GM parts seem to be better than most.
I have ordered the exact same part from different vendor and received completely different parts.
I have a stack of fasteners and other parts to prove it.
My advice is to not order parts much in advance. Then the part can be measured and test installed within weeks so it can be returned if needed.
I know the price matters. But if you are building a mid year the cars keep getting more expensive the quality maters more and more. If you are attempting to build an NCRS car it takes a lot more than picking up a catalog. I can't imagine what a catalog built car would look like or the hours it would take to make it look right.
Its Crazy out there.
RickComment
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