oil canister drain line fitting seems to be stripped

[kristoforscott]

Yea. The inside of the fitting is stripped. It's in a tough spot. Next to starter. Next to distributor. It's a 45 degree angled fitting. I will try to post a better pic. Vice grips are tough to get in. A wrench won't fit because it's an odd ball size with a weird angle. I've never seen a fitting like this. A 1/4 inch line goes inside it. So a 7/16 line wrench inside.

On the lower brass fitting when I dis assembled my engine for rebuild, I found the lower oil canister line cross threaded into the engine. Does anyone know how to remove this fitting? It's a sloped very awkward fitting. I worked 8 hours on it today. The upper fitting is fine.

Edited May 25, 2014 by kristoforscott

[Jerry Roberts]

Hello , your photo comes through blurred to me . I guess that you are saying that the brass fitting threads are stripped as they enter the block . If the fitting is just spinning and not coming out , you need to somehow put a lever or pry bar in back of the fitting as you unscrew it . Either that or use a vise grips to pull it away from the block as you unscrew it .  

[kristoforscott]

Yea. The inside of the fitting is stripped. It's in a tough spot. Next to starter. Next to distributor. It's a 45 degree angled fitting. I will try to post a better pic. Vice grips are tough to get in. A wrench won't fit because it's an odd ball size with a weird angle. I've never seen a fitting like this. A 1/4 inch line goes inside it. So a 7/16 line wrench inside.

[kristoforscott]

I added a 2nd photo that shows how's sides of fitting angle inward. It's a beast.

[Dave72dt]

Fittings of that type when installed need support of the walls to install or remove properly.  Wrenches will crush and distort the sides without some kind of inner support.  Installing a line nut into that fitting before applying force to remove or install will help prevent that distortion.  A plain, open end wrench should get it out if you can keep the flats of the nut from collapsing or the vise grip can also be clamped with some force with the line nut installed.  Easier done than to explain it.

[kristoforscott]

Have you ever tried to use a pipe tap to re thread a fitting while inside the motor. I was very careful not to round off anything today. I'm very worried I won't be able to get it out. It's a 70 year old motor and appears original.

[RobertKB]

Use a crescent wrench if you don't have a wrench that fits. You may well have to pull the distributor, which is very easy to do, to give yourself room. Just make sure you put the distributor back in the same way without having turned the shaft or your timing will be out 180 degrees. May have to retime after putting distributor back in unless you mark things well. Still easier than pulling the starter to get room. Don't worry about damaging the fitting as any good automotive store has them.

Edited May 25, 2014 by RobertKB

[Andydodge]

That's a common pipe thread fitting..it should just screw straight into the oil gallery, however it has a 45degree angle opening to accommodate the angle of the oil line.....I've seen them replaced by a 90 degree right angled fitting and the oil line bent to suit.......as your fitting is stripped inside I'd remove it from the gallery and a good parts supply shop should be able to supply a new one....maybe try a truck or fuel injection repair shop as they may have the type of fitting also........andyd

[Don Coatney]

I read you are disassembling the engine for rebuild. Were it me I would finish the disassembly and then deal with this fitting once all the attached stuff (distributor, starter, coil and wire loom, etc.) have been removed.

 

How did this fitting get stripped? In the future I suggest you never use a wrench to tighten anything until you are 100% positive that the threaded piece is started by hand correctly and not cross threaded. I also suggest you invest in a set of tubing wrenches as pictured below. Use of the right tool for the job makes life easier.

 

Also the female threads in the brass fitting are not tapered pipe threads. Use of a pipe tap in the brass piece will do more damage. The internal threads in the block where the brass piece screws in are tapered pipe threads. However I have doubts those threads are damaged as brass is softer than the engine block casting.