Blackbetty Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Hello again. My 1937 plymouth project is getting closer to roadworthy. Problem now is the oil pressure gauge line is leaking out of the back of the fitting. Under operating pressure a drop will form between the pressure line and the back of the male fitting that screws into the back of the gauge. A no-go item for sure. I thought I could just get some 3/16th line and make another line with a flaring tool. Nope. The mating surface is more like a bubble flare or maybe even a ferrule. I am not necessarily interested in a show-car factory type repair. I am just looking to get the leak fixed and end up with a usable oil pressure gauge. By the way Bernbaum’s had nothing and I have been in contact with mopar mall in CA. The pics are a little rough. The gauge is still installed. Thanks in advance for any suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikefit Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 That is a somewhat common fitting on line or older parts store or use Teflon tape they should fix the leak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) Is that 2 pieces of brass on that steel tube or 1? If it is, or was one piece, its a "threaded sleeve". Look at blackhawk supply online. You will have to cut the old threaded sleeve off if you need to preserve line length. Even then you should cut off a tiny bit of the line so that the new threaded sleeve bites into a new place on the steel line. It becomes part of the line (wont slide back off) after the first time you tighten it. You might have to get it fairly tight the first time. Be careful not to strip the gauge. Edited June 2, 2020 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbetty Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Thanks for the responses. Checking all avenues. Chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 The brass thing is called an olive and is a standard part of a compression fitting. Every auto parts store used to have a cabinet with little drawers full of such fittings, they were used for a lot of things like fuel lines and oil lines. Hardware stores used to keep them too. There should be enough length of line to cut an inch off the end and refit. As you tighten the nut the olive squeezes down on the tube and seals against a seat in the fitting. The old one has gotten squashed out of shape and no longer seals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFitz Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 If you go to your hardware store, or autoparts store, and ask for an olive,..... you might get sent next door to the supermarket. The manufactures of compression fittings call that double taper type a compression "sleeve" or "ferrule". https://www.supplyhouse.com/Compression-Fittings-12482000 They are also sold at plumbing & heating supply places, and online at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/LTWFITTING-Compression-Sleeves-Ferrels-COMPRESSION/dp/B00CHHYO1K Paul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 11 hours ago, PFitz said: If you go to your hardware store, or autoparts store, and ask for an olive,..... you might get sent next door to the supermarket. The manufactures of compression fittings call that double taper type a compression "sleeve" or "ferrule". https://www.supplyhouse.com/Compression-Fittings-12482000 They are also sold at plumbing & heating supply places, and online at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/LTWFITTING-Compression-Sleeves-Ferrels-COMPRESSION/dp/B00CHHYO1K Paul A Martini comes with an olive, best way ever to get that jar of olives your wife asked you to bring home. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwarrds Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Popeye and a can of spinach will be here next!! . Rusty is right. The olive compresses into the straight steel tube. I have this on a air compressor which vibrates the tube. Most annoying design which I have to replace occasionally. The tube collapses under the olive and no matter how much you try to over tighten the nut, it won’t seal. A new olive and new section of tube is the cure. Should the problem reoccur sometimes there is a small clamp or bracket to stop the pipe vibrating, or often , there is a coil wound in the tube, particularly near the engine. These maybe missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Ash Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 I don't think I've ever seen an inverted compression fitting before. Usually, there is a female nut behind the ferrule (olive), not a male nut. Compression fittings are notoriously leak-prone under vibration, and makers of compression fittings don't recommend using the brass pieces on steel tube. The brass won't bite into the steel tube adequately. As it would be difficult to change the fitting on the back of your gauge, a new copper tube and ferrule might be the best choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studeous Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) Might I suggest a product called “leak-loc” or is it leak-lock ? Made by maybe LISLE company? Sorry, brane is reformatting right now. Old time refrigeration techs like me depended on it to solve leaks at joints that nothing else would solve. Clean the joint pieces well with solvent to degrease and dont get any inside the line. Amazon or ebay might have some. Or most refrigeration supply houses will sell to a regular walkin around guy an item like that on a cash account basis. Used to come in a small tube or a family size brush in the lid jar. I hope this helps. And smooth sailin in your plymouth. I recall it is made by HIGHSIDE CHEMICALS. IN A BLUE TUBE OR PLASTIC JAR. Edited June 6, 2020 by Studeous (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbetty Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 Thanks all for the replies. Didn’t know exactly how to refer to the fitting. Olive! I did finally remove the hard line back out through the firewall and inspected it more closely. There was a fair amount of grit inside the back of the gauge. I cleaned everything thoroughly and did a test run with the hard line installed and pointed into the engine bay so I could moniter the gauge. I did insure the oil was run up through the line before installing the gauge. I have ordered new firewall grommets and will reinstall everything when the grommets arrive. Again thank you for the replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 19 hours ago, Blackbetty said: I did insure the oil was run up through the line before installing the gauge. I have contemplated this before and decided that if there are no leaks I shouldn't get oil into the gauge by running the line dry. Not sure if oil in the gauge would be a bad thing but I don't like the idea. Also the air in the line should offer a cushion so to speak. The only draw back I could figure would be that the pressure would have to compress that air in the line and make it a bit slow to register. But I have never noticed that being a problem. It would be interesting to know just what the recommended method is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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