AN fitting oil leak
 

I've been chasing an oil leak for a while. I replaced the old fittings and hose with new Russell Performance hose and fittings thinking a better quality fittings would be the answer. I still have a leak, always the same spot. I have used three new fittings trying to fix the leak and just today lengthened the hose and used two new fitting on each end as a just in case. Still leaking.

It leaks at the swivel, NOT at the threads.

Suggestions?

http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/...psrfqvkc6y.jpg

Try tightening it a bit more? It looks like a flare fitting so just make sure it lines up properly!

You should be able to isolate it if you break it down and consider each individual sealing point.

You have your tapered threads into the sandwich plate, which require thread sealant to seal. You look dry there.

Next out, you have the 37 degree AN flare seals. It appears, at least from the one photo, that your top fitting flare is leaking. This type of seal is formed by forcing a male and female 37 degree flange against one another. The only way they leak is if flare surface is damaged, or if something is in there preventing the flares from seating against each other. I suppose its also possible to have a manufacturing deflect like perhaps the flare is at the incorrect angle, but I would suggest this is highly unlike. If the flare seats are in good condition and there is no debris in there, it probably just needs to be tighter.

Next out from there, you have swivel ends (so you can twist the hose on the fitting for easier installation and routing). These seal with an internal oring. Its possible that the top swivel is leaking and its running down the pipe to the flare nut, hard to tell in the picture.

The next point for a leak is the hose barb... I am going to assume the hose is all the way in the nut and the the barb is sealing on the hose.

Next time, I would personally use non-swivel hose ends, since its just adding one more area for a potential leak just for a very minor convenience. But in the picture, it doesn't look like the swivel is leaking, but that the flare is.

Sell the car.

It's the top fitting, the threads are dry, I witness oil escaping from the swivel seal... the tapered flare side of the fitting, apologies for the improper terminology. Superman himself could not get the fitting any tighter, that leaves debris, or damaged flare. I didn't notice any damage, but it's the only piece that I haven't replaced yet...

Are the fittings still good or will they continue to leak now that oil has got around the seal?

I'm not in the right frame of mind for that kind of advice right now Andrew.

I'll put my bid in at $1

The tapered flare is not the swivel. The swivel is where the fitting can twist even after tight. The red nut tightens up against the swivel... its on the other end of the fitting from where the photo shows the drip. So if the swivel is leaking, then it would be traveling down the bent pipe and dripping off the flare nut.

If the swivel leaks, it will always leak. If the flare leaks, something is wrong with the flare and it requires inspection to know if it can be made to not leak or not.

If you have changed all fittings, elbows, and the adaptor that is screwed into the tapped block, or what ever its tapped into(cant really tell)
You can try using a small amount of stainless steel Teflon tape on the leaking threads?

Also double check that the elbow and hose is 100% clean and clear from any obstructions that may be causing the oil to not flow 100% forcing it to find the weakest point to leak...

Never put thread sealant on anything other than tapered pipe threads. Straight AN threads are not intended to have sealant

Great!

Then the flare is leaking at the elbow, not at the threads. The swivel is dry. The anodizing inside the flare looks ok, no scratches or groves or gouges, same for the fitting at the sandwich plate.

http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9xkiazpt.jpg

I'm going to order new fittings for the sandwich plate as that's the only thing I haven't replaced yet.

Thanks for the help guys :tiphat:

its actually the complete opposite.... stainless steel t-tape is not a sealant. it strictly fills the threads and prevents from seizing

are you positive its not leaking from an oil line/fitting above it and dripping on the flare nut? Its just pretty rare to see a pair of AN flares not seal against one another.

Will she be good for Z-Fest tomorrow???

weird, never heard of a tape based thread lube. Either way, lubricating the threads on a flare nut isnt going to help the flare seal any.