oil pressure line

[Ron C.]

was the oil pressure line clear plastic or black? I found out that a grommet is on the firewall and not a fitting,so I need to replace the line and add the grommet.

[1968RSZ28]

Black

[sd1968z28]

black cheese plastic, do your self a favor and bend a copper one and paint it black no one will know and it will no go bad.  the after market line is not so good!

[GaryL]

was the oil pressure line clear plastic or black? I found out that a grommet is on the firewall and not a fitting,so I need to replace the line and add the grommet.

I don't thnink the grommet is available. I had to use a 1" x say 5/16" with a 1/8" hole and glue the small one inside the large one. Could not find a 1" with a 1/8" hole.

[zdld17]

Better yet,  do use the 1/8" copper tubing as mentioned above,  with compression fittings,  use a long enuff piece of tubing and make a one or two double loop  at the fire wall before going into interior to gauge and get enuff black  1/8 or 3/32 rubber vacumn hose to slip over the entire length of tubing to the grommet.     The loop will absorbe vibration that could cause a break in copper and rubber hose will protect and color tubing black.  Make sense?   Works for me and I didn't stay at the Holiday Inn.

As for he rubber grommet issue,  the Trifive chevy applications have such a grommet for wiper motor cable or you can go to Lowes and look thru their rubber or plastic blank plugs and fit as needed.   

[68Zproject]

My 68 AIM shows the hole to be 1/2" dia. I just went to a hardware store and found a grommet to fit.

[GaryL]

My 68 AIM shows the hole to be 1/2" dia. I just went to a hardware store and found a grommet to fit.

You are right. The hole is actually 1/2". I could not find a 1/2"x1/8" grommet.

[JohnZ]

Copper tubing isn't a great idea for an oil pressure line - copper work-hardens with movement and vibration and fractures/cracks. Metal oil pressure lines on GM cars after about 1960 were copper-plated steel or plain steel, then changed to nylon.

[68Zproject]

I guess everyone's stores are different, but I went to a True Value and they have the drawers with the parts in there.  Must have had 50 different sizes.  I haven't had much luck with Lowes or Home Depot type places. I could even throw one in an envelope if you like.

[Ron C.]

Thanks everyone, I found a black plastic oil line kit and it is in and looks fine. I just didnt know if they used clear or black line.

[zdld17]

Well, to each his own,, I would rather have a copper line instead of plasic, in event of a small fire in that area. 

[Ron C.]

here is a pic of the oil line i did.

[KurtS]

Let's see.
One of our test vehicles burnt to the ground with a copper line for a fuel pressure guage that work hardened and broke. The fire got hot enough that it melted the wheels off the car....

And I had a test vehicle that I was driving and the oil pressure line work hardened and broke. It poured out a lot of smoke, but I got lucky and it didn't catch fire and I didn't ruin the motor (special cam / lifter test vehicle no less).

A copper line is a bad idea.....

[RamAirDave]

Also to note, the run-of-the-mill compression fitting on the black plastic line wont seal the factory style sending unit and gauge.

Just for reference, this is the firewall grommet, which I don't believe is repo'd yet:







Within the last week, I came across a grommet that "appeared" to be the same on another 69, but with a different use (warning light car).  I really cant think of where it was right now, and I didnt check to see if it is the same dimensions or not.

[68Zproject]

RAD, does the 2nd picture face out?  Is that what you would see looking at the firewall, or the cone shaped end?