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Anyone who has installed an aftermarket drain line - help!

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BlackMetal

Active Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
4,688
I hate when simple things turn into the worst part of the job. :mad: :mad:

This braided drain line from ESP seems impossible to install into the engine block. There's too much stuff in the way to come at it straight ahead, and the braided line is too stiff to bend it and come at it from an angle. Seems like the #$@^ water pump has to come off. Can't believe the ends aren't swivels and they didn't make a bend at one end of the line to clear everything.

Any tips? Hell I'll buy a 45deg swivel for the end of this thing before I tear apart the front of my engine just to get it in.

Anyone know what size the threads are in the engine block and at the adapter that the drain line screws into and bolts to the bottom of the turbo? Might try buying my own fittings and making my own line.
 
I think I found some information saying the threads on the drain line are 1/2" pipe thread.

Found a 90° 1/2" NPT fitting from Perma-cool. Wish they had a 45° but I don't think it'll make a huge difference on the drain line. Unless someone tells me the magic trick to installing this drain line, I'll probably order this.
 
Once you have the adapter fitting out of the block the thing should be easier to install, start it by slowly twisting the front end of it.

Make sure there's some teflon pipe dope or tape on the ends of it.

Also use studs and nuts on the bottom of the turbo, 8mm 1.25 pitch I believe just match the studs up to the bolts you have.

Makes the flange and gasket part of the line much easier once it's into the block itself.

Getting the original adapter off was the hard part for me.

You sound pretty aggravated so far so believe me find some studs and nuts with the slightly larger washer end built into them at any decent hardware store.

Tack the gasket with thin gasket cement to the bottom of the turbo after the studs are installed and then pop the flange over the studs, don't make them too long either, and then put the nuts on and torque to specs.

Makes it much less aggravating than using those bolts.
 
Salvage 6's tip made PITA easier.

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Well getting the drain pipe attached to block can be a pain wait till you get to the other end under the turbo. It can be a real pita also. The pipe is so stiff you try and line up bolt holes all the time fighting the stiff pipe and starting bolts without cross threading them. It can be a pain with 2 people .Salvage6's suggestion works great use STUDS all you do is line flange up over the studs and your done. Sure was Alot easier putting them washers and nuts on then those cross threaded bolts. Switching to studs sure made that part of the installation much much easier. Saw this great TIP on another post by Salvage6 and gave it a shot. Hang in there Chicago..you will get it done. Does your drain pipe look like this one? This is one of the 2 pipes off the G-Body site ione was a stocker looking unit and then this very nice looking piece. Was going to buy one of these because I don't like the convoluted stocker pipe seems like gunk could possibly build up on the ridges of the convolutions internally.
 

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Yeah that's the one I have. I'm not too worried about attaching the other end, actually. Installing a new turbo, it's not installed yet, so I'll attach the drain line first thing, then position the turbo onto the header. Well... at least that way seems easier in my mind, we'll see when I try it.

If ESP Products wanted to make their drain line a really killer product, they'd include some sort of swivel or 45 degree bend to attach to the block seperately from the line, then it would be a breeze. It's a quality product but the PITA installation really knocks off a few points.

Also seems like it barely threads into the adapter that bolts to the turbo... both ends are the same thread pitch. Should I put it in a vice and really ram it into the adapter or leave it with a few threads in? The picture you posted Chavo shows about as far as I can get that adapter threaded on.
 
just dont kink it 2 friends of mine had issues with this drain line ,oil was backing up in the line and blowing out seal my .02 goodluck
 
I had the same problems with the same product....I even went so far as to make a -10 drain line plumbed directly back to the pan...that did not work either because I could not find a way to run the line without any horizonal runs. Any horizonal section would prevent the oil from draining because it's gravity fed, not under pressure like the feed side. So I gave up and went back to the factory setup...problem solved, except for having to buy factory drain back lines every couple of years.
 
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