Warning: I see a lot of guys over-tightening the oil cooler lines on the 6.7 Powerstroke

I've had two trucks in my bay this month with leaks from the cooler line o-rings. Both times, the owner said they just changed the oil and 'snugged them up good'. Those fittings only need about 18 foot-pounds, but people crank them like a lug nut. The o-ring gets pinched and fails fast, leading to a slow drip that can ruin a good day. I keep a torque wrench right on my cart for those now. Anyone else run into this, or have a different spec they follow?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_hart3127d ago

Funny enough, my neighbor just had that exact leak on his F-250. He was sure it was something major until we spotted the damp spot right at the cooler. Told him the same thing about over-tightening, but he insisted he just gave it a little extra turn. Ended up needing the whole o-ring kit. Seems like a real common blind spot for DIY guys who are used to cranking on everything.

james67227d ago

Used to crank everything too until a stripped bolt taught me the hard way.

linda_butler2824d ago

Wondering if the problem is just the torque spec or if the o-ring material itself is part of it. Like @james672 learned, it's easy to overdo it when you're used to bigger bolts. I've seen guys use a regular wrench and just pull until it "feels" tight, which is way too much for a small fitting. Maybe the factory o-rings are more sensitive to being squeezed than people realize. Do you find the replacement o-ring kits hold up any better, or is it purely an installation force issue every single time?