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454 Chevy Oil Coolant Line Removal

I have a Chevy 4x4 with a 454 engine and I am trying to replace the oil coolant lines. I've replace lines on a 350, but these are different. On the 350, the lines attach directly into the oil filter adapter and have plastic clips that allow removal of the lines by squeezing them together. On the 454, the lines attach in front of the adapter, and they seem to be held on with a retaining clip.

However, I only know this by looking at the new lines. I can't see the retaining clip on the old lines, and it seems that there are large nuts holding the lines on. I read elsewhere that all I need to do is remove the clips, but yet I can't get at the clips, nor even see them.

I've looked in Chilton's manuals, Haynes manuals and scoured the web for this information, yet it is not published and I only found one weak reference on the web to this issue. Do I need to loosen these nuts to expose the clips? If so, are they right or left handed threads?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Reply to
jmwzipper
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What year and type truck is this?

----------------- The SnoMan

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Reply to
SnoMan

1991, 3500 4x4 Chevy Silverado, dual axle, 7.4 liter 454 big block. The nose of the truck is slightly pointed (vs. straight flat across). I only mention the body style because it was a question asked to me when I bought the hoses.
Reply to
jmwzipper

Okay, here is the confusuion. You have a old body style truck. 3500 dualies 91 and earlier were built on same chassis as pre 88 trucks and those had bolted in oil cooler lines (my 89 burb has this style because it is older body style) 88 and newer LD trucks used clip in as did 92 and newer 3500's. (my 2000 K3500 which is the same body style as 88 to 99 LD trucks or 92 to 99 HD models has clip ins too) Do you follow me here? (they do screw into radiator tank though)

----------------- The SnoMan

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Reply to
SnoMan

Hmmm. Okay, I do follow. From what you are saying my truck should have bolt on lines. However, I gave the GM dealer my VIN number and the part I received has clip on ends. After I got home I compared the lines. They are slightly different from my old ones, and I brought them back thinking they were incorrect. He double checked again and the same parts came up.

When I look under the truck, I see big bolts where these lines attach. The only way to remove these bolts was to remove the oil filter adapter as well, and because it didn't look like it was leaking, I didn't want to do that extra work for nothing (this is another mystery, the adapter seems to have square holes on the two bolts ends holding it in, the kind you would put a ratchet adapter into to remove them, but they are smaller than 3/8" and bigger than 1/4").

I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to have to take off the adapter and try to crank on those nuts and see what happens. If it works I can bring the part back to the dealer and clear up this confusion.

Assuming it is a bolt on, does the nut screw back up towards the body of the truck, or do I unscrew it down towards the oil line and remove it with the line?

Thanks for your help, by the way. I can't understand why there aren't any books mentioning this very straightforward area.

Reply to
jmwzipper

GM kinda muddied up the water when they made trucks on two different chassis at the same time from 88 to 91 and again in 99 and 2000. I have had a few parts issues with my 2000 K3500 because it is not a Silverado chassis. WIthout seeing it (a picture is worth a lot here) it realy sounds like what I have on my 89 4x4 burb as they bolt into housing adaptor between filter and block with flange nuts to hold them in. I had to replace one line on my 2000 K3500 last winter and it was held in on engine end with a clip. On my 2000 the cooler is in tank ond on 89 it is a external unit that year from the factory. It is 94 here right now and I will go out and look under my two trucks later when it cools or in the morning if need be.

----------------- The SnoMan

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Reply to
SnoMan

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