SS Braided Oil line

I see SS braided oil lines available for cars with oil coolers. I have yet to find one for my 78 that does not have a cooler. Anybody have a contact for one? Iis this worth it? Give me some positive/negative feedback to help be decide to get a standard one or a ss braided one. I expect $ would be the first difference. I would like to make a replacement over the winter. Thanks for your opinions FWTAW.

If you just need to get a replacement for yours, then the best bet os to take YOUR hoses off of the car and take them down to a place like "The HoseMan" or whomever does hydraulic hoses in your area. Asking at an auto parts store will usually produce someone worthwhile.

They'll take your fittings and create another solid, leak-free hose for you, and usually at about 1/10th the cost of buying them new somewhere

Although, the Moss price is fairly cheap.

Rubber Hoses for $27/ea, you need 2
SS Braided $68/ea

Go to: <http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=28983>

Click on the SS braided for that pop-up

B

Jon.

If you don't want an oil cooler and currently have the rubber hose, I'd suggest putting out a request for a used hard line that was fitted to a number of later cars. There has to be someone on the list that has removed theirs to install a cooler.

The original rubber hose was prone to failure, wheras the steel line is routed close to the block and is quite a bit tidier.

You would need the steel line, plus the banjo bolt that attaches it to the front of the filter head.

Local hydraulic hose man can make braided ones for you using your fittings. Be careful when you take off the cooler end and make sure you have a good wrench on the cooler nut to break the hose fitting loose. Ive seen people break the cooler fitting off the cooler

Call it 'for your eyes only' but stainless braided oil pipes are money spent on an illusion as, for example chrome wire wheels.

There is nothing wrong with the black OEM pipes used by the factory 'til end of production and most of them are still on duty.
Some years ago, Moss had made fancy braired pipes for the oil presure instrument too. Nice off the shelf but many of them failed with disasterus results to the engines. Unvisuable due to the nice stainless mesh that covered the worse quality rubber to be used for the pipes.

Don't be foolesd by optics only. Ask your local hydraulics shop for custom made pipes of the right quality. They allways will be cheaper as the big parts dealers and they allways will provide a first classquality. When you still 'need' the stainless look, ask them for lines that would meet aircraft standats but don't consider costs then...

I learned my lesson:eyeroll:

Ralph.

I disagree with your comment about the OE black oil hose as used on many of the 1975-80 rubber bumper cars. I don't know why they were problematic, as I agree, the earlier hoses used on the oil cooler cars were very problem free.

For some reason the late single hose from oil filter to the back of the block was a real problem, with many failures within 5 years of ownership. Back in the 80s, the company I worked for sold many replacements. We ran out of good used ones pretty early on, and supplied both new rubber hoses and also converted many cars to the hard lines as found on all Austin Marinas. This, at a time when we had shelves full of good condition used early hoses.

Weird but true. It may be that because the hose is unsupported it had more problems with flex compared to the oil cooler equipped cars. Modern replacements don't seem to have the same problem, but then the cars are usually no longer every day transport.

No arguments on your other points.

kelvin.

Kelvin,

Jon's B is a 1978 built car, so it has an oil cooler fitted and not the short pipe thaht was common on 1974 1/" to 1976 cars.
I imported a 1975 B from Alabama in the early 1990's and took out all the items that were not common to me and not built into my Euro specs 1974 B, I owned then. I also fitted the oil cooler with the lines that came from a 1973 car.
For this reason, I never had an experience with the late MGB oil pipes and their quality, but thank you sharing your observations to others!

The mall stainless covered pipe for the gauge was an other experience a few years ago. I bought a new one as the old pipe was looking to need a replacement. The new one failed within a few month during a drive in the dark and my custom oil warning light saved the engine.

Within the years I had some pipes made by a local hydraulics service, most of them for my V8 conversion, some for the stage 6 roadster. I talked with the people there and told them what the items would be used for and they explaind why to use what quality. The pipes they made were perfect and I never had any failiures althoug some of these line are in use for more than 25 years now.
BTW, they were much cheaper than OEM parts from Moss and were ready to pick up the day I ordered them.

Ralph

Braided lines protect hoses from damage that might result in a fire. The question is, do you think that a broken fan belt would be likely to strike the hose, cut it and result in oil spraying on the hot exhaust manifold. While there are no guarantees, I find this unlikely. The hoses are on the opposite side of the engine bay from the exhaust manifold so the chances of a fire occurring on not high in my mind.

I would just use uncovered hoses - that way you can see if they are rotting or leaking - much more likely IMHO than getting cut.

Looks like everyone has talked me out of the SS Braided lines. Just overkill and for looks. I do like the idea of a fixed steel line as referenced by Kelvin (Be Coming). Other than posting on the Trader section, any thoughts on where I can get this type of line. By the way, my 1978 B did not come with an oil cooler. At least not the one that I have.

Thanks for your thoughts. Jon

I could be wrong, but the shop that makes SS hoses around here, also makes custom brake lines. So, you might check out the afore mentioned shops and see if they can fabricate one.

Jon
Why do you think you need an oil cooler? The factory didn't think they were needed on your model. If for over heating issues you may need to address them. The set up you have now can't be replaced. I am sure if the oil cooler is the way you want to go someone will gladly trade you a whole oil cooler set up for your steel hose and the hard to find banjo bolt.
Ken

I don't think I need an oil cooler.  The Car did not come with one, and I am just looking to replace the original oil line that is looking kind of suspect.  Thought SS would be the way to go, but not anymore.  This forum was helpful to me on the subject.  Thanks again.Jon