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1G Issues removing fitting on 1g water pipe

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Kdouglas89

Proven Member
436
11
Jul 8, 2013
Davenport, Iowa
I am having a hell of a time removing that fitting on the bottom side of the water pipe. It's the line that runs to your turbo. I have been cranking on this fitting for a few days now and it just won't budge. I am turning the bolt clockwise seeing that it is upside down <--Is this correct?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
I am having a hell of a time removing that fitting on the bottom side of the water pipe. It's the line that runs to your turbo. I have been cranking on this fitting for a few days now and it just won't budge. I am turning the bolt clockwise seeing that it is upside down <--Is this correct?
Any help would be appreciated.

If you see it from the top to the bottom, Yes turning clockwise is to loosen the fitting.
Is it the stock line?
Safest way, remove the water pipe and take your time to loosen. maybe with a torch or some WD40 thingy. But if heat too much, that may damage a rubber seal inside of pipe threads. If you are planning to use the stock line you should replace it in case if it is damaged. AN fittings don't require it.
If the fitting is already damaged/rounded and if you are not thinking to reuse it, then just use a vise grip or cut the line and use a 17mm socket to remove. and get a new one or go AN fittings.
 
There is no rubber seal on the stock line; it's a compression / flare fitting.

Sometimes the fitting is a little stuck in the pipe. If it has been unscrewed from the pipe completely and correctly and it will not separate from the pipe, it may need a few good whacks or a firm pull to help remove it.
 
There is no rubber seal on the stock line; it's a compression / flare fitting.
With respect, I believe it is not well known or maybe a rare case. But yes actually some has a rubber part inside of hole, where the edge of flare/nut touches. I am not sure if all came with it though. At least some new pipes I got from mitsubishi japan before it got discontinued long time ago came with it. I remember because I wondered the same thing as you. And now I checked the one still with my 1g. It is totally smashed and damaged but it surely has some rubber part.
 
I recommend a Flare Nut Wrench and a quality penetrant. Those two will make short work of this.
 
I recommend a Flare Nut Wrench and a quality penetrant. Those two will make short work of this.

I luckily had a flare wrench on hand and is what I have been using. I have tried wacking it with a hammer, and putting my whole body weight into it. I have been using PB Blaster on it every so often to hopefully loosen it a bit. It's just ridiculous how tight of a hold it has.

I will be plugging the hole, so no need for that line anymore if I ruin it. Will torching it help in anyway or no? I know torching a nut works by expanding it, but unsure if it would work in this case.
 
With respect, I believe it is not well known or maybe a rare case. But yes actually some has a rubber part inside of hole, where the edge of flare/nut touches. I am not sure if all came with it though. At least some new pipes I got from mitsubishi japan before it got discontinued long time ago came with it. I remember because I wondered the same thing as you. And now I checked the one still with my 1g. It is totally smashed and damaged but it surely has some rubber part.

That'd be something I'd like to see.

Flare fittings are known for creating an excellent seal and are often used in tough-to-reach places, but also when reliability of the joint is critical, like in brake systems. I have serious doubts Mitsubishi would use and attempt to rely on a rubber seal at that joint in these cooling systems, one that would almost certainly require removing the turbo to replace. Further, there is no evidence anywhere suggesting that there is a replaceable seal for that joint and, again, I have serious doubts that Mitsubishi would require replacing the whole water pipe - one, as you noted, that is now discontinued - simply for a little rubber seal.

Finally, here's pictures of three different water pipes I have in storage that provide no evidence of a rubber seal.
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And to be thorough, here's the other end that is obviously flared to make the seal with the water pipe.
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I'll maintain my position that there is no rubber seal but would be happy to entertain the possibility if you can supply evidence to support the contrary.
 
That'd be something I'd like to see.

Flare fittings are known for creating an excellent seal and are often used in tough-to-reach places, but also when reliability of the joint is critical, like in brake systems. I have serious doubts Mitsubishi would use and attempt to rely on a rubber seal at that joint in these cooling systems, one that would almost certainly require removing the turbo to replace. Further, there is no evidence anywhere suggesting that there is a replaceable seal for that joint and, again, I have serious doubts that Mitsubishi would require replacing the whole water pipe - one, as you noted, that is now discontinued - simply for a little rubber seal.

Finally, here's pictures of three different water pipes I have in storage that provide no evidence of a rubber seal.
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And to be thorough, here's the other end that is obviously flared to make the seal with the water pipe.
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I'll maintain my position that there is no rubber seal but would be happy to entertain the possibility if you can supply evidence to support the contrary.

Here you go. You can see what I am talking about. Now the pipe is apart from the block, so I just took some pics as evidence. I dug with a tiny screw driver to make the rubber part clearly appeared into the pics (Originally the surface was flat and was stuck at the bottom. It didn't seem like a replaceable o-ring or so).

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Last edited:
Nothing there, to me, appears to be a rubber seal. No offense intended, but it simply looks like a normal, old, crusty cooling system component.

I can't find anything anywhere documented or otherwise that suggests that a rubber seal existed at that point. It really doesn't make sense and, again, defeats one of the main purposes of using a flare fitting to begin with. Here's what I do find in the FSM for reinstalling the return line:
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If there was a rubber seal, it would need to be replaced each time the line is removed, if not more due to heat cycling and age. If it needs to be replaced each time the line is removed, then there should be a part number for that seal - again - because replacing the whole water pipe would be ludicrous. And ASA provides nothing to help:
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When installed, the coupling seats on top of the lip of the return line's flared edge; it does not go past it. That means that the "sealing" edge that would mate with a rubber seal would be the flared edge of the return line. The maximum diameter of the return line's flared edge is ~13mm. At the base of the receiving flare in the joint, the diameter measures about 12mm. That means, assuming the edge of the return line's flared edge is flat, that the "seal" would be relying on 0.5mm all the way around. Having a look at the flared edge, we realize that it is indeed not flat, so the sealing area would actually be much smaller. Yikes.
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With all that in mind, I cannot imagine what the point would be of having a rubber seal there. I, and I'm sure many others, have installed this piece without any rubber seal in the water pipe as there has been no evidence to suggest there actually is supposed to be one: no leaks.

You've had me double-check myself but I must maintain there is no additional seal at that joint past the flare fitting made solely by the return line, coupling, and water pipe.

Heat, PB blaster or other rust penetrant, and the right tool - as others have posted, should do the trick for removing. The only other obvious tip that hasn't been mentioned is to ensure that the opposing end is detached from the turbo also, but we figure that goes without saying.
 
I've never seen a rubber seal on a flared fitting.

Heat would certainly help. Try tightening to see if moves. If it does, just work it back and forth. Do you have the water pipe off, or is it still on the block? Why are you removing it?
 
Nothing there, to me, appears to be a rubber seal. No offense intended, but it simply looks like a normal, old, crusty cooling system component.

I can't find anything anywhere documented or otherwise that suggests that a rubber seal existed at that point. It really doesn't make sense and, again, defeats one of the main purposes of using a flare fitting to begin with. Here's what I do find in the FSM for reinstalling the return line:
You must be logged in to view this image or video.

If there was a rubber seal, it would need to be replaced each time the line is removed, if not more due to heat cycling and age. If it needs to be replaced each time the line is removed, then there should be a part number for that seal - again - because replacing the whole water pipe would be ludicrous. And ASA provides nothing to help:
You must be logged in to view this image or video.


When installed, the coupling seats on top of the lip of the return line's flared edge; it does not go past it. That means that the "sealing" edge that would mate with a rubber seal would be the flared edge of the return line. The maximum diameter of the return line's flared edge is ~13mm. At the base of the receiving flare in the joint, the diameter measures about 12mm. That means, assuming the edge of the return line's flared edge is flat, that the "seal" would be relying on 0.5mm all the way around. Having a look at the flared edge, we realize that it is indeed not flat, so the sealing area would actually be much smaller. Yikes.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.


With all that in mind, I cannot imagine what the point would be of having a rubber seal there. I, and I'm sure many others, have installed this piece without any rubber seal in the water pipe as there has been no evidence to suggest there actually is supposed to be one: no leaks.

You've had me double-check myself but I must maintain there is no additional seal at that joint past the flare fitting made solely by the return line, coupling, and water pipe.

Heat, PB blaster or other rust penetrant, and the right tool - as others have posted, should do the trick for removing. The only other obvious tip that hasn't been mentioned is to ensure that the opposing end is detached from the turbo also, but we figure that goes without saying.

What you are talking about totally makes sense to me, too. I am familiar with the pipes without a seal. as I said earlier, I thought the same thing as you are talking now when I received. And I appreciate that you spent your time for the explanation. But that doesn't affect the fact that I received it. I am not sure why it had a seal though, I'm not the one who made, I'm just the one who received it.
I think that realities can't follow logics sometimes due to some circumstances, mostly because of the cost, I believe.
I just showed you the "evidence" because you mentioned. I knew that this was gonna be an endless talk even I upload pics. Like UFO, probably you wouldn't believe it unless you see it by yourself. That is quite normal, hard to believe especially if you are a knowledgeable, experienced person and I respect that. This is probably I had an unusual case luckily or unluckily, whatever means.

Please don't get me wrong. Totally no offense meant at all. On the contrary, like this makes me sure that I was right to decide to leave almost all facebook/whatsapp dsm/evo groups and stay in this forum. Many knowledgeable people logically talk with maintaining good order.
 
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