Sweaty Clutch Resovoire Line

[sdg3205]

Not the first time I've seen this.

The sweat is slightly oily, brown but odourless. It's actually started to drip!

Is this condensation or micro perforations in the line?

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[jawn101]

So weird. I have it on the silicone vacuum hose leading from my oil breather cap. Is that line in your pic also silicone or just shiny from the sweat?

[sdg3205]

That's sweat shine. Like a forehead. Hah.

[dmc6960]

I had that on my original hose as well. Replaced it with a NOS two years ago with a clutch master/slave replacement and it's been dry since.

[WelmoedJ]

It's the material that gives up after 30+ years.
A lot of cars have that sweaty hose.

I have replaced it with an reinforce fuel (black) hose (not the kind we use).
It looks like it has woven material around the hose.
Anyway it doesn't sweat now.

[Bitsyncmaster]

It's the material that gives up after 30+ years.
A lot of cars have that sweaty hose.

I have replaced it with an reinforce fuel (black) hose (not the kind we use).
It looks like it has woven material around the hose.
Anyway it doesn't sweat now.

+1
My transmission isolator (black rubber at gear shift) gets this also. So I think like Welmoed said....it's that 30 year rubber.

[1batt4u]

I was actually going to post about this problem also.

I put a silicone hose on my Clutch Reservoir line and it is sweaty.

It was actually leaking but turns out the clamps were not tight enough. I tighten them with screw driver, thought they were tight enough. After I saw there was a small leak, I read Dave's(Bitsyncmaster) thread about torquing the clamps. So used my 1/4" torque wrench, torqued to 30 inch/lbs. Using the wrench I noticed how much tightening they need as compared to using the screw driver. I gotta check my fuel lines I just did recently, fuel pump hoses, accumulator hoses.

You guys think the silicone hose is not good for brake/clutch fluid?

[Bitsyncmaster]

You guys think the silicone hose is not good for brake/clutch fluid?

It's no good for oil or gas. Not sure about brake fluid.

[elfking]

Mine is doing the same thing... I just assumed the line needing replacing since my clamp seemed tight still... Maybe ill have another look...

[DMCMW Dave]

Replace it. When they do that it's not long before it will split.

[Tillsy]

Mine was sweaty too so I replaced it when I did my total clutch overhaul.

[Rich]

Replace it. When they do that it's not long before it will split.

Well, that note was good enough for me to want to go in for a look even though the car is running fine. Inspection took about 3 minutes and, sure enough, it's sweating. Now it's on my repair-soon list.

Everybody with a 5-speed D who hasn't been in there lately should take a look behind the panel in front of the fuel filler. Look closely at the hose between the reservoir next to the fuel filler cap and the clutch master down belowdecks. The entire hose length can be seen from that access point.

Photos in order as you go in. This is an original hose. Last shot is the hose headed down to the clutch master:
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No drips or cracks in this case, just the normal sweating of an old hose as reported by others. Replacing a short and easily-accessed hose once in 30 years seems reasonable.

[jawn101]

Great tour, Rich. Did your source the replacement locally or get it from a vendor?

[Rich]

Great tour, Rich. Did your source the replacement locally or get it from a vendor?

Good question. So far I've only run the diagnosis.

I plan to get the $9 hose from a vendor when I get some other D parts soon.

Not that you asked but the plan is to pump out the reservoir to the bottom with a brake bleeder vac pump, then take off the old hose carefully so as not to introduce air into the master - or get anything wet.

If anybody has any particular watch-outs for the hose repl job please share. Looks easy to me.

[Tillsy]

If anybody has any particular watch-outs for the hose repl job please share. Looks easy to me.

It was a piece of piss - siphon out the reservoir, squeeze the clamps at each each to release, and pull off.

Good opportunity to give the reservoir a wash out - I did that for both the brake and clutch reservoirs and they came up basically brand new :)

[sdg3205]

I actually hated this job. I found it very difficult to get the hose on the barbs/nipples. The hose is narrow so it's a tight fit. I greased it with its own fluid which helped a bit.

[David T]

I have seen more than a few cars with that same "sweaty" line. As bad as it looks it never leaks much and doesn't break. One of those things that should be replaced but never urgent. If you are changing your fluid every other year just replace it the next time you do a system flush.
David Teitelbaum

[John U]

I ordered the hose from a vendor last year. Finally went to do the job tonight. The ends of that hose are way to small to fit on the barb on the clutch master. Also, the hose has some sort of waxy coating on the inside that I definitely don't want to contaminate my clutch system with!
I will head to the auto parts store tomorrow. What is the best type of hose to use, and anyone know what is the actual proper inner diameter of that hose?

thanks
John

[opethmike]

I used automatic transmission fluid hose when I replaced mine. I'm afraid I don't remember the inner diameter.

[WelmoedJ]

Although the hose isn't dedicated to the job, I used a fuel hose that has outside re-inforcement.
Fits okay and sits there since 5 years.
No leaks, no sweat.

[DMCMW Dave]

The DMC hose is NOS. We use it but find we need to put a spare socket (tool) in the hose ends overnight before installing it.


Sent from phone

[John U]

The DMC hose is NOS. We use it but find we need to put a spare socket (tool) in the hose ends overnight before installing it.


Sent from phone

That's actually what I was doing, then I noticed a white waxy coating on the inside and didn't want to introduce that into the hydraulic system.

I have installed 3/8in oil cooler line. Before I fill the reservoir, can someone confirm that oil cooler line will not deteriorate when exposed to DOT 4 brake fluid?