Help! I give up on this...

[VKannan]

I have a Ram hydraulic TOB on my TKX and it is leaking. Here's the situation:

- I installed the TOB before dropping in the engine and transmission

- At the time, I did not yet know what routing I was going to take for the TOB line from the master cylinder, so I just had the male end fittings on the TOB itself fit in but I did not install the -3AN lines

- It has been a huge pain to install these lines after the fact, there's not much room to work in the tunnel...

- The lower fitting that is the inlet from the master cylinder has a small leak, approximately 1 eyedropper drop volume per clutch push. I have gone in with a crowfoot wrench and tightened it down as much as I possibly can and no luck. The thing won't stop leaking. I've actually worn down the sides of part of the bolt so that the crowfoot slips a bit now (there are other usable sides so it's not totally stripped). It still leaks.

Questions:

1) What can I do at this point? I am really trying to avoid disconnecting the transmission from the engine but I'm not sure if I have another choice.

2) There's already fluid in all the lines, if I am going to disconnect everything and try again then what do I need to do to prevent the reservoir from emptying all over the place when I disconnect the TOB line?

Thanks, I feel totally defeated by this.

[VKannan]

One additional point, I tested the lines before they were properly tightened down so I'm not sure if there's an issue with the fact that fluid got around the threads before it had been fully tightened.

[AC Bill]

Is it the correct fitting on the hose, suited for the TOB fitting? Maybe there is more than one style.
Getting some fluid on the fitting. if it is a flare compression type fitting. won't affect the ability for it to seal. many builders have found a leak on a brake or fuel line connectors, and just had to crank it a tad tighter.
Sure it leaking at the hose end, or perhaps where the fitting threads into the TOB, and it's running back to the hose end.

[JohnK]

Take the fitting apart and inspect it closely. I had an issue with the fitting on the bleeder of my TOB not sealing. Like you, I tightened it down as much as I felt comfortable and it still leaked. When I took it apart and inspected it, I found that the threads had been damaged and material from the threads had made it down to the edge of the sealing surface, making it impossible to get a seal. In my case, I was able to just buy a new bleeder fitting, but if necessary you could get in there with a dental pick and clear out any material that's causing the leak.

Here's a photo showing what I'm talking about. New fitting on the left. Old (damaged) fitting on the right.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=153475&d=1631911549

[VKannan]

Update:

It’s an NPT fitting and the Ram instructions say to use Teflon tape, which I did not see nor think of doing because I was under the impression you shouldn’t use Teflon with brake fluid. Should I just follow the instructions as written and get some PTFE tape from Ace Hardware or is there a better alternative?

[JohnK]

Ah, well that would explain it. I'm personally not a fan of teflon tape but I know others here use it successfully. I much prefer Permatex high performance thread sealant anywhere teflon tape would normally be used.

[drewr]

I used the teflon pipe tape on my RAM clutch and have had no issues.

[VKannan]

Final update:

Teflon tape saved the day! I bought new fittings since I was wrenching pretty hard on the old ones, and did 4 wraps of PTFE tape on each. Ram tech support recommended 3-4, and since I had likely expanded the canal slightly from torquing hard earlier I went with 4. No leaks. Problem solved.

For any future hydraulic TOB buyers: use the tape. It will save you a lot of headache.