3 Bearing oil tube nut removal

[wild_willy]

Could someone please enlighten me with a method and tooling required to remove the oil tube nut from the crankcase so I can remove the crank? Can't seen to find a spanner, socket or such to access this fitting and I don't intend to resort to butchery.

Advice gratefully received
Bruce Shearer

[john williams]

It is a few years since I worked on three bearing engines, but I have an open ended spanner that I shortened to about 2 inches long that could be accommodated in the crank case. I think 3/8 BSF [ same size as centre bearing pipe nut]. I then either levered this short spanner or tapped it using a brass drift
to slacken the nut. I am assuming you are refering to the rear crank case end of the pipe.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I use a crowfoot spanner.

[Bob Kneale]

I came across a BSA combination O/E spanner  in a car boot sale (remember them pre-pandemic?). This is shown in the attached image top left. The largest size fits the oil union nut while the pipe fits though the next size down. Their short length makes it easy to fit into the open crankcase. They're not to difficult to find either,-I've seen several over the years when looking through dirty old tools.
Good luck - I haven't had to resort to cold chisel abuse for years as a result .
Bob

[dickie65]

When I had a three bearing engine in my Austin I heated up and bent a Metric spanner which fitted the nut.
This was to fit a new oil pipe as the old one had fractured new shells went in afterwards.
I was wondering why I had virtually no oil pressure !!

[wild_willy]

Thanks John, Ruairidh, Bob and Dickie for your ideas. Ruairidh I did try a 21mm crowfoot but was too bulky to go on. Bob I liked the BSA spanner idea  and am looking for one . Might try thinning down a ring spanner to see if that works.
I'll let you know what works when I find a solution.
Cheers all
Bruce Shearer

[Tony Griffiths]

BSA Spanners - a choice on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276281325227?...R9KQ6a6gYw

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375185283740?...R9KQ6a6gYw

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186242391446?...R9SQ6a6gYw

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116031862272?...R9SQ6a6gYw

---

Thanks John, Ruairidh, Bob and Dickie for your ideas. Ruairidh I did try a 21mm crowfoot but was too bulky to go on. Bob I liked the BSA spanner idea  and am looking for one . Might try thinning down a ring spanner to see if that works.
I'll let you know what works when I find a solution.
Cheers all
Bruce Shearer

BSA Spanners - a choice on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276281325227?...R9KQ6a6gYw

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375185283740?...R9KQ6a6gYw

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186242391446?...R9SQ6a6gYw

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116031862272?...R9SQ6a6gYw

[Reckless Rat]

A picture speaks a thousand words - any chance of a pic showing why this pipe union is such a bugger to undo? I know nowt about the 3brg engines.

[Graham Barker]

I adopted the same method as John Williams.  I used a disc-grinder to cut down a spanner from a second=hand shop. Then, I used a combination of drifting and levering to work the nut.

[Colin Morgan]

Hard to find a picture of this oil pipe in situ anywhere on-line.  

This is from a South African Austin Seven site - not clear as it is dark in there - but the copper pipe can be seen travelling from the corner of the sump area (fitting is visible) to the centre main.


  Austin 7 three bearing engine copper oil pipe 2.jpg (Size: 163.22 KB / Downloads: 104)

This second one is better...


  Seven 3 bearing engine oil line.jpg (Size: 98.25 KB / Downloads: 62)