First f1 issue in the high mileage BAT Scud...got two questions for the experts!

Alright, need some advice from the f1 brain trust! That is the part of the car that is most intimidating/scary/unfamiliar, so I'm hoping some of you may know the answer to a few questions before I dig in further.

So I got a leak "somewhere" around the accumulator. Its not spewing everywhere, but its definitely getting worse, in the sense that for the first time yesterday I saw atf fluid on the ground near the diffuser (and I've confirmed its not just overfilled atf puking out the overflow tube). For the record, there are no lights, codes, or missed shifts. Car has never showed any ill shifting behavior whatsoever. Everything works as it should...but if I don't address the leak soon that may change. Priming time is also always low at just about 4 seconds when I open the door. Actuator/pump/accumulator were changed out under prior ownership at Ferrari Dealership. New battery (always tended) and fresh relay.

So last night I removed the upper panels, removed the fender liners, cleaned everything up, tightened up every otiker clamp and banjo bolt nut I could get a socket/wrench on (they were all "gorilla tight") then re-installed the tire and went on a spirited drive. Returned home, removed the tire and fender liner, and started trying to determine where the leak was originating. Hard to tell for sure because there were many areas with oil residue, but its unclear if there is just once source "up high" and it is saturating surfaces below. The base of the accumulator "bulb" is dry. So is the overfill tube and the reservoir cap. The "highest" location I can find with atf residue is up at the otiker clamp that secures the top of the rubber "F" shaped house that appears to be a return hose (part number 221129, which is the complete "pipe" assembly that this "f" house is connected to). In the picture below my screwdriver is pointing to the clamp that seems a bit moist, which is the "highest" spot in the area where I could detect any wetness.

Here are my initial questions:

1) If I remove and replace this hose, do I need to bleed the system after? It does not feel pressurized and if its just a return line can I get away with not bleeding?
2) If I do need to bleed after replacing, what is the cheapest tool that can accomplish that task? I already have a good code reader but don't really feel like dropping 700 plus bucks on a launch mini pro (or way more on a Auto Ingenuity type tool I simply won't be using that much (hopefully).
3) Are there any other "common" culprits in this area I should check that are known to spring leaks? I did a search and really did not find many threads about leaks in this area other than the normal "overflow tube" leaks or internal leaks. Seems odd to be leaking since the accumlator is new-ish and everything was tight.

Thanks all. I'll be sure to report back my findings!
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You guys are awesome! Flash, great recommendation to try some worm gears first! Will report back tonight. Embarrassed I didn’t think to try that!!! And for the record, the accumulator was replaced a few years ago under prior ownership. So I have no idea the quality of the work. I will say that everything was very tight when I checked all the fittings. Thanks again all! Appreciate this community!

 

Thanks again guys. I've installed two worm drive clamps in the tight confines where the hose resides. The problem with using otiker clamps when the accumulator is in situ and all hooked up is that there is no way to access them with the appropriate tool since all the other hoses are in the way. I tried two different otiker clamp tools, different sizes of snips, and couldn't get anything in there to "close" the clamps any further. Will clean up the area again and give it a drive later tonight if the weather cooperates and report back!

 

Good eye. There is indeed atf on that bottom banjo bolt (and a few others as well), however, I'm (somewhat) certain its coming from higher up and collecting on various spots lower down. I tried to tighten all of those bolts and didn't get a single one to budge even though I was getting past my comfort zone given the amount of force I was applying. If I end up cracking open the system to replace that "f" hose I will definitely be removing every one of those banjo fittings and replacing all of the crush washers before I bleed. Thanks!

 

Definitely saw that Dominick. I appreciate that advice. I'm thinking I might as well try to do it the "right" way and purchase a tool that will bleed. My ocd is such that if I tried to capture/stop fluid "real fast" and then measure and replace, I'd go crazy. I'm that guy that goes through 3x the amount of brake fluid when I bleed my brakes because I keep thinking I'm seeing bubbles, and nearly go insane obsessing about it LOL! Going to see what happens with the worm clamps and go from there.

 

Ok, overdue update. I've 100% identified the location of the leak. It wasn't that f-hose, and it wasn't any lower junctions or unions or banjo bolts. I confirmed this via a rather unconventional method...I wrapped every single "junction" where fluid could leak with electrical tape...very tedious...then went for a drive, so I could check if any taped areas were wet on the inside. Nothing on the inside so I knew my leak was elsewhere, so started sleuthing some more and lo and behold I found the leak at the flare hard hydraulic line going from the pump to the accumulator, just behind the reservoir (see pic where my screwdriver is pointing). Part No. 218564.

Moved the reservoir out of the way, cleaned up the area, and put a wrench on it to see if it was loose. It wasn't, but tried torqueing it down a bit in hopes of getting a better seal. I figured if I screwed it up and made it worse I would be no worse off, and indeed I made it worse! Now its leaking (drip by drip) even when the car is off and gushes when the pump primes!

So, I'm going to order the line and hope I can get a good seal. Question: I think I know the answer, since this line is obviously under high pressure, I'm assuming I will have to bleed the system after replacing this pipe, correct?

Thanks all...almost to the end of this little journey!
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Mike, I think you are right. Unfortunately, I can't fight a separate part number for the hex fitting that the compression pipe fits into...so I'm going to have to take may chances. Perhaps a hydraulic shop could refinish the hex fitting to remove any imperfections. No other choice at this point other than to snug it up and see if it leaks.

Can anyone confirm if a bleed is required after removing this pipe?

 

Gracias! really appreciate everyone's input. Now to buy some parts!

 

I actually tried that, as I know exactly what you mean (did that with a brake line once). I'll try again tonight and see what happens. nothing to lose that this point! Thanks again all.

 

thanks for the tip. Agree, don’t feel like I should really force it further. May try to reseat but no additional pressure. New part on order.

 

Ok, I owe the board an update. So, tightening that little "pipe" that runs from the pump to the power unit actually made the leak much, much worse. So, mwstewart was right...you can try to re-seat, but any additional pressure is likely to just further deform the pipe's fitting and make things worse. After I tightened it down in a vain attempt to stop the leak, it would literally gush f1 fluid when the pump primed. But no biggie, the new pipe was on order. It took a month to get here from Italy, but I installed it a few nights ago, taking care not to wrench down too hard (moderately snug is fine).

Here is where things got interesting. I had emailed Serkan at GTE (the firm that rebuilds all the f1 actuators) in hopes that he might have the "nut" that the pipe screws into, just because I wasn't sure if the issue was with the pipe itself or the "nut" that receives the pipe. He told me it was unlikely that part had damage, but we got to talking about my issue and he said it might be possible that I wouldn't need to bleed the system. He told me to install the pipe, open the little pressure relief valve on the power unit, top off the reservoir, and then have someone open the door to force the pump to prime, and then shut the valve once fluid starts coming out. And then repeat a few more times. I also opened it back up a few times after the priming had stopped, and that caused priming to re-start. I probably did this "poor man's bleed" process about 6 times. After a while, fluid would come out right away once priming began. The idea was to hopefully evacuate the air that was left in the new pipe before it could get past the power unit and into the actuator.

Well, after two drives of 30 minutes each, using every gear at a variety of speeds and rpms, I can say that everything seems perfect and there are no lights, warnings, leaks, or other issues at all. In fact, the shifting seems better than ever, which makes sense because if I had a leak before, the pressure available for shifting was probably reduced a bit. I am very, very happy. It may just be placebo, but it sure feels like the shifting has never been so crisp. So, the moral of the story is that if you are messing with the power unit/accumulator/pump, it may not be totally necessary to bleed with a launch/Leonardo/other two-way diagnostic tool.

Thanks to all those for sharing your advice and tips, especially the every-helpful flash32, Mike32 and mwstewart.