My front oil cooler setup -- why's it failing?, Installed May 2007 Options

[GTeener]

May this be a lesson to us all (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

Driving from Fair Oaks/Sacramento to Vacaville last Sunday. Filled the tank up before leaving town (1/2 tank of Premium gas). During freeway drive, started noticing and getting concerned by the rising oil temp and falling oil pressure. Peaked at 260+ oil temp and the 30 psi oil pressure reading on the gauges.

The engine made a sputter crackle sound like it was running rich at one point in slow traffic at the Hwy 50 & Hwy 80 merge. There was a puff of dark smoke upon acceleration. The engine didn't stop sputtering and there's been a knocking sound ever since, but there's no dark smoke. Lost my go power too. Feels like it isn't in the proper gear or something. Possibly missing a cylinder??

I stopped for lunch in Davis to let the engine cool off and stretch the dog. Drove some more without any noticeable improvement in the temp or power situation. Stopped at a 76 station in Vacaville to look more closely.

There is oil in the tank and it looks clean, but the level is above the fill dot.
No distributor wires are loose. Engine bay looks clean...No obvious oil leaks/spray. Got flatbed towed the rest of the way home by AAA.

Best I can tell, the oil may not be circulating properly. Best guess is that the thermostat isn't opening or there is a block in the oil cooler line somewhere but don't know why.

Leamon Stansell (HealToe914) did the oil cooler setup work in May 2007 (pictures below).

The car hadn't been driven much since. Half the tank of gas was 7 mos old (Premium) when I hit the freeway on Sunday.

Waiting for Rich Walton at Jerry Woods Enterprises to give me the go ahead to have the car towed to them for further diagnosis and repair but thought it *might* be worth getting *the group's* opinions/experiences on the subject.

[Heeltoe914]

Hi Gwen sorry to hear about you’re car acting up. Lots of things could be going on from collapsed oil line to the thermostat not working even the oil pump just giving out after who knows the miles on that motor.. Lots of factor possible but really it needs to be checked out.

Things to keep in mind. You got the motor with some hard miles on it already.
If the car was in another owners hands for a period of time who know how it was driven??
The cooler has been working fine for about three years.
Even if the car has been sitting I really hope that the oil has been changed out a few times?
There are pressure relief valve and even the oil filter that can clog and cause major damage.
All and all when Synthetic oil reaches 260 its still OK the killer is the pressure dropping to 30 psi. or less. If your gauge is even reading correctly??
How has the oil pressure been the last few drive when you had the car out before last Sunday???? Oil is everything on a P-Car.

It could be just time for the motor to retire, having nothing to do with the cooler or the lines. The function of a dry sump is that the oil is pulling from the tank in the fender. If the stat is not opening it should circle back to the tank anyway. If the oil was backing up in the motor you would have a lot of oil coming from the crankcase breather.

I do remember your dad considering the option of a nice 3.2 motor for that car when this motor went, I kinda think this may be just part of the cost of ownership. Wish you luck and keep me informed.

P.S I 100% will tell you that the cooler setup for a 2.2 with a few auto-x a year is more than sufficient for a 2.2 even a 3.2.. I have the same setup in four cars with no problem including my own and my old race car for 10 years. Mocal stats are OK Throutman is the best but $$$.

[GTeener]

Hi Gwen sorry to hear about you’re car acting up. Lots of things could be going on from collapsed oil line to the thermostat not working even the oil pump just giving out after who knows the miles on that motor.. Lots of factor possible but really it needs to be checked out.

Things to keep in mind. You got the motor with some hard miles on it already.
If the car was in another owners hands for a period of time who know how it was driven??
The cooler has been working fine for about three years.
Even if the car has been sitting I really hope that the oil has been changed out a few times?
There are pressure relief valve and even the oil filter that can clog and cause major damage.
All and all when Synthetic oil reaches 260 its still OK the killer is the pressure dropping to 30 psi. or less. If your gauge is even reading correctly??
How has the oil pressure been the last few drive when you had the car out before last Sunday???? Oil is everything on a P-Car.

It could be just time for the motor to retire, having nothing to do with the cooler or the lines. The function of a dry sump is that the oil is pulling from the tank in the fender. If the stat is not opening it should circle back to the tank anyway. If the oil was backing up in the motor you would have a lot of oil coming from the crankcase breather.

I do remember your dad considering the option of a nice 3.2 motor for that car when this motor went, I kinda think this may be just part of the cost of ownership. Wish you luck and keep me informed.

P.S I 100% will tell you that the cooler setup for a 2.2 with a few auto-x a year is more than sufficient for a 2.2 even a 3.2.. I have the same setup in four cars with no problem including my own and my old race car for 10 years. Mocal stats are OK Throutman is the best but $$$.

Thanks for joining the discussion Leamon.

My car was in the posession of someone else for 1+ year (Mar 1, 2009 - April 25, 2010) He said he didn't drive it much. Never AutoX. Never track. Only neighborhood.
He said he had never changed the oil because it always looked clean.
He never said the oil temp going to 260 was a sudden change. To him it seemed 'normal'.

Prior to the trade after the cooler setup change, I recall the oil temp holding around 190/220. I had driven the car to Sac for a ConeDodger car meet. Don't recall probs. That's when we each test drove each other's car and discussed the trade.
Before the trade, since it was winter/spring, I hadn't driven it much either. In fact we had to delay the trade several weeks to avoid trailering the cars in the Feb rains.

Apparently the biggest lesson here is that I should not have tried to drive the car home the day of the trade (Sunday Apr 25, 2010). That is when all the bad sounds and loss of power happened. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif)

[SirAndy]

Apparently the biggest lesson here is that I should not have tried to drive the car home the day of the trade (Sunday Apr 25, 2010). That is when all the bad sounds and loss of power happened. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif)

Mhmmmm, i don't know the guy, but what are the chances he KNEW the car had a problem and that's why he offered to trade it back in the first place?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

[GTeener]

Apparently the biggest lesson here is that I should not have tried to drive the car home the day of the trade (Sunday Apr 25, 2010). That is when all the bad sounds and loss of power happened. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif)

Mhmmmm, i don't know the guy, but what are the chances he KNEW the car had a problem and that's why he offered to trade it back in the first place?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

ConeDodger, Rob, is his neighbor. He'd know best. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

FWIW, I wasn't getting that vibe though. Also FWIW, I did get a 2-for-1 trade (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif) He trailered the "other 914" to my house and drove me back to his so I could drive GTEENER home. I don't think he would have done that if he knew something catastrophic was going to happen.

He spent a lot of time and money doing a ground up restoration on that Mini, mostly by himself. It had a brand new $8k custom-built engine. He is as bonded to that Mini as I am to GTEENER. We both missed what we had and knew most intimately. I liked looking at the Mini in my garage more than driving it. I loved both looking and driving GTEENER (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) .