Not dropping the engine to do this due to lack of space and time.

I'm following Clay's instructions which seem spot on. I got as far as far as attempting to take the 10mm nuts off the long studs that hold the cooler to the block. Each of the studs want to unscrew. This is making things much more difficult. I assume that backing the studs out to get to the seals will make replacing the seals even harder.anyone have any tips, or should I bail on this before I do something that forces me to remove the engine?

And What's the torque on these things?

If you back the studs out, you can remove the whole cooler. Then take the nuts off the studs, put the studs back in the cooler and then screw the studs back into the case. You tighten the studs with a pair of needle nose vice grips. You have to push the cooler forward and work between the cooler and the case, so start with the top one.

This can be done. I did it in a hotel parking lot in Salt Lake city.

I had to do this when I got my car because it was dumping oil like post-McDonald's diarrhea. It can be done! With the limited space in there, the easiest thing is to use a tiny bit of permatex on the outside edge of the seals just to hold them in place long enough to slide the oil cooler back into place

It's also a lot easier to do with the oil filter removed and out of the way! I discovered that after a day of unsuccessful attempts at getting the seals into place!

Clay, you rock. Thanks for the quick and detailed response and for documenting the procedure so thuroughly in the other thread!

I can't imagine doing this job with the oil filter in place. It's hard enough as it is!

Permatex is not a good idea on these cars. It can get in the oil passages and clog up something important. And that would ruin your whole day.

I use wheel bearing grease on the seals to hold them in place until I can push the cooler back. The grease will dissolve in the hot oil and won't hurt anything.

Yeah I know it's not ideal. It was Permatex #2 which is non-hardening. I only used a q-tip dab in one spot on the outer edge of the seal. Just enough to hold it in place. It was all I had on hand at that time.

I did this little job a little more than a year ago. I found that if you double nut the studs you can more easily remove them and insert them into the engine case.