How easy is it to break the lines on the stock oil coolers? The reason I ask is because I have a pretty significant oil leak from the cooler. I had just installed the engine and cooler with new seals. I have checked all of the other normal oil leak locations and they are all ok (sender, plugs...). It clearly is from the cooler. The leak is significant.
I changed the seals a few days ago and the leak is exactly the same as it was.

When I installed the cooler when I rebuilt me engine, I wasn't paying attention and put the cooler studs into the fins and not through the correct holes. It went through pretty easily.

Is it possible that I broke the cooler from doing this? I find it hard to believe that my seals are bad considering that I just changed them again.

hate to suggest this but... you may want to remove it and pressurize the cooler with regulated air pressure. check for a leak with no more than air press than max. oil pressure while dipping it in water to look for bubbles. sounds like it'll show up easily if it's the obvious bad oil leak.

mike

Are you saying that you poked the studs through the cooler itself and not the provided holes? Where did you put the seals? I think you have a couple of large holes that the oil is running out of. Can you say new cooler? Am I totally misunderstanding this thread?

It sounds to me like there are two bolt holes on the cooler now. I'm guessing a lot of oil would pour out of those.

I am not quite sure how I did it but I actually did stick the studs through the cooler. I immediately realized that things were not right and took it off. I was surprised that I was able to stick the studs through the cooler so easily. I didn't think that it would be that easy to break the cooler.

The fins on the cooler are pretty thin, so I'm not too surprised a bolt went through easily. I think you're going to have to pull the cooler and check it for leaks. I'm guessing that will be your issue.

Good luck!

I just pulled the oil cooler and pressure tested it. I used various pressures up to about 50 psi. I did not have any leaks. I have taken that whole area of the engine apart to look for the source. I am not certain but it really looks like it is coming from the cooler seals. I really thought that when I replaced the seals and added rtv that I would at least see an improvement. Considering the large amount of oil that leaks when the engine is on, this makes me believe that it is a seal issue. I will play around tomorrow and see what happens.

The only other area that may be the source is the distributor seals however I would assume that a dist. seal leak would not be such a large amount.

First thing... take the RTV and throw it across the room. Now don't pick it up until after the engine is up and running. RTV should not be used on Type IV oil cooler seals.

Second thing, go buy an oil pressure sender. Replace it. That is probably your leak, not the oil cooler seals. If the pressure sender is leaking, it will look just like the cooler is leaking.

Third thing.. get a new cooler. If there is any possibility of damage, it is cheaper to get a replacement than it is to screw with the cooler.


And make sure you didn't put a washer on the oil cooler studs before installing the cooler. If you do that, it won't tighten down on the seals correctly.

RTV...I just tore down a 2.0/6 with RTV.....it's everywhere, oil passages, bearings, I found a big glob with Jimmy Hoffa's pinky ring on it....

.....I agree about the washers.....