Oil cooler seals
10-17-2014, 08:11 PM
#1
Pro
Thread Starter
Oil cooler seals
I'm just in the process of replacing oil cooler seals, but I'm slightly puzzled by what exactly I should be replacing... specifically should there be anything other than the big part-metal gasket and the o-ring on the oil pipe from the block?
I can't see where any of the other seals in the set, which I quite understand are there for the NA cooler and not the Turbo, would go – BUT I think that there might have been an aluminium washer/shim in the cooler that I've just taken off. I'm unsure because when it came off, there was still some coolant in the system which gushed out, and I found an aluminium washer in the pool of coolant. So either it came from inside the cooler housing, though I can't see where, or it was just an odd washer that got dropped into the engine bay at some point and only fell out while I was removing exhaust and other bits. (I can't be the only owner who occasionally loses a washer in some nook or cranny…)
All the write-ups on this describe or show the NA engine, so I'm finding it a bit hard to figure out, though from the look of the exploded parts diagram in the PET there's only the big gasket and the green o-ring.
I can't see where any of the other seals in the set, which I quite understand are there for the NA cooler and not the Turbo, would go – BUT I think that there might have been an aluminium washer/shim in the cooler that I've just taken off. I'm unsure because when it came off, there was still some coolant in the system which gushed out, and I found an aluminium washer in the pool of coolant. So either it came from inside the cooler housing, though I can't see where, or it was just an odd washer that got dropped into the engine bay at some point and only fell out while I was removing exhaust and other bits. (I can't be the only owner who occasionally loses a washer in some nook or cranny…)
All the write-ups on this describe or show the NA engine, so I'm finding it a bit hard to figure out, though from the look of the exploded parts diagram in the PET there's only the big gasket and the green o-ring.
10-18-2014, 03:53 AM
#2
Rennlist Member
Tom has done this and did a very good write up
http://members.rennlist.com/tom86951..._seal_repl.htm
Regards
Ed
http://members.rennlist.com/tom86951..._seal_repl.htm
Regards
Ed
10-18-2014, 09:39 AM
#3
Pro
Thread Starter
Thanks Ed, that's just what I was looking for.
As it happens I removed my exhaust headers also, and it was hard enough getting to this point even with the extra room to move. Just seemed like so many of the bolts I had to undo were hard to access and/or hard to apply enough force to.
As it happens I removed my exhaust headers also, and it was hard enough getting to this point even with the extra room to move. Just seemed like so many of the bolts I had to undo were hard to access and/or hard to apply enough force to.
10-18-2014, 03:24 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Thanks Ed, that's just what I was looking for.
As it happens I removed my exhaust headers also, and it was hard enough getting to this point even with the extra room to move. Just seemed like so many of the bolts I had to undo were hard to access and/or hard to apply enough force to.
As it happens I removed my exhaust headers also, and it was hard enough getting to this point even with the extra room to move. Just seemed like so many of the bolts I had to undo were hard to access and/or hard to apply enough force to.
I still scratched those aluminum plugs that hold the o rings when trying to pull it out so I bought a new one ... If you look at those the wrong way they will scratch
Good luck
Regards
Ed
10-18-2014, 09:02 PM
#5
They make one kit and the turbo won't use all the seals as it doesn't have an internal cooler like the na has. The turbo still let's coolant into the housing but its not doing anything...........id like to see some housing mods or block off mods to remove coolant in this area for turbos so mixing issues here are a thing of the past
10-21-2014, 01:04 PM
#6
Pro
Thread Starter
OK, I see what you mean about that tube being kinda easy to scratch :-(
Had a pretty hard time pulling it out of the block, and sure enough ended up with a couple of nicks on the protruding end even though I was careful. As they weren't on a surface that actually seals anything, I was thinking maybe I could just sand the rough edges down and re-use the tube. But then I thought about whether I wanted to go through all this again, and just ordered a new one. (Also, the tube that was fitted to the car was the old asymmetric type so an update didn't seem like a bad idea. And I think it may have been inserted the wrong way around.)
Had a pretty hard time pulling it out of the block, and sure enough ended up with a couple of nicks on the protruding end even though I was careful. As they weren't on a surface that actually seals anything, I was thinking maybe I could just sand the rough edges down and re-use the tube. But then I thought about whether I wanted to go through all this again, and just ordered a new one. (Also, the tube that was fitted to the car was the old asymmetric type so an update didn't seem like a bad idea. And I think it may have been inserted the wrong way around.)
10-21-2014, 02:52 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
OK, I see what you mean about that tube being kinda easy to scratch :-(
Had a pretty hard time pulling it out of the block, and sure enough ended up with a couple of nicks on the protruding end even though I was careful. As they weren't on a surface that actually seals anything, I was thinking maybe I could just sand the rough edges down and re-use the tube. But then I thought about whether I wanted to go through all this again, and just ordered a new one. (Also, the tube that was fitted to the car was the old asymmetric type so an update didn't seem like a bad idea. And I think it may have been inserted the wrong way around.)
Had a pretty hard time pulling it out of the block, and sure enough ended up with a couple of nicks on the protruding end even though I was careful. As they weren't on a surface that actually seals anything, I was thinking maybe I could just sand the rough edges down and re-use the tube. But then I thought about whether I wanted to go through all this again, and just ordered a new one. (Also, the tube that was fitted to the car was the old asymmetric type so an update didn't seem like a bad idea. And I think it may have been inserted the wrong way around.)
I couldn't get mine out either without scratching it ( u just can't use any metal to pull it out otherwise it will mar it )
Good luck
Regards
Ed
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10-21-2014, 03:05 PM
#8
I used a rag and vise grips. No damage. You just have to barely tighten them on and slowly take it out. If you have and early car it might benefit to upgrade it to the late style anyways though
10-21-2014, 05:10 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
10-21-2014, 05:53 PM
#10
Pro
Thread Starter
That happened to me too! Though in fact the rags/grips trick didn't actually remove the tube so I had to come up with something else - and it's a trick I'l certainly use again in a similar spot. Here's what I did:
I grabbed some low-melting point plastic (can't remember what it's called, but I bought some a few months ago and used it for things like making new grips for a ratchet handle. Great stuff. Drop it in just-boiled water, fish it out again, then you can mould it by hand like modelling clay. When it cools it's nylon-like plastic.) I simply moulded some around the potruding portion of the tube, making sure that there was plenty of extra plastic for me to get a grip on. Once it cooled, I just pulled the tube out - of course it would only work for parts that have grooves or similar for the plastic to mould into. Once it was out, I just popped it in hot water again to soften the plastic so I could pull it off.
I grabbed some low-melting point plastic (can't remember what it's called, but I bought some a few months ago and used it for things like making new grips for a ratchet handle. Great stuff. Drop it in just-boiled water, fish it out again, then you can mould it by hand like modelling clay. When it cools it's nylon-like plastic.) I simply moulded some around the potruding portion of the tube, making sure that there was plenty of extra plastic for me to get a grip on. Once it cooled, I just pulled the tube out - of course it would only work for parts that have grooves or similar for the plastic to mould into. Once it was out, I just popped it in hot water again to soften the plastic so I could pull it off.
10-21-2014, 05:57 PM
#11
That happened to me too! Though in fact the rags/grips trick didn't actually remove the tube so I had to come up with something else - and it's a trick I'l certainly use again in a similar spot. Here's what I did:
I grabbed some low-melting point plastic (can't remember what it's called, but I bought some a few months ago and used it for things like making new grips for a ratchet handle. Great stuff. Drop it in just-boiled water, fish it out again, then you can mould it by hand like modelling clay. When it cools it's nylon-like plastic.) I simply moulded some around the potruding portion of the tube, making sure that there was plenty of extra plastic for me to get a grip on. Once it cooled, I just pulled the tube out - of course it would only work for parts that have grooves or similar for the plastic to mould into. Once it was out, I just popped it in hot water again to soften the plastic so I could pull it off.
I grabbed some low-melting point plastic (can't remember what it's called, but I bought some a few months ago and used it for things like making new grips for a ratchet handle. Great stuff. Drop it in just-boiled water, fish it out again, then you can mould it by hand like modelling clay. When it cools it's nylon-like plastic.) I simply moulded some around the potruding portion of the tube, making sure that there was plenty of extra plastic for me to get a grip on. Once it cooled, I just pulled the tube out - of course it would only work for parts that have grooves or similar for the plastic to mould into. Once it was out, I just popped it in hot water again to soften the plastic so I could pull it off.