Is this too crazy to try? Does anybody out there know how thick the oil cooler bottom tank metal is?

Looking at the oil cooler it seems to have a heavy cast bottom tank; is it heavy enough to drill and tap in a 1/4 gas tap thread so that a tapered brass gas plug with teflon could be screwed in to give a drain plug to acheive a close to complete oil change?

Thanks in advance to the collective Porsche knowledge.

Michael Gibney

Most interesting prospect... but with the periodic posting of leaking oil coolers around here, I'm wondering if drilling/periodic torquing into one might not be a bit like tickling the dragon's tail.

So, I can appreciate both your incentive and caution in pursuing this... Best of luck, Michael.

Parallel topic: Why do remote water-cooled radiators (on mid-engine cars) need radiator-adjacent (air purging) bleeder valves... yet our remote oil coolers don't?
(Although, hey -- I appreciate a good, ol' fashioned Porsche oil gurgle at the stop light as much as the next guy!)

My oil cooler does have a very slight weep - been that way for 2 or 3 years and seems to be stable - but it is still a leak and calls for an annual removal of the various plastic bits and a good spray with hot water and detergent to clean out the gunk - so if I did wreck the cooler during the install process it would not overly upset me because a new cooler would be better - its just the thought of a full oil change that calls me on!

Thinking about the oil - maybe Porsche say there is plenty enough oil to carry away and trap contaminants and a 90% change is still way in front of a car that has say 6 litres of oil -- and (as we all know) the real reason for all that oil is for cooling.

So before I take the plunge - (the drill) - how thick is the bottom tank?

I wonder how much oil is actually left in the oil cooler at the change. It is above the thermostat drain plug so I would think most if not all would drain off into the lines. I can see the lines holding oil but not the actual cooler especially if the oil is hot and the thermostat is open. Then again I could be totally wrong.

If you weld a nut to the outside ....

Elephant Racing sells oil lines that have a bleeder valve built in. Using compressed air you can force the oil from the lines and cooler to the tank. They don't make them for 964s but you might try to replicate the design.

Yes, I like the idea of welding a nut to the outside -- would be certain to have enough material that way but -- does anybody know how thick the bottom tank is? Does anybody have an old one they can cut?

did anyone ever attempt this? getting ready to do my first change and really dont like the idea of leaving 2 quarts of year old crap oil in there. especially since im switching from unknown to brad penn...