Busted Radiator and Oil Cooler

[sgg93]

Well, I guess I didn't have quite enough antifreeze in it, because it froze last night. Busted my radiator and the oil cooler. The radiator started leaking when I plugged my block heater in, and when I was cranking the truck attempting to start it there was a lot of oil dripping out of both ends of the cooler. Obviously, I'll be replacing the radiator, but what can be done about the oil cooler?

[sgg93]

Nothing? Well...what is the basic procedure for R&R'ing an oil cooler? It isn't in the Haynes manual, and I couldn't find it on here.

[ryandamo]

It depends, you probably cracked the oil cooler so a simply rebuilding it probably wont do. Your going to have to get under there and look at it and see how bad its crackede and get one out of the junkyard.

[sgg93]

Oddly enough, I changed my oil and coolant, and added some Bars Leak into the coolant, and it plugged both my radiator leak and my oil cooler leak. The oil cooler is still dripping (a little) oil, but there seems to be no coolant in my oil. That being the case, when the money becomes available, the radiator will be replaced with a new unit, and the oil cooler will probably come from a junkyard and be rebuilt. Either way, exactly how do you remove it?

[alberta 7.3]

To remove the oil cooler:
Drain coolant. Remove oil filter.
There are 2 bolts holding the 2 halves of the driver's side engine mount together. Remove the bolts.
Unbolt oil cooler headers from timing cover and block. 2 bolts at the front, 3 in the back.
Place a block of wood under the oil pan and raise engine slightly so the oil cooler will slide out past the block/crossmember.

Some guys pull the exhaust manifold, but that's too much work, and risks breaking off a rusty bolt in the head.

Examine the oil cooler to determine where the oil is leaking from. The headers and tube are sealed to each other by o-rings. Over time the o-rings can weep. Provided the headers and tube aren't cracked, you can disassemble and re-seal it.

[sgg93]

Sounds pretty involved. Anything else worth doing while I've got the cooler off?

[Dietoremain]

Originally Posted by sgg93

Sounds pretty involved. Anything else worth doing while I've got the cooler off?

change to elc coolant!