Oil Cooler Leak

Cool weather turned a small leak into a big leak during warmup. Oil dripped from the oil filter only during warmup. The oil filter was removed and Loctite 518 was applied between the filter and the seal, but the leak persisted. Closer examination revealed oil along the bottom edge of the oil cooler fins towards the front of the car. Seal leakage was suspected and confirmed on disassembly as both seals were smashed and one was puckered into the cooler port creating a leak path for the high viscosity, cold oil.

The repair was done with the engine in the car by removing the exhaust and fan shroud. The oil cooler was cleaned after removal. Permatex High Temp RTV Copper was used to secure the new seals to the oil cooler. The seals with RTV were clamped in place and allowed to cure overnight before re-assembly. The oil cooler mounting nuts were tightened lightly to prevent cooler damage. The mounting spacers were placed between the nuts and the cooler as found on disassembly.