Best way to remove Oil Cooler

[akoldnav]

I need to rebuild the oil cooler on my 1988 F250. The truck has a Banks Sidewinder and is 4X4. I think I will need to remove the turbo, unbolt the engine mount, and lift the engine at least on the left side. Does anybody have a better (easier) way?

Thanks in advance

akoldnav

 

[highest_vision]

Haven't done on a turboed truck, but on my truck there was clearance. Only have to jack the engine about an inch or 2. Just remove the mount to frame nuts, and I jack from the oil pan (wasn't that bad, but my pan is solid. I think). Some people have also seperated the front half from the rest of the cooler in-truck via prying and removed it that way, and then installed and I guess slid a bar clamp in there to reassemble. Can't pressure test it, but I didn't test mine (knock knock). It is MUCH easier without the head in the way, if you feel like changing that, but then you would have to remove the turbo anyway...
Good Luck
James

 

[akoldnav]

No new ideas, dang. I guess I will have to do it the hard way unless somebody has a better idea.

akoldnav

 

[highest_vision]

Did you see the part about seperating it in truck? No jacking the engine, no removing the turbo. Just unbolt the rear header (or the front? whichever you determine best) and leave the other bolted to the block and pry to seperate. This won't require extra space. Remember to put the orings on the tube and use a good amt of vaseline/similar. The cooler comes apart very easily and goes back together easily. It requires slightly more power than I can exert and I am not a strong person
James

 

[BAV]

7.3 IDI Replacing the Oil cooler

I am in the same boat. My '88 F-250 , 7.3 IDI just filled the coolant reservior with oil. Is there a site with pictures or diagrams that I can look at before I get started ? [email protected]

 

[sassyrel]

after you get the oil cooler off--by prev mentioned way--or whatever--when you get it apart--its self explaining---just use the vas as mentioned--you DONT want to clip a o ring!!!!!! when you push it back together--it will start hard--then pop thru------just keep a steady pressure on it----then it will "jump"

 

[partagas]

I pulled my Oil cooler from an 87 F350. I had to take the front tire off, and wheel well. Then after draining everything I pulled the steering column and after lifting ( removing motor mount bolt) had more room then I knew what to do with. I pulled the cooler out the wheel well . Now just waiting to get the cooler back from the guy who is rebuilding it for me.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=25820&highlight=cooler
Here check this out, this is how we did it on my brothers truck. Didnt have to pull any engine mount, or any jacking, or anything. The one thing that could have helped would have been pulling the steering shaft.

 

[HammerDown]

I did mine out in the cold/windy air of March, laying on a freezing concrete slab scampering around like a street dog with a busted leg>(not fun)!
I pulled the left tire and wheel well, I was NOT about to mess with exhaust manifold or steering shaft removal. I unbolted the rear header mount and separated the bundle from the front header then, unbolted the front header throught the fender well. Fully inspected and cleaned the oil cooler in the warmth of my little shop and at that point decided to re-install the OC as a complete unit. Sooooo back out to the cold I went and removed the left engine mount, jacked the engine a few inches.
Back inside...I lubed the o-rings with plumbers grease and then proceeded to press the oil cooler ends together. Well, all I can say is it did NOT simply "snap" together and took some effort to press everything into place. Without a press I had to use the base of my work bench, a 8' length of 2x4 as a torque/press arm with the OC between the floor and 2x. Without the truck on a lift I don't feel it would have simply snapped back together like some here have done.
The inside of my cooler was quite clean I can only attribute this to frequent oil changes over the past 20 years. The original o-rings were shrunken and hard as a rock with one cracked. Cleaning out the o-ring grooves took some time. I'm a real fanatic when it comes to a clean spotless assembly.
With the OC now ready to go back in all surfaces had a dusting of copper coat spray and the gaskets also has a uniform coating. With the engine up installation was a breeze and access to the front header bolts (like removal) were accessed through the front fender well.
Some 7 months and it's dry as a bone so I guess I did good also, no oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil.
Would I do this job again well...if I had a lift yes. However being the owner of a bad 50 year old back it took several weeks before my lower back pain subsided.
The question is...would a mechanic charging some $450.00 actually have done the quality job I did?

 

[geonc]

I'm not throwing stones here by any means, but too many people make removing the oil cooler WAY more trouble than it could ever possibly be!

The entire job can be done from under the truck with no mount removal, jacking up [or off ] and accomplished in under 1 hr.

Use a spot of spray paint to index the cooler bundle---this "should" not matter but it will help keep any particles not flushed out when rinsed from flowing thru the engine!

Drain coolant from both radiator and block drains, remove oil filter and filter header by using a long angled prybar for purchase against the web of the exh mnfld-----this may remove only the header or it will loosen and remove the cooler bundle as well.

Flush out the bundle from both directions using solvent and allow to air dry after using some scotchbrite to polish the seal areas of both headers and the bundle.

Removing the front header is optional as long as the gasket is intact, you only need to clean the seal ring areas.

I don't like using Vaseline due to it's ability to crystalize at operating temps.
You can buy a small tube of siliconised plumbers grease from any home center and that is what I use to liberally coat the seal rings and headers and cooler bundle with.

Install the seal rings ON THE BUNDLE!!!!!!!! not in the bores!!!!!!

Install is simply aligning the index on the bundle and starting it in the front header, then apply a film of grease on the header gasket and once again use the pry bar to press the bundle into the header and align the filter header bolts. Prime the filter and fill coolant---REMEMBER to bleed the air from the cooling system by loosing the clamp on one of the heater hoses at the fire wall to purge the air!

I know---there is supposed to be a ball in the t/stat hsg, but using the loose hose clamp on the highest point in the system garentees getting all the air out


just my couple pennies