Looking for info on oil cooler

[fx4wannabe]

I have a major oil leak now, like to the tune of a quart plus every 20 miles or so. right now its just a huge mess but i am suspecting the oil cooler. Did a search but didn't find anything helpful. Trying to figure out where it is, where it leaks from and how to fix it. Thanks guys.

 

[icanfixall]

The oil cooler is the log looking thing under the drivers side exhaust manifold... Requires the motor be lifted and mount removed on that side. No lifting the motor by the oil pan bottom. Use the oil pan rails.

 

[fx4wannabe]

Would it be better to pick it up with a cherry picker from the top? Also wondering if I should just pull the motor out and give it a once over. The truck has been sitting the last 3 yrs pretty much. I can count on one hand the number of times I have driven it cause everytime I take it out something tears up.

 

[icanfixall]

Yes.... Pulling the motor will make this oil coller job much easier plus... You can freshen up things as you want... The sky is the limit as to what you freshen up too. Some feel head studs are a must do. i look at them as added insurance. The new stock head bolt have been tested by me and they fail at 153,000 psi... The arp head studs break at 200,000 psi. I ran my oem motor for nearly 300,000 miles and the passenger head never came off. Thats with around 100,00 miles with a Banks wastegated turbo boosting to 12 lbs and towing heavy long distances That tells me the stock head bolts are tuff but.. I like added insurance like spare parts behind my rear seat...

 

[fx4wannabe]

My next question is this. I have had this truck for almost 3 years and it ran great when i got it and still does, but it has spent the last 6yrs of its life sitting. I don't have the money to do a full overhaul on it but i am thinking about pulling it and putting all new gaskets and seals in it cause its leaking bad. Would that be a total waste of time and money? It also blows a huge cloud of blue/white smoke when you first start it. It will be a good truck if I can every get the kinks worked out.

 

[Knuckledragger]

Blue/white smoke is burning engine oil, or a dribbling injector.You may have bad rings or valves, a pressure check will tell more without taking out the engine. Does the smoke go away after the start? If so, maybe a bad valve. Oil leaks down the vale stem and sits on the piston when the engine is off. First, have the injectors checked, though. Could be something real simple. Usually is.

 

[tbiagent69]

I don't know if your truck has one, but mine has a remote oil filter. The rubber hoses going from the adaptor plate on the engine to the remote filter are leaking. Maybe you just have some jacked up pressure lines?

 

[fx4wannabe]

The injectors are new so unless i got some bad ones those aren't the problem. The blue smoke goes away after i start it and then its just black. I don't think mine has a remote filter but I'll check it out. the other thought I had was maybe the turbo drain isn't seated in the bushing. I have had the turbo off cause it was leaking. Letting a motor sit is truly the worst thing you can do. My last one had 368,000 on it and it didn't leak and ran like a top. I beat the heck out of it. Now it has well over 400,000 on it and the guy that has it now still hasn't done anything to the motor.

 

[leftcoastjeff]

oil cooler

I recently rebuilt my oil cooler, without removing the engine, what a major PITA.

Check it out,

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=33474&highlight=cooler

Hope this is helpful,

LCjeff