Installing Oil Cooler

[replicate]

I've just installed one of those Just Jap oil cooler kits on my RB20. All seemed to be well except when i checked my car at lunch today it has leaked a lot of oil (after driving it to work). I'm guessing its leaking from the threads. I put some lock-tight on the connectors on the cooler but it was an after thought and i could not get to the other connectors on the block or the remote filter mount easily, hence didn't put any on those. So i'm guessing thats where it has leaked from. Is lock-tight what other people use when installing them? Or something else? As i thought i did all the nuts up quite tight, but something still must not be quite right.

Am i missing something else?

[r33_racer]

I installed one of those in my 33. Check the oil filter relocation block, and see if those two ally bungs are leaking. Cause i had trouble with mine, the threads and taper locks were really poor. Apart from that, i had no worries with anything else on it, no lines were leaking.

Put the front of your car up on jack stands and have a look from underneath, and you will soon find out where exactly it is leaking from.

hope ya find the leak

[replicate]

Do you mean the two bungs for the pressure and temp senders? Come to think of it I don't think i tightened them up very tight. Only finger tight i think. Just hope i have enough oil to get home.

Also how much extra oil does the cooler + lines take?

[ebola]

you hope you have enough oil to get home?

you only need enough to get to to the closest garage/autoshop/supermarket... anything that sells oil.

Or make it a really short trip.

Do the maths: Is it worth going an extra oilchange (to get rid of the cheap oil) in order to keep the engine good?

It might not warp the head. It might not crack the turbo manifold. If it was my car, I'd be a chicken.

do what you will, but good luck either way.

--just tryin to help

--ebola

EDIT: Whats with the timestamps? it said 5:35, my computer said 5:30 (close enough) and I get listed as posting at 6:30... What state is the server in!?! (and don't say denial - thats MY state)

Edited October 17, 2005 by ebola

[Abo Bob]

I had leaks from the threads that connect to the core and also where the hoses hoses connect to the oil filter relocation bit and also those bungs spoken about above. I used thread tape which mostly worked but I'm going to have another go shortly.

[r33_racer]

about a litre more i think roughly of oil is needed to make it level again.

On mine, i had to drill out those holes for the ally bungs and retap them oversized and i used some other bungs i had in the garage and locktited them in.

I would top up with oil asap. Then as soon as your home get ya car up on jacks and then check every hose and connection in the system. My money is on those shitty bungs. I was impressed greatly by the kit as it came with everything, but those bungs were the only things to let the kit down, so sloppy was the thread and it just didnt seal, with and without thread tape.

Hope ya dont stuff ya engine driving home with little or no oil in the system. Especially if its a fairly large leak.

[Dahtone Racing]

mine was leaking from those two sensor bolts too

use a shit load of tread tape on EVERYTHING

[r33_racer]

coincidently i needed no thread tap on any of the fittings at all. Only tried them on the bungs with no success so i tried what i stated previously and that worked for me.

[Dale FZ1]

I was interested in those kits. So are the fittings supplied not the type that seal on either a taper, or into a seat? ie they rely on just having a super-tight tension?.

[r33_racer]

those ally bungs are reliant on the tight thread and the thread is just sooo loose.

They have a recessed area behind the hole for the oil pressure/temp probes for gauges, so no there are no seats, or tapering holes. Someone might have to verify that, but im pretty sure its just a tight thread to seal.

Apart from that problem, they are an excellent kit for the money spent.

All the braided lines and fittings are the tapered seat sort and they seal perfectly. Ive had no dramas with mine.

Edited October 17, 2005 by r33_racer

[T04GTR]

if the sensor fittings are loose and not a taper thread try putting a "o"ring on them.

so. bung, washer, o ring-block.

worked for me without the worry of striping the threads.

[replicate]

I checked my oil level before I went home and I still had plently. Got it up on jacks to check everything out. The bungs for the sensors i think were the main culprit. I had only done them up finger tight. I think there was a little bit leaking from the hose connections on the relocator, I don't think there was any leaking from the hoses on the block. I went over everything again and tightened everything up. Not a drop leaked from the cooler fittings, as those were the ones i actually got some locktight on. Just wish i had thought of that earlier and put it on all of them. Still had a bit of oil on the floor this morning, though i'm hoping it was just oil that had already dripped onto the plastic shield under the car and had eventually made its way to the ground. I guess all i can do it keep monitoring it. I wiped down all the fittings last night so i'll check them again tonight.

[performance-wise]

Ive got one of these kits on my R33 and I noticed one of the bungs where a little leaky.

I tightened em up with a bit of plumbing tape and its been good since.

All other connections and hoses are fine

[grigor]

Guys,guys guys, what's with the thread tape? This is an engine not some bloody leaking garden tap.

There are plenty of excellent products designed specifically for hydraulic applications, and they DON'T deposit strands of tape in your lubrication system.

Think for a minute what happens when a bit of that tape finds its way via your oilpump to relief valve, lifters, main/bigend/smallend bearings, turbo bearings etc.

Leave the plumber's tape for the plumber's jobs.

[Abo Bob]

So what is the alternative?

[mad34]

HKS OIL COOLER/RELOCATION KIT from nengun 800 bucks i think.

Thats the alternative. Really pricey though.

My mate put one of the cheaper chinese items on his car and it is still leaking from somewhere. My brother spent the money on a HKS cooler and hasn't leaked at all. 400-500 dollar difference though.

[Dahtone Racing]

i dont see an issue with using thread tape

its meant to seal threads which is wat we are using it for

and its not like u use 800 little peices of it

its one long peice wrapped around and around

so theres not really much that can come off and go back into your engine

[Beer Baron]

i think if used carefully thread tape 'should' be ok.

like mad34 said I have the Grex kit with remote filter mount and thermo etc on my car and it doesn't leak from anywhere, installed without any thread tape. but it's cost is MUCH higher than the chinese kits

[grigor]

I haven't seen this item but it sounds like they're trying to fit a tapered plug into a parallel thread. Not designed for it. Should have a copper washer sealing onto a machined area under the head on the bolt.

Same concept as your engine temp sensor fittings.

A tapered plug goes into a tapered thread with Locktite or hydraulic thread seal.

Thread tape goes in the plumber's toolbox.

[Chris32]

I used some sort of sealing compound made by Loctite, sold to me at the place where I got all my -dash fittings from. Said to use it sparigly on both surfaces

He said don't use plumbers tape, thats for garden taps not engines and can cause problems

http://www.loctite.com.au/int_henkel/locti...eid=19&layout=3