fender oil cooler leaking from???

[jwasbury]

I've searched and can't seem to find much discussion on the topic. I've had the fender oil cooler out twice in the last 6 months, both times thinking I solved the issue...unfortunately not.

Oil is not pouring out, but is seeping enough that it leaves a few drops when parked.

This is a cooler a purchased from Elephant, and I'm using the aftermarket perma-cool fan kit.

Initially I thought the leak was coming from the factory thermostat fitting hole. I had plugged it with an oil drain plug from my FLAPS, but the gasket/washer it came with was some rubber/plastic deal. I installed it anyway, then when I saw the leak I figured the wonky rubber/plastic gasket was at fault. I pulled the cooler last October and replaced the gasket with an aluminum crush washer, torqued it back down, reinstalled cooler. Ran the car a few times and saw no leakage so called it done.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I had the front of the car raised with wheels off for brake work and noticed oil film on the bottom of the cooler again. So once again I pulled it and inspected it. Near as I could tell it was leaking from the fittings. Then I realized that the main inlet and outlet fittings going onto the cooler were male-male, and that they are threaded into female fittings that are welded/integral to the cooler. These male-male fittings have wrench flats on them that I have use to counter lever on when wrenching the lines on and off the cooler. I noticed that the male-male fittings were not very tight. I figured BINGO! found my problem torqued them as tight as my 140lbs can muster, reinstalled the whole shebang. Have driven the car about 150 miles since and the leak is still there. It still looks as if its coming from the fittings. I can see oil sitting in the junction between the nut of the flexible line and the male-male fitting on the cooler.

Right now I'm considering reinstalling the old trombone or I also have a 28-tube jailbird style sitting in my parts stash, but if the lines are the issue I may still have this leak.

Any ideas...I checked the tightness of all the fittings tonight and they are all knucklebusting tight.

[James Brown]

Tightness does not mean leakproof on fluid lines. In fact, you can crack tubing if it's too tight. Clean the area real good and then drive it around and see exactly where it is leaking from. If it is coming from the cooler somewhere, you can send it to Pacific Cooler and they can repair it. If it is the lines Elephant sells a repair kit for the seats. Also check around the flex line clamps.

[OSI930]

I had the same issue several years ago. It ended up being one of the short flex hoses. It had a slight leak at the crimp.

[Joe Bob]

On the top is a thermostat fitting sensor port. I used an alternative to activate my fan.

The blind plug I used leaked, it was left open by the factory.....PITA that they did not supply and correct plug.