Carrera fender mounted oil cooler

[carreradpt]

I'm removing the old foam seal and replacing it. I was trying to do this without removing the cooler itself. Can't seem to do it. How much of a mess is there going to be if I disconnect the 2 oil lines at the hard line connection above the right wheel? How much oil is going to come out of those 2 lines? And any gotchas doing this seemingly easy but potentially messy task? I plan to just use pipe insulation (3/4 or 1") vs the $90 oem seal. Thanks, DT

[Wil Ferch]

You can do this with the cooler "in-place".....no issues. I also used pipe insulation slit lengthwise and some construction caulk. Work carefully that you don't rip it when installing, but it's cheap enough to do over if you make a mistake.

[carreradpt]

Thanks Wil and Gerry. Could not get that insulation around the cooler in place. I farted with that thing for quite a while and I gave up. So I just put some PB blaster on the nuts and will let sit overnight and i'll remove the cooler. If I can't get a good fit and sure that the pipe insulation will stay put, i'll spring for the official foam seal. $90, wow! Thanks gentlemen. Dan

[Wil Ferch]

I don't understand your apparent problem. Sure, jack up car on that side, take wheel off and then take out old seal. If you have to....remove the small fender plate behind the rubber accordian of the bumper for better access...but holy smokes!....break the oil line connections for *this* ????...... I don't see why.

[OSI930]

I have had great luck with this:
Foam Gasket around Front Oil Cooler
This seal been much more durable than the oem seal.

[carreradpt]

OSI930, did you put any type of adhesive on the gasket to hold it in place?

Gerry, did get something for under $10 at the dealer. A fan belt. What a coup!

Wil, I have given it my best shot to slip that foam around the edges. The top from 9 to 2 or so is easy. The sides not so much. I removed the 3 nuts and the bracket holding the hard lines and there is not enough flex or wiggle room to slide that seal up the edges without ripping it all to hell. I don't want to completely half ass it.

[Joe Bob]

Just did an R&R....had a leak up top where the thermostat snder came loose.

[kodioneill]

You can purchase lengths of that very seal for much cheaper than the original from here.

McMaster-Carr

[OSI930]

Dan,
The seal I purchased in the thread I attached was from McMaster-Carr and as Kevin indicates it is much cheaper and stronger than the original part. No adhesive is required. The area of the seal that contacts the stone guard(like the oem seal) is U shaped and has a steel spine. Inside the "U", are rubber barbs that are angled back towards the bottom of the '"U" that contact the metal stone guard. If you try and pull off the seal after you installed it, the rubber barbs are going the opposite direction now and really resist removal.

[carreradpt]

OSI930/Kodioneill, thanks, just ordered the seal. I removed the cooler this morning after letting the Blaster do its thing, the nuts came right off. A little oil spilled out but no drama. Sealed up the open lines and cleaned the cooler. It was actually in great shape. Cleaned up the fender well and need to wait for the seal to get here. I do not have the fan installed, it's an 85, but am thinking about doing this while i'm in there. Would have it switch activated as opposed to a thermostat.

[kidrock]

wow, your ride is in pretty nice shape.

[OSI930]

Here is a photo of my oil cooler with the McMaster Carr seal and a 7.5" Spal pusher fan. I have a thermoswitch with a manual switch override. Works great.

[carreradpt]

Installed the McMaster Carr seal. Great idea and very good fit. There is no way I could have put that seal on without taking that cooler off. Hell, it was a ***** just getting the cooler back in place w/it on. I intended on putting the "new" fender bracket on and move the horns while I had it off. But the bracket I got was the same one that is on my 85. Wanted to do that while I decided which fan and wiring. The weather has been fantastic so I buttoned it all up and took a drive. Have to return the bracket and try to get the right one. Got the wiper switch to install.

[burgermeister]

I used foam water pipe insulation from Home Depot ($1.15 for 6 feet of 3/4" stuff). Loosened the cooler mounting nuts so it could scootch it around a bit, and like Wil said, no problems weaseling the stuff in there.

[Wil Ferch]

Nice work but it seems to me to be "extra" work to get to this point...oh well.

[porsche930dude]

i used weatherstripping from a car at the junk yard. It fit on the sheetmtal and had a puffy seal it worked perfect. Looks just like the ones you guys pictured. Probrobly cost me a dollar. So the 90$ seal is definatly not nessesary.