Synapsis

I had a hard time finding information about the stock oil cooler on my car on this site, on any site, in any Haynes/Chilton manual, anywhere. So here's a short blurb about what I found out when changing my seal.

The oil cooler is mounted where the oil filter is screwed on, as an adapter plate between the filter and the engine block. It is located at the rear/driver's side corner of the engine. There are two coolant lines (coolant, not oil) running from the oil cooler, one leads to directly underneath the radiator filler cap, the other to a tee on the passenger's side of the engine that also connects to the heater lines. The lines are metal tubes that run along the front of the engine and down the driver's side, and aren't very flexible at all. There are small rubber hoses between the ends of the tubes and the oil cooler itself.

To replace the oil cooler seal (without draining the coolant):

1. Drain the oil. If you don't, you will anyway.
2. Remove the oil filter, which will be full of oil still, so don't turn it over.
3. Use a 27 mm socket (a 3" extension helps to clear the frame) to remove the screw-on tube in the center. A little oil will drip down as it loosens.
4. The two rubber lines allow just barely enough flex to tilt the oil cooler down to remove the old seal. It's down inside a lip around the top edge of the cooler itself. If you need to remove the coolant lines, you'll drain around 1 to 1.5 gallons of coolant at least. I drained a half gallon after draining the radiator already.
5. I've heard it's a pain in the rear to order a new seal, so I improvised. I bought an oil filter, removed the rubber ring from the top, and put it on the cooler. It's a tight fit, but it works. I haven't leaked with this seal yet. Place the seal in the lip on top of the oil cooler.
6. For you Haynes guys, installation is reverse of removal.

I'm including a couple of photos so you can see what you're working with.

The oil cooler installed:

Synapsis

The oil cooler itself, bottom showing:

Synapsis

The block with the cooler removed:

Damon

Hey, that's good info. I swapped over this same cooler on my brother's 87 T/A when we did a 400ci engine transplant. It fit the 400 block just fine and the hard lines that go under the balancer at the front of the motor even cleared the larger 8" balancer the 400 uses, versus the stock 350's little 6 3/4"er.

1fastformula

Just to add to an extremely helpful topic.......The GM part # for the Seal (Gasket) is 14087586. I basically found out that the guys who put my crate motor in used the High temp RTV for a seal. One year later....I blow my Mobil One all over the road (After coming home from a road trip no doubt) and I am STILL pissed with them.

Thanks for the info.

Later

Gambit69

I know this is kind of old but I have a question about changing the seal. Your description of how to install it is great but you say that is if for not draining the coolant and if you take off the coolant lines you will drain about 1-1.5 gallons of coolant. How do you put the seal back in without taking the coolant lines off? Or is there no way around it. Just wanting to know because I think I need to replace mine.

Also is the dealership the only place to find a new seal or where can you get one at any auto parts store.

buell

hopefully someone can help me with this. i know im dragging up an old thread but it is awesome.

I searched for 3 hrs and couldnt find much on the net about this till i came to this thread. Heres my issue. About a year ago my harmonic balancer hit this hardline and proceeded to cut into it (about a quarter of the way thru it actually) so now that im getting the car back on the rd it is time to replace this part. Can anyone tell me where i can order a new line?
Please for the love of god someone answer lol, otherwise i have to make an old thread n reference this one...

joshwilson3

What torque are you putting on the center shaft piece?

That piece unscrewed when removing the oil filter. I had the oil pan replaced years ago, so I guess the shop didn't tighten that piece down enough when putting the oil cooler back on.

I wonder if the OEM gasket is made of a special material to last years? I kinda wonder if a regular oil filter gasket would last tens of thousands of miles?

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

LAte (92) KC4 units do not have the rubber sections between the heat exchanger unit and the lines, instead the lines hook up w/ a mounting block w/ O tings jut like on the back of an AC compressor. If you must drop the heat exchanger you must undo the strap bolted to the pan rail.

Buell, if you have the earlier style (which you should since you have an 87) you can get a nice aluminum replacement from Hawks.

eric195

I need to replace the mounting plate for my oil cooler, like the one you have picture. Any ideas were I might be able to get one. I've looked all over the internet?

MMroc86

Great thread, don't want to start a new, hopefully we can just add to the info on here. My heatexchanger has been damaged and I'm looking for a replacement. Will this suffice?

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...filter+adapter

OR

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...filter+adapter

The differences are the tread,ID & OD sizes. Anyone know the correct sizes?

Thanks in advance.

Heres a pic of my adapter plus heat-exchanger

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

so your spin on adapter is what's kaput? It's just a standard one, the only difference is the 2 studs for mounting, the prongs protrude into the KC4 unit and keep it from spinning, which it would if you used OEM bolts.

texascat2

:-)

MMroc86

Cool, whats with the difference in thread size, id & od size? Will that affect anything?

texascat2

I stand corrected!

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

Going to fun when he connects it up and has oil running directly into the coolant
All they are is just adapters to connect oil lines to remote mount a external cooler
They are not coolant / oil coolers like the stock item


As Twin_Turbo notes above ,
the only problem the OP appears to have is the block adapter which is just a reg std Chevy piece ;
50c from the junkyard

MMroc86

No the sandwhich adapter itself is damaged. The previous owner thought it was leaking because the filter was not on there tight enough, so he tightened it hercules style and damaged the sandwhich adapter in the process....

Is there an after-market sandwhich adapter that will work well in its place? Or do I have to go find one at the junkyard.

BTW the real reason it leaking is because the piece thats broken in half...was well, broken in half....

MMroc86

http://www.jegs.com/i/Chevrolet-Perf...99222/10002/-1

Thats the piece you & turbo are talking about correct? I know I need that one as well. But what about the sandwhich adapter that has the two coolant lines running to it?

Will this one get the job done?

http://www.jegs.com/i/Trans+Dapt/969/1322/10002/-1

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

It is not an adapter ; it is a OIL COOLER that uses engine coolant to cool the oil

There are no replacement stock type oil coolers.

You either
1.get a used one from somewhere
2.delete the cooler altogether and remove / plug the coolant lines to the block
3.use one of the adapters you list to run the oil to a remote mount plate cooler like this
http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...view/somewhere

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

Indeed, it's a heat exchanger, nothing more...nothing less.


IF you use a plate cooler like that, I suggest you run a thermostatic adapter, like the one earls makes.

If you remove the KC4 you don't have to plug any lines to the block, both lines run to the passenger side, radiator and the hard line on the frame. You can simply loop those 2 together and do away with the whole KC4 unit.

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

Strange how complicated GM made the F-Body setup

On the Vettes the coolant comes from the block hole that usually has the drain plug and returns via a hard line under the engine into the heater return line
(ext oil cooler adapter as well in this pic )

MMroc86

So I was able to get my hand s on another KC4 heat exchanger.... I also replaced the oil filter adapter....

I still have a small leak.

Two questions

1)Does you guys know how much I'm suppose to torque the heatexhanger down?

2)Is the oil filter adapter suppose to have a gasket on it? New one did not come with one & there was not one on there to begin with.

Thanks.

scooter500

iTrader: (1)

I picked up one of these and hope someone can post a couple pictures of the stock connections at the radiator and at the tee.

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

not stock but you can see where they go here

meangreen92

iTrader: (1)

whats easist way to delete the cooler for now, to get a 91 350 GTA back on the street? the lines are about rotted thru.

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

.............

92crimsonRS

i bypassed mine by taking the hose from the radiator straight to the metal hard line on the rail.

Chevy-vs.-Ford

Bringing this post back from the dead. My 91 has the later style lines, with o-rings. I found this diagram for the later style cooler. This also has parts available. http://www.wholesalegmpartsonline.co...ssembly=380033

mrestrictrplate

iTrader: (2)

I removed my factory oil cooler on the new motor install i'm doing. I hear they can cause problems when they get rusty and fail. Any opinions on running without one?

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

jimdutro

iTrader: (1)

I`ve been running without the stock oil cooler for 9 years now, no issues.

Damon

And you WON'T have any issue running without it under normal conditions. But if you're going road racing or even a day of autocross it helps keep oil temps down.

One other advantage of running the cooler is that it's also an oil WARMER. The cooling system in your car gets up to temp long before oil temps stabilize. Since it's a heat exchanger between coolant and oil it works both ways. It will also help your oil warm up FASTER in cold weather. And that's probably worth something in terms of reduced engine wear.

Kblakney

iTrader: (2)

I have a full set up off my 91 for sale if anyone is interested. don't have pics but its the full factory set up. pm me offer if you are interested.


thanks

Mark Transam

I am interested if the price is right. You can email me at marktransam@yahoo.ca. Thanks

JA411

GM put them on for a reason. Think of cost per unit on every car with that option. I tightened many up after Quick Lube changed the oil and they started leaking oil.
Joe

Mark Transam

Do you have one for sale? If so I'm interested, mine has failed. Thanks

QuickStyle

i have one off a 91 z28. removed it when i did my 383 swap, seemed to work ok prior to removal. $80 + shipping, i will also include both hard lines if you want them. pm me if interested

IROC_L98

I know this is an old thread, but this seemed like the best place to put this. In answer to post #8, what is the torque for the oil cooler center tube? It is 17 foot-pounds. When I googled "tpi oil cooler torque specs," this is where I landed. I found it in a 91 Firebird factory service manual.