[Houranimd49]

Over the last 20k miles, I’ve replaced the oil gasket cooler three times. Of note, I used OE gasket and followed the procedure, and torqued the bolts correctly.

And then it dawned on me. The failure has been the exact same each time. It fails at the bottom bolt area just above the belt tensioner. So this time I did a more thorough investigation. See the attached photos.

The circled area is chipped and damaged, right where the leak has occurred the last 3 times. I can never keep this oil cooler dry! Do you think this little damage can cause this issue?

This time around, I replaced the gasket again with brand new bolts and torqued corretly. If it leaks again, I’ll have high suspicion it’s from this small damage. But the question then becomes, how did it get damaged??

[StradaRedlands]

I have a bad feeling for you that that is the problem. That's the coolant portion, are you the original owner? If it's corroded like that, the wrong type of coolant may have been used causing it over time.

[Houranimd49]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

I have a bad feeling for you that that is the problem. That's the coolant portion, are you the original owner? If it's corroded like that, the wrong type of coolant may have been used causing it over time.

No I’m not the original owner but I did change the water pump and used OE coolant with a recent flush. I’m thinking if it leaks again then this is likely the problem.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Houranimd49

No I’m not the original owner but I did change the water pump and used OE coolant with a recent flush. I’m thinking if it leaks again then this is likely the problem.

Do you remember the color of the coolant back when you did the water pump? Doesn't have to be the cause of it, but it could be.

[Houranimd49]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Do you remember the color of the coolant back when you did the water pump? Doesn't have to be the cause of it, but it could be.

It was blue

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Houranimd49

It was blue

Well that's good!!! But now a bigger mystery!

[Surly73]

IMO, the housing is not a highly expensive part (compared to the cost of even DIY time to do this job multiple times). You've identified that it keeps leaking from a spot where there is a clear defect in the housing, whatever the cause - just replace it.

Shop around for the best price on a genuine or OE part and pull the trigger Again, just IMO.

[Houranimd49]

Originally Posted by Surly73

IMO, the housing is not a highly expensive part (compared to the cost of even DIY time to do this job multiple times). You've identified that it keeps leaking from a spot where there is a clear defect in the housing, whatever the cause - just replace it.

Shop around for the best price on a genuine or OE part and pull the trigger Again, just IMO.

Already started searching, and you’re right. It’s cheap. The issue is, I don’t want to do the job again lmao. It’s not a bad job just a tad annoying.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by Houranimd49

Already started searching, and you’re right. It’s cheap. The issue is, I don’t want to do the job again lmao. It’s not a bad job just a tad annoying.

I don't blame you at all. I've only done it once and don't really want to do it again.

[John H.]

I've seen leaks because of stripped threads. They are often over-tightened, and I am guilty of such. Torque to spec. If stripped, replace housing. Those threads in your pic don't look so good. Keep us posted.

[Houranimd49]

I thought I’d put an update. I replaced the entire OFH both cooler and block side, new bolts, new gaskets, and oil temp + it’s gasket. It’s been about 1000 miles…No leaks! Altogether parts were about $600 from fcp and I did the work myself. It wasn’t a horrible job.

[Shrimpy]

Thanks for following up on this Houranimd49. I'm getting ready to tackle mine in a couple of weeks. From the pictures, it looks to me like someone had dropped it while it was off the vehicle previous. Just a guess......