Bluezone

iTrader: (1)

hey guys, i finally took my gsl-se oil cooler off but i don't see a freaking crack. That thing almost killed me taking it off..and when i tried to hold the 21mm while i turned the adjustable wrench with the bigger nut off the fitting, it wouldn't budge. finally the whole thing loosened from the cooler hose and fitting. maybe the problem was the fitting or the crush washer. or maybe even the hose. would i be able to see the crack even through the black chipped paint on the cooler? let me know

Thanks

cpa7man

iTrader: (2)

Some car repair/radiator shop's can pressure test it for you. You can get replacement hoses from iscracing.net . I'm pulling mine Friday. Makes it easy if you pull the radiator.

Bluezone

iTrader: (1)

there's a local rx-7 mechanic that told me that in order to get the crack to show and to get a good feel on where to weld, i should put the fitting back on and tighten it until the crack gets bigger enough for me to see. what do you guys think?

Bruceman

iTrader: (5)

When I had a crack in mine I had to pressurize it, put it in a bucket of water, and then look for the air bubbles. You can also spray the area with soapy water while it is pressurized.
To pressurize it I plugged the fittings, installed a tire valve, and used a bike pump.

Good luck

MarkPerez

and the reason you pulled off the oil cooler ???? leak ? oil spots on the ground ?
when a crack is on the cooler itself you can see the drips. plus it's mounted up off the ground (-SE's) in front of the radiator so it's not cracked from something hitting it. where the cracks appear is right around the fittings and go down through the threads. easy to see also. if there is no visable cracks (lines) then check the hoses and the fittings on the oil lines. if the hoses are soaked then it's most likely a fitting leak. i can get the cooler and the oil lines at are junkyard if you can't find anything.

Bluezone

iTrader: (1)

i pulled off the cooler because there was a leak of about a drop every 1 or 2 seconds coming from the top inlet. i couldn't tell where exactly but it would drop from the middle of the fitting down to the lower inlet and eventually all over. but now i'm thinking maybe the problem was the crush washer, so i ordered 4 from mazda and i'm gonna test it out... i'll install the crush washers and old hoses back to the oil cooler but without mounting the cooler. then i'll turn on the car and wait for the leak. hope it works!! i'll let you guys know.

Thanks