Ok i've done a search and read everything.

My car is in pieces, and I really need to get this oil cooler out first thing so that I can get down to a welder. Everything is out of the way, rad, battery etc. I have the oil cooler lines loosened from the cooler, but I can't seem to free the two nuts.

I have two questions:

1. When trying to free the two nuts do I hold the nut closest to the cooler with the 21mm wrench and then turn the nut on the hose clockwise or counter clockwise?

2. What size is the larger nut 25mm? I'm finding it hard to get leverage with a cresent wrench on the larger nut. I'm going to go tomorrow morning to buy a 25mm combination wrench. I just want to make sure that is the right size.

Any tips on how to free up the hoses? I really want to be gentle with the cooler, so I.m stopping for tonight before I break something.

Adam

 

sorry 85 se

 

You have to use 2 wrenches. I use a grinded down 21mm (make it thin as possible) for the inlet fittings and a adjustable on the hose end fitting

 

Just a thought - far as I know the cooler is aluminum, so if you consider heating, be real carefull not to unsolder any of the joints by the heat radiating too much. You may have to resort to cutting the lines, then working on the cooler with it out of the car. On second though, why not remove the engine ends, pull the cooler, then you can work on it easier? Just an idea...

Rob

 

I was thinking that too, but the hose that goes in the front of the motor is so close to the motor mount it might be a bitch too. The hoses are free from the cooler, I just can't get them out as I tried but it just twists the hose (the fitting nuts are frozen solid). If I can get the hoses off the engine all will be well. I will be at home depot when they open to get some tools.

 

This is a real crap way to attack it, but if I remember there is about 2 inches of metal sleeve where the flex hose attaches to the fitting. My experience with hydraulic hoses tells me this is usually pretty soft and easy to crush. I would consider trying to hold that part of the hose with a pipe wrench and then turn the fitting with a wrench. I would not use vicegrips. A pipe wrench doesn't pinch quite like vicegrips do. It may be just enough to work it loose.

 

Needle nose vice grips work well, it's the only way to get the engine side off. If u do the engine first you can then pull the cooler out all together and loosten the bolts off the car. All the lines are normal threads by the way, and when you put em back on they will likely leak, so beware of that when you're doing the work.

 

I recently performed this operation - loosen the lines from the engine first
then work with the ones on the cooler. I used a crescent wrench for the
inner nut. you can remove the lines when the cooler is out of the car also
put the cooler on the ground between your knees and tap that 21mm wrench
ALSO - the lines DONT leak - whomever tells you this should not be working on
cars - Mazda did not design them to leak and they should not - mine dont
and its not "normal" for leakage here

 

Cut the lines, then have new ones made.

 

The leaking comment was not the lines... but the final fitting with a flat washer to the engine and oil cooler, mine never stay tight anymore and thus leaks and needs to be retightened often.

 

Are you replacing the "flat washer", or reusing old ones? These are crush washers, designed for 1 use only. Of course, even new ones will have a tendency to leak if they are over-tightened.
I must say, I HIGHLY prefer the banjo bolt fittings used on the 2nd gen FMOC, which is why I used a 2nd gen cooler when I took that crappy beehive off. I snugged those banjo bolts down just enough hold the line in place, expecting to have minor leaks requiring a little more tension. I was pleasantly surprised by not having any.....

 

I just got new hoses, fittings and washers from Mazda. Should be all fixed up tonight. All I need to do is get that hose off the front part of the engine (not much space in there) I plan on cutting the hose and slipping a combination wrench over it.

It must have been my fittings leaking, I took the oil cooler out, cleaned and ispected it and could find no cracks.

 

While the oil cooler is out, you may want to clamp the threaded fitting, or have it tig welded for reinforcement. That's the weak spot in the design, over-tighten the bolts and there's a crack. Another option is to use a loctite or something for the fitting on the cooler and engine, since those are more likely to crack, leak, or have other issues.

I think that I punched out some new aluminum washers, could very well be my issue that they aren't the proper material. The problem I thought of is since both ends of the 'feed' hose off the front of the engint is right hand thread, so no matter what, one end or the other will have a little torque loostening it. So far this year i've been lucky with no leaks on these hoses, i've got clamps made up to hold the line from loostening, just didn't get around to installing them yet.

 

Adam, would you mind posting the part number and prices for the lines, and crush washers etc? That way I have them handy. My lines are always sort of wet looking, and I suspect they're going to be up for replacement soon. Thanks!
Rob

 

She's fixed. Can't see any leaks. I did have a couple tooney sized spots of oil this morning, but I think it's just from oil that was spilled on the cross member and suspension.

Part numbers are:

Hoses:
147201 & 14730 $96 each

Washers:
995621600 x 3
995641800 x 2

Fittings:
993841200 x 3

 

Adam, any chance the 2nd number is wrong (14730) - its missing a digit compared to the other one...