http://www.oilcoolers.com/services.htm
Pacific Oil Coolers
That's the outfit I was referred to by Mazdatrix when they stopped offereing the sonic cleaning for oil coolers. You can check with Mazdatrix again if they have anyone else to suggest, but I sent my SA cooler there and it came back clean as a whistle, beautifully wrapped, etc.
Cost was about $65 + freight IIRC - this was 3 years ago...
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Great link Stu. This will help many who need thier fmocs gone through. Having the fmoc cleaned should be a requirement for anyone who is rebuilding thier engine and the price is well worth the peace of mind.

 

Sonic cleaning is a very effective method of cleaning. I have a friend that has a heated 5 gallon cleaner that I tried to sell for him on the forum but no-one wanted to shell out the cash.
If you could find an efffective way to hook up a recirculating hot water source thru the cooler you could use some tide detergent to clean the innards of the cooler.

 

Really?? Tide?
huh.....
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

I was referred to the folks @ www.sracing.com. I had them clean mine, it came back looking great and cost around $20.

 

I learned this trick when I was a Service Manager. I don't remeber if it was Volvo or not but when the oil cooler would come apart inside on this particular vehicle it would feed into the cooling system. So in order to get all of the oil out from the cooling system and especially the inside of the cooling hoses. The guys would get a large container of tide (I believe we used the liquid form) and ingest it into the system. You would wind up flushing multiple times but in the end the system was free of any oil residue.

 

Two nice links, I will give them both a call about haveing one cleaned.

Anyone have any updates on Cleaning since this thread is old.

 

Any other places people would recomend?

 

Is that like you had no luck with those 2?

 

Have not called yet, Just wanted to see if there are any more options before starting.

 

Would a rad shop not be able to clean it?

 

Called all they can do is dunk it.

 

Talked to them today and they quoted $20 for the cleaning, I will be sending them Two in the next week.

 

these two companies sound great! but does anybody think they can do repairs as well since i have a cracked fmoc...

 

The top one does repairs and can Cert the cooler for Airplane use.

 

+1! i just called them as well right now and they are charging me $20. I am gonna send it to them next week. Damn good price if you ask me.

 

Guys- let us know how the coolers come out with sracing.com. That's a great price if they do it right.

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Well I took my oil cooler to Pacific Oil Coolers to have mine repaired. When my engine builder got it back we discovered another crack around the top bung but did not have the proper torch or oxy-fuel welder to fuse the aluminum stock he had so he took it to a local welder I believe. I still have yet to see it though and want to swap for mine back lol. I'm running an improvised repu fmoc right now hah

 

There was a company in Texas that does a damn good job doing it, even has an option to paint the coolers with a special paint that draws the heat out.

Forgot the link, but it is in the 3rd gen section.

 

Good links ... I might be doing that myself sometime soon then.

As far as the oil cooler fixing, What we did as a permanent fix for Orion84gsl's car we cut out the original bungs and welded on some -8AN bungs on there. Permanent fix and won't crack if you over tighten them.

 

for those of us at a little further distance, but with an ounce of determination-







12aT mazda fuel pump washer in action, flushing oil cooler with diesel

- no sock, just distance, and a little magnet chucked in on the discharge banjo

to flush around the thermo bypass you have to lift it so the end with the hoses is uppermost and vertical
( opposite to pic )
- and raise the discharge pipe high
this will make the flushing diesel run via all the fins as well as the thermo bypass shortcut

 

if you have it out for cleaning, this would be a good time to check the thermostat in the cooler.

 

Where would one locate a replacement if necessary?

 

On aircooled VWs,(back in the day),we used to lay the coolers in a Safety Clean part washer solvent tank, and stick the solvent hose,(running), in one port, and let her rip.
They would flow dirty for a while, then clean after that.The longer you leave them, the cleaner they get.
Something inexpensive, and available almost everywhere.
It is amazing , how similar the coolers appear.