Osirus9

iTrader: (10)

So, I'm going to be re-using my old oil cooler that was on my engine when it spun a bearing. Needless to say, the cool

I want to have my car running this weekend, but I'm now concerned that I will be unable to properly clean out the cooler myself.

I was thinking of having the cooler sent out and cleaned here:
http://oilcoolers.com/
which would guarantee me a clean cooler. Problem is, that'll end up costing me about $150 with shipping, and I won't get the cooler back until next weekend.

So I thought to myself, why not clean the cooler myself as best as I can, and then put an inline filter on there temporarily?

I was thinking something like this:
http://www.jegs.com/i/Moroso/710/23860/10002/-1?CT=999
or this:
http://pitstopusa.com/i-5059594-moro...-fittings.html

I already have AN lines, but I bought them used so I'm not sure of the size. Banzai-racing's lines are -10, but how can I measure the lines so I know the size? or are all the aftermarket lines -10?

Anybody ever try this? Also, which line would this go on... as in which line is the oil coming FROM the cooler TO the motor... the long one or the short one?
Thanks

GregW

Your over thinking it, Spend $10 on carb cleaner, use one can to fill it up, slosh it arround, let it sit, empty, repeat.

Osirus9

iTrader: (10)

would that really be able to get the copper shavings out of there?

and on another note, what's the best thing to clean with. You suggest carb cleaner, but I've heard mineral spirits, automatic transmission fluid, gasoline, brakleen...

GregW

Me, Id clean it. But thats me. Cleant it, replace it with a used one, or send it out, that filter thing is a hoaky idea tho.

If you lived in MN Id tell you to come pick one of the 3 up Ive got sitting on my shelf, somone in Chicago hasta have an extra one layin arround for you? Thats why I love the rotary comunity, once you meet enough folks with rotarys you got cheap parts with just a few phone calls.

Can anyone help this guy out?

The best thing to clean it with is carb cleaner, thats why I said carb cleaner. Gas is the next best. Nice thing about carb cleaner is if you leave it in a pan it goes away on its own. It does the same in you oil cooler If you put nasty gasolene in with your oil most places wont take it. Also, it may take a good long while to evaporate inside the oil cooler. ATF would be useless in this situation, Brakleen is not really a good solavant for oil, its made for cleaning breaks, which it does well.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

radiator shops are more suite to be able to clean out an oil cooler(quite simply a different type of radiator...).

YaNi

iTrader: (2)

If you have metal shavings in the oil system the only safe solution is to replace EVERYTHING. There is no guarantee even the pros can get it 100% clean, and the cost of an oil cooler and lines is significantly cheaper than pulling the engine for another rebuild. It only takes 1 shaving to ruin a bearing and your eshaft.

GregW

Just had a thought, pic of said bearing would be the deciding factor here. If its just the soft material from the bearing then Id clean it and rock it, if its chunks of the carrier for the soft bearing material, then yeah, YaNi is right.

Ive never seen a rotary "spin" a bearing by actual "v8 definition", that engine would be pretty effed up everywhere from oil starvation for that to happen. I saw one with a pinhole in one of the front plate freeze plugs, every bearing in the engine was galled and the e-shaft was toast along with the oil pump.

Osirus9

iTrader: (10)

well, I don't have a pic of the bearing because the motor isn't taken apart.
What I do know is that the bearing damage is enough for you to hear a change in the engine pitch at idle, and that when I drained the oil you could see a little bit of copper "glitter" in the oil residue.

as in... you can't see anything in the oil when it's all sitting in the bucket, but if you drain it out and look at the residue it leaves behind, there is a little bit of copper shavings.

I'm gonna see if I can find a cooler locally.
If I can't find one, then I'll use carb cleaner and clean its ***** off. I think I'll clean the one I buy too, if I can find one.

I have to hope that carb cleaner will work, since I have to clean the turbo/lines, oil cooler lines, and the front cover (I'm swapping front covers).

GregW

Given what you said below I dont buy your spun bearing diagnosis. Also given what you said I think your oil cooler would be fine to reuse with just a good old flush with cc.

The glitter you see is a fairly common thing, especially if you have been bouncing off the rev limiter or have low oil pressure. Its gonna find low places and stay there and its very small, much smaller than your oil clearence.

A spun bearing means the bearing fused to the shaft and walked arroun the inside of the plate while stuck to the e-shaft.

Gualling means it got hot enough for the soft material to become fused to the e-shaft and was almost molten for a short time and "smeared" across the bearing surface.

A scratch is from foreign material that was able to get into the oil clearence and scratch and sometimes imbed itself into the soft bearing surface which will create a scratch in the e-shaft over time.

Way back in the day doing 20 oil changes a day Id see copper at the bottom of the pan all the time.

Id just clean it an rock it. But again, thats me.

tuscanidream

iTrader: (6)

Clean it.