I have been keeping the vert close to the house for the past two years or so. The engine seems to be strong - it does smoke a lot at statup if I let it sit for a week or so - but I think that is just "normal."

However, the clutch has been riding high for so long that I just didn't want to be more than a few miles from home when it went.

Anyway, I got tired of waiting for the clutch (130K miles) to die because I would like to take it on the road again. So, I sent the vert off to the shop to have the clutch replaced.

And when it gets back home, I will still have to deal with a oil leak. I think the leak if coming from the original oil hoses.

The question now is, I have heard that getting the original hoses off the oil cooler is a bear, does anyone have any helpful hints?

Also, is it easier to just replace the old cooler with a new one? What are the chances of an oil cooler going bad anyway? What is the cost of a new cooler?

 

Back when i got my Vert it was leaking from the Threads of the oil cooler I got one from a wrecking yard for $10 and i ordered some SS oil cooler lines from Mazdatrix they look really good they came with the washers and my oil leak was curedwhen u install the lines the front one is kind of easy just use two wrenches to loosen and just one two install the back was kind of tricky because you have to crawl past the engine Close to the trans two reach the back cooler line the way i did it was i install the lines on the cooler first then did the engine sides

 

The engine side doesn't concern me too much, it'll just be a dirty job :o)

I am just curious to know if the lines are hard to remove from the cooler itself without bending things.

I once put a wrench on one of the lines at the cooler and it didn't want to move. I am sure I can muscle it, but will the cooler break/warp?

When you removed your lines from the cooler, did it take a lot of muscle? Or did it come free easy?

 

The only way I could remove the lines from the cooler was with an impact wrench. Without it, I risked damaging the cooler.

 

Yikes! Whaling on it with an impact wrench didn't do any damage itself?

Did you do this with it in or out of the car?

 

Before you change them check to make sure the oil isnt coming from the underside of the oil filter pedastal. Mine gave the deception that the oil line at the rear of the engine was leaking but it turned out to be the pedastal. Theres two o-rings that go bad on the pedastal.

 

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that... I'll give it a look. Thanks.

 

Car is back from the shop. It runs well. I took a look at the old clutch, and it was shot. The rivets were just about to hit the flywheel.

Now that the new one is in place, it is amazing how light the clutch pedal is. Pressing it, there is no resistance at all.