suspect oil cooler leak ???

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innocenti
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suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by innocenti » 11th January 2011 - 2:10pm

just a quick post ive collected the wifes new car a 64 notch . bought it with a engine fault ? no oil in the motor it had broken down . ive removed the air filters and suspect the oil cooler or cooler seals have given up as a lot of old oil on top of the motor in that area . are the seals type 3 specific ? i understand they use a 1200 cooler with modified brkt ? next job charge the battery fill with fresh oil and crank it over to see if i can spot a leak anywhere . pic added below
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miketyp3
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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by miketyp3 » 11th January 2011 - 6:36pm

Only really early cars (to about mid 62) use the 1200 style cooler, later models use the doghouse type but without the bottom adaptor used on upright engines.
The seals are nothing special - they come in a standard engine seal kit.
If it is leaking from there, I'd suspect a seal or 1 or 2 of the bolts holding it down have come loose.

Mike
Mike

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innocenti
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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by innocenti » 11th January 2011 - 8:11pm

ta very much mike . just need a helping hand now mate / wife to turn the key while i watch :D hopefully get a look at it this weekend . is it easy to do it situ ? tinware removal etc or take the motor out ?. not worked on a type 3 motor much mainly upright and type 4 ones ?
cheers steve

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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by miketyp3 » 11th January 2011 - 8:44pm

I never have, but you should be able to do it engine in.
Check it isn't the oil pressure sender leaking first.

Mike
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purplepeter
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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by purplepeter » 11th January 2011 - 10:26pm

IF you can get all the tinware screws undone its relatively easy
left hand carb & manifold off then a bit of a jiggle will bring the tin off
devise some method of retaining the 2 long bolts holding the cooler on-like a bit of tape at the ready..otherwise they drop down & youre buggered
if you get really desperate/bad tempered it is possible to cut the tinware to allow cooler removal,then weld it back together after surgery..but thats not a recommended technique..just a solution i've used

If you need help,which bit of brizzle are you in??-i'm in oldfield park Bath,so potentially not too far away

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Editor
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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by Editor » 12th January 2011 - 1:42am

Actually selecting the correct oil cooler seals from those supplied in an engine gasket kit can apparently be a problem, so much so that Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org puts out a FAQ on it. There can be problems matching the early size holes to the later larger bore. I've not had to mess with mine yet, so I can't advise.
Dave.

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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by miketyp3 » 12th January 2011 - 11:42am

I've never had a problem finding standard seals.

I do remember having to buy stepped seals when converting a 64 Type 3 engine to use in a van (it was an emergancy!).

They were the same seals that are used when converting a 1200 engine to "dog house" cooling, so that may apply fitting a later cooler to an early case - not sure if they changed.

It was a while ago, but at the time you could still get them through a main dealer.

Mike
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aircoolsteve
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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by aircoolsteve » 14th January 2011 - 7:02pm

only one more thing to watch.
i have had quite a few people over-tightening the fixings on the oil cooler. this sometimes results in a crack in the engine case across the oilway where the seals sit.
if this occurs the case can sometimes be repaired but as it would involve a complete strip-down of the engine it probably would be a better decision to find another engine.
the symptoms described are very similar to those experienced by the people who came to me, even though they had changed the seals. i'm not saying that this is the case here but if the problem continues after changing the seals its a fair bet that some damage has been done.
good luck and i hope that all will be fine.
steve

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innocenti
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Re: suspect oil cooler leak ???

Post by innocenti » 15th January 2011 - 5:30pm

Cheers for all the tips and info !!! I have had to work this weekend so unfortunately not been able to progress any on it , will keep you posted when I do ,
Cheers again steve

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