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New Oil Cooler Installation

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Jim_Gruber

Jim_Gruber

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I'm going to be installing a new 13 Row oil cooler this weekend on Bugsy my '68 Sprite equipped with a 1098 and Smoothcase. Looks to be a simple job but I'm wondering if fittings on the oil cooler for the hoses needs to have some sort of sealer i.e teflon plumbers tape to make sure things don't leak. Or is teflon tape not able to take engine type temperatures. Or should I leave well enough alone.
 
Teflon tape is fine on any NPT threads you have. The oil isn't going to get hotter than the engine so ideally, it will stay below 200F. Teflon starts to break down close to 600F so you're not near it's limit.

Don't use any sealer or tape on any compression fittings (AN or JIC).
 
Cool thanks for the advice. Yes sincethe oil cooler is out there in front and not attached to the block temps will definitely be lower than 600F. Thanks again
 
Thanks Doug

I had used teflon tape on mine and wasn't sure if it was legit.

Pat
 
In my teen years the first car I bought was a VERY used BMW-2002. I wanted to add an oil pressure gauge and didn't know that there were such things as metric pipe fittings. I couldn't find a suitable fitting in my Dad's shop so I took the closest one I had and liberally wrapped it with Teflon tape. This was not a casual amount... it was very thick. I ran that fitting and Teflon tape for the remaining time I owned the car and it never leaked. It was a stupid thing to do... I only mention it here to point out Teflon won't be affected by the heat or pressure.
 
Installed oil cooler last night without resorting to teflon pipe tape. Actually got it installed only to remember oh yeah, the pipe tape. No worries, no leaks. Off to do some time at speed later today to see if my theory on oil cooler, higher temps at expressway speeds, does a 40 y.o cooler still cool or do any good, oil pressure dropping from 65 lbs at 70 mph to 50 lbs after 10 miles is due to oil heating up or not.

Took the old oil cooler over to drain. It was full of oil but when tipped on its side oil sort of dribbled out of it. There wasn't a rush of oil out of it when tipped up. So I think my first theeory of 40 y.o. oil cooler and sludge accumulation might be somewhat valid. I'll give a full report after a test drive.

Initial impressions after taking car down to grocery store at 11:00 last night for its first drive, looks like a 5 psi gain in oil pressure around town to around 65 lbs. Now to see if it stays at that level after a 10 mile blast at speed. Pressure is all within limits but making plans for that trip next year and the challenge of can Bugsy hold together for a 10 hour drive to the Ozarks.

BTW - made a switch from a 9 row cooler to a 13 row cooler.
 
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