Oil cooler plate and correct size seals.

[Most_Wanted]

My oil cooler went bad and my mechanic is trying to find the correct parts. The diagram he is referencing shows a "plate" that is sandwiched between the engine and oil cooler. My engine did not have the plate nor do the other 986 engine I've researched on youtube/google images. Can someone with more experience confirm that there is no "plate" to begin with & also on the correct size seals.

2000 Boxster S
Engine 3.2

Seal sizes my parts guy showed me.

28x2.5 mm
35x4 mm
26x3 mm

I don't know why there is 3 different sizes. The oil cooler should only have 2 different sizes correct?

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Most_Wanted

My oil cooler went bad and my mechanic is trying to find the correct parts. The diagram he is referencing shows a "plate" that is sandwiched between the engine and oil cooler. My engine did not have the plate nor do the other 986 engine I've researched on youtube/google images. Can someone with more experience confirm that there is no "plate" to begin with & also on the correct size seals.

2000 Boxster S
Engine 3.2

Seal sizes my parts guy showed me.

28x2.5 mm
35x4 mm
26x3 mm

I don't know why there is 3 different sizes. The oil cooler should only have 2 different sizes correct?

You need a new mechanic.

You have an existing oil "cooler" that went bad. It has a part number on it. Your mechanic should be plugging in that number... sourcing the like part... buying the necessary seals (readily available)... and plugging in the new part. It's not rocket surgery. My wife could do it. You could do it.

I did it.

Matter of fact, if you're local...

Find a better mechanic. If she's hemming and hawwing over a simple remove and replace part like an oil "cooler"...

Hpowever, in spite of my tone... best wishes on a quick and fruitful outcome.




Freaking 4A posting...

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Most_Wanted

My oil cooler went bad and my mechanic is trying to find the correct parts. The diagram he is referencing shows a "plate" that is sandwiched between the engine and oil cooler. My engine did not have the plate nor do the other 986 engine I've researched on youtube/google images. Can someone with more experience confirm that there is no "plate" to begin with & also on the correct size seals.

2000 Boxster S
Engine 3.2

Seal sizes my parts guy showed me.

28x2.5 mm
35x4 mm
26x3 mm

I don't know why there is 3 different sizes. The oil cooler should only have 2 different sizes correct?

He is going off old data; only the very early 2.5L engines used an adapter plate between the cooler and the block, your engine does not. There are only two size O-rings required, two of each size. Any dealer worth their salt can get you set up quickly.

[Most_Wanted]

Thanks Start & JFP. Found the intermix while at work & out of convenience decided to bring it to the nearest google 5 star euro shop. Some backstory... Replaced the center rad because of a small leak. Noticed a bit of oil on inlet/outlet pipes. Kinda brushed it off until i saw the coolant reservoir filled with chunks of oil. Checked the dipstick/oilcap, both were clean, no exhaust smoke either. Still expecting a cracked head but hoping for oil cooler being the issue. Then i bring it to the mechanic and instruct him to drain the oil/filter, both were clean. next check oil cooler and that's when we found the coolant passages were intermixing. Now my mechanic is having difficulty finding the right parts...

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Most_Wanted

Thanks Start & JFP. Found the intermix while at work & out of convenience decided to bring it to the nearest google 5 star euro shop. Some backstory... Replaced the center rad because of a small leak. Noticed a bit of oil on inlet/outlet pipes. Kinda brushed it off until i saw the coolant reservoir filled with chunks of oil. Checked the dipstick/oilcap, both were clean, no exhaust smoke either. Still expecting a cracked head but hoping for oil cooler being the issue. Then i bring it to the mechanic and instruct him to drain the oil/filter, both were clean. next check oil cooler and that's when we found the coolant passages were intermixing. Now my mechanic is having difficulty finding the right parts...

Tell him (or her) to go to a dealer, a lot of the aftermarket oil coolers are junk, and you don't want to do this twice. The dealer can also set them up with the four O-rings needed.

[Starter986]

Ouch. I hope it's just the oil cooler. Sounds like a flush, flush, flush, fill deal.

Keep us posted on the diagnosis. Fingers crossed it's just the cooler.

[Most_Wanted]

Update

TLDR oil still shows in coolant. scoop oil out from expansion but oil still shows. had shop pressurize oil/coolant system. shop said pressure remained constant. Any other way to determine if head is cracked without dropping engine?

spent a whole day flushing the system with simple green. Must have done 5 flushes. By the last flush, liquid was looking clean with the exception of a few tiny specs of oil. Expansion tank was spotless. Few days later i see oil return to the expansion tank. The oil is at the surface and can be scooped out. Once the water/coolant is visible it almost looks clean. I've been cleaning the oil from the surface every time after driving and have done some 2 "lazy flushes" (draining only engine coolant/puling the return hose to drain but after every drive oil appears at the surface.

I had a different shop pressurize both coolant(15-20PSI) & oil systems but they told me pressure remained constant.

Either I didn't flush the system well enough, or the cracked head doesn't open up until engine is warm.

Car is a 2000 S 118K miles manual. no overheat, smoke or drivability issues. I've already accepted the worse but would like some assurance before dropping engine/removing heads. Any guidance from the pros?

[JFP in PA]

It takes A LOT of cleaning to get oil out of the cooling system, lots of detergent and HOT WATER flushes, and even then you are going to find traces for a long time.