1999 V70 XC Oil Cooler Bypass (oil in coolant)

[skysoljah]

Aloha,

I recently had a considerable amount of oil in my coolant tank. I isolated the problem by connecting the coolant hoses going to the engine oil cooler together and started the engine, the oil was coming out of the oil cooler tube. It would take about a week to get a new one as there are none on island. Is it Ok to bypass the oil cooler and install a hose connecting the oil cooler tubes? Just for light driving.


Thanks

[erikv11]

If it were my car I would give it a try, but be very careful about engine operating temperature. And try very hard to stay out of boost, the reason for the oil cooler on turbo cars (there isn't one on non-turbos) is all the heat put onto the oil that passes through the turbo.

Unfortunately it is warm where you live (hah!), if this happened in January where I live then I wouldn't worry much about it at all ...

You can save a bundle on oil cooler lines and still get high quality and fast service from this guy: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =7&t=53362

[cn90]

I wrote a trans cooler line rebuild for $6. Same idea for the oil cooler lines:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=55794

All you need are:
1. Regular clamps or Oetiker clamps.
2. Generic hose at local autoparts store
3. Angle Grinder or Dremel tool to remove old fitting until you see the barb fitting.
4. New Green O-rings at the oil thermostat (same PN for trans cooler O-ring vs oil cooler O-ring).
5. New Black O-ring for the oil cooler attachment at the radiator.
6. Once done, place a screw-type clamp around the factory quick-connect fitting (at radiator side).

PS: Also need:
- Rectangular Seal for oil thermostat
- T40 bolts x2, and T30 bolt x1.

[burnout8488]

Guys, he has a 99. It uses the Behr oil cooler mounted to the oil pan, not the old style with the lines going to the radiator. He wants to bypass the coolant hoses going to this cooler, which should work until he can get a new one.

I've never heard of one of these failing though. Suppose it is definitely possible, however.

You can probably get a double ended barb that will fit in both lines at a Home Depot or equivalent. Just don't go crazy, and drive sensibly. Your oil temps should stay within range then.

[erikv11]

Thanks for cleaning up that mess ...

[kcodyjr]

Bypassing may well prevent more oil from getting in the coolant, but that same oil coming through the exchanger where it isn't supposed to will then have no pressure pushing back against it. Expect the leak to get worse, and unless you plug where the hoses go, expect it all over the ground.

[skysoljah]

Aloha,

Thanks for all the replies! I found an oil cooler donor in a recycle yard and will try my luck on that. I had a similar posting back in March of 2011, the same issue I was having now. I was flushing and cleaning the cooling system over and over when the problem disappeared, I was able to put 25,000 miles on the car with no sign of oil in the cooling system. Again thanks!

[skysoljah]

Aloha,

I changed the oil pan mounted oil cooler and it fixed the problem, the car is back on the road again.

Thanks!