Oil cooler lines leak. Easy fix?

kaneelschep · Post by **kaneelschep** » 25 May 2016, 05:24

Hi there.

I was under the car a while ago and noticed the oil cooler lines leak a bit. I checked and those basterds are way too expensive to just swap out and forget.
Also it is quite unclear wich one is wich.
And i dont know what actually leaks.

Its a bit of a shame since the car doesnt use any oil otherwise

Is it mostly the connecrion? Or the clips? Or what?
Is there maybe an easy way to fix this?

Thanks!

Post by **850 LPT** » 25 May 2016, 05:57

There is no easy fix per se. I would suggest reading up on this topic since it has been discussed here before.
There is a really good thread that also covers rebuilding them to save cost:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=56014

I replaced the ones on my XC a while ago with good used ones and it wasn't really that bad. Do allow a good amount of time for this job though, it cannot be rushed.

I hope this helps,

Dirk

Post by **erikv11** » 25 May 2016, 07:43

The problem is over time the junction between the hose and the metal fitting begins to leak, so the entire line must be replaced. I agree with Dirk's points, but I would add that removing and installing the lines is one of my least favorite jobs. It's not technical, but (1) where the lines connect to the thermostat the access is difficult and the thermostat is easily bent (damaged), and (2) the mounting bolt on the other end, near the AC compressor, is a PITA but mostly goes OK if you are patient.

kaneelschep · Post by **kaneelschep** » 27 May 2016, 04:56

I searched for some answers allready, but I could not really find what actually goes bad on the lines.
I had oilcoolers on 3 cars before. Wich were older and more rotten. And they never leaked.
Strange that these just start to basicly leak on the connector to the hose.

That is a very good write up of how to replace them.

I downloaded the pdf.

Post by **benpineapple** » 27 May 2016, 06:59

kaneelschep wrote:I searched for some answers allready, but I could not really find what actually goes bad on the lines.
I had oilcoolers on 3 cars before. Wich were older and more rotten. And they never leaked.
Strange that these just start to basicly leak on the connector to the hose.

Its usually the crimp that fails over time, where the metal meets the rubber. I have heard of people having shops rebuilt the hoses. I had a leak from mine and just replaced it, for the peace of mind. Plus I plan on keeping my Volvo for a very long time.

They are definitely buried, no easy access. Had to undo the PS lower motor mount and raise the motor about 1" just to get clearance to the lower flange plate thing that holds the hoses in to the bottom of the block.

Not a fun job, but better than the constant oil smell/drips, and definitely worth the peace of mind knowing that my car won't dump 6 quarts at any given moment.

Post by **tryingbe** » 27 May 2016, 07:55

I replaced my hoses with oil cooler hoses. 1/2 for engine oil cooler, 3/8 for transmission cooler.

Post by **cn90** » 27 May 2016, 09:20

1+,

Re: oil cooler lines: Stay away from aftermarket. Also no need to spend $100 on Volvo OEM line.
Use good generic oil hose (info in forum), use a dremel to cut off the crimp, then new generic hose and Oetiker clamps x2. This will cost you about $10 per hose. Very very easy rebuild.

The green O-rings: dealer only.

The retainer place, flip it around (I posted info in forum), this will allow better sealing of the green O-rings.

beigg · Post by **beigg** » 27 May 2016, 12:40

The old hoses were metric ID and not locally available. iirc 13mm ID was what I bought and has been dry ever since.
Tried 1/2" to find it to tear the inner core then swell soon after. Potential for a hefty pricy failure and messy one.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 28 May 2016, 10:10

The secret to life on getting the mounting bolt back in is to remove the mounting bolt for the air conditioner compressor. That in and of itself is no picnic although I have a pneumatic ratchet that zips it right off once I break it loose with a wrench. After the head of the compressor bolt is out of the way the oil cooler line bolt goes in with relative ease. I stack about 18" worth of extensions and a swivel on the ratchet and go for it on the front side of the subframe.

...Lee