PrdnJoy

My car was equiped with a engine oil cooler line it was taken off due to I need a new one.My question is does it need to be on or can it be by-passed? And if it is needed they have been discontinued were can I find one? If off what will happen if anything? Thank You

rgarcia63

If your engine doesn't run abnormally hot, you probably don't need, but if you spend a lot of hours in heavy street traffic, and or on freeway parking lots I'd replace it.
What went bad on it?
Stock, or aftermarket?

thepoz89

aftermarket ones screw onto the hub for the oil filter. You can remove this completely and have no troubles.

PrdnJoy

It was the stock original the lines were all rusted and deteriorated.Called Pontiac dealer they say they have been discontinued I want to replace them but can't find one anywhere.

SpitotRs305

was this oil cooler in front of the radiator on the drivers side?

PrdnJoy

I am talking about the oil cooler lines that mount around the oil pan rail that are factory steel lines

rgarcia63

If all you need is the functionality TRANS-DAPT makes an adapter that mounts like the stock cooler. You can probably find others like it.
http://performance.thepartsbin.com/b...6&brandid=2816

PrdnJoy

I contacted the parts bin they don't have the oil cooler lines that I had that were stock I may be misunderstanding you the ones that were stock were like 19 inches long 2 of them welded together at ends the steel lines were all deteriorated.I am going to try and post a picture later I am new to this site but bare with me & Thank You.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Your original oil cooler ran coolant into that little "sandwich" adapter. That's what the steel lines carried, was coolant. The adapter is the cooler, and it's oil-to-coolant.

Aftermarket oil coolers don't work like that. Their "sandwich" adapters carry the oil out to an external oil-to-air cooler, and back.

You don't "need" the oil cooler, but an oil cooler is a great thing to have. The factory setup isn't real useful. An aftermarket one is much better.

I'd suggest removing the original adapter and the lines that carried coolant to it, and capping them off; and installing an external cooler with its own new lines and "sandwich" adapter.

rgarcia63

If you don't want to go with the air-cooled type.
Post that picture maybe it salvageable.
FYI
I deleted mine, but I have a 7qt oil pan.

PrdnJoy

I am trying to post pics but not having any luck I tryed PM and also not working I am new at this so bare with me can I send them to am e-mail address? I will understand If not I tried.Thank You

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

I doubt there's much to tell in pics of those... I think most of us have seen rusted-through, rotted-out those before. Pretty common fate for them to suffer actually. If that's how yours are, then it's time to either eliminate or replace it.

I suppose it might be possible to drill and tap the sandwich adapter to some convenient NPT size, and make up something out of braided stainless lines or something, to replace the factory lines; but you're still stuck with the design that's only marginally effective at best as a cooler, and not appropriate for the kind of use these motors get. I don't see it as worth the money or effort to repair, once its lifetime is over. It's probably better to just go the aftermarket route, if you want to retain it at all. After all, millions and millions of other Chevy small blocks are on the road and have been for over 50 years now, doing just fine without them; and ALOT of them make AHELLUVALOT more power than some TPI motor, and live in MUCH harsher circumstances. IMO the factory thing is an eye-candy gewgaw for people who like the "image" of having an oil cooler.

Incidentally, on some of the motors where oil cooling is actually a critical matter, the factory didn't do it that way; for example, in my wife's 4.x Cadillac (FWD V8), there are oil lines that take the oil to a cooler in the radiator tank. The HOT side, believe it or not. Maybe it's not an oil cooler at all, but rather an "oil warmer"; and for that matter, maybe that's what the one in these cars is too, i.e. designed to get the oil up to operating temp quicker.

/idle speculation mode off