Hey has anyone successfully cleaned one of these engine oil coolers out?
I have ordered a rebuilt engine for my 94 and the rebuilder says you either have to replace the cooler (because you can't clean them) or install an oil cooler eliminator for 179.00. I don't like the sound of that, as I think the oil should be kept as cool as possible, but I also think solvent would wash out any particulates inside the oil cooler if done properly. I was thinking about buying a used one and cutting it open to see how they are constructed inside. Has anyone already done that?

 

First I've heard about cleaning one. The oil that goes through the cooler has already been filtered so I don't think there would be much dirt in there. But if you did want to clean it you're probably correct about the solvent, especially if you can pump it through in the reverse direction.

 

Im with eric if you could find some way to pump backwards through it, you might just be on to something.

 

I just spoke with a Toyota mech locally and he said they just wash them out really well with brake cleaner and haven't had a problem. I took mine off the block and did the same however the cooling circuit in mine was plugged. Well that was with my regulated air nozzle, when i put my "unregulated" nozzel on it it spit out a chunk of what looks like broken taillight lens, and some sludge? Maybe someone accidently dropped that piece into the radiator at some point and thats where it wound up. I currently have it flushing in the solvent tank to break down any oil residue then i will wash it out with brake cleaner and do a vacuum leakdown so I can be sure the circuits are still insulated from each other.

 

I just put a remanufactured engine in my 4runner and the company also said to replace the oil cooler. I just cleaned out the oil cooler and bolted it back onto the engine, its been about a week and seems to be doing fine.

 

The Jasper warranty requires that you put a new one on. You don't want to know how much that costs!

 

Well mines been on for about 5 months now with no trouble.

 

Soak the oil cooler in Karosene (sp?). Or even Diesel. But if you can get ahold of a big bucket of Carb. cleaner that will do the trick too.

YES, you can 100% clean out a oil cooler. I have done it many times for friends (Supra's and turbo Mr2's) when doing rebuilds.

Heck, we reuse our $500 oil coolers time and time again in our race cars. No reason to throw away a perfectly good Setrab oil cooler. LOL

Cancle that order and just go buy about $20 worth of carb cleaner and pat yourself on the back!

-Jonathan

 

$469 was about the best I could find on a new one.
Local radiator shop gave mine the acid bath and flush treatement for $25.
Guess which one I went with

 

I put mine in a container filled with brake cleaner and set it on a jewelry stone vibrator for an hr.
Not much deposit came out at all. I would just flush it out with some good cleaner and call it good.
Replace the gaskets, o-ring and crank it down to 43ft.lbs. clamp on new hose, done.

 

1. [QUOTE=scrid;942966]Hey has anyone successfully cleaned one of these engine oil coolers out?

Yes! I have a Jerry rigged parts cleaner. I bought a plastic storage bin from Walmart, filled it with 2.5 gallons of deep purple and water, dropped in a sump pump I had left over from an old above ground pool and voila... red neck parts washer. I then hooked up about 3 feet of garden hose, put the banjo fitting through the oil cooler and threaded it into the hose. Plugged in the pump and in about ten minutes it was good as new.