changed my oil this morning and noticed two black hoses running to the oil filter housing they looked pretty warn.since i changed out my radiator hoses thought i should start changing the other ones too since its never been done and it a 2001 with 215 k miles.are they a pain in the butt to change out,or should i take it to a shop ? thanks

 

If you have the factory tow package they might be for cooling the engine oil.

 

well i answered my own question will a little research.they are part of the coolant system.if i read it right it has something to do to with keeping your oil at a constant temp and it warms up your oil quicker as it circulates thru the oil filter.an yes that are a pain to change out! the biggest time consumer were the stock hose claps..mine were very soft and cracked so they were certainly due to be changed.for you mechanics out there-can you bypass this system ? just wondering(i didnt ).

 

Why would you want to by-pass it?

 

rob ive always been intrigued how things work and why.as far as by-passing the oil filter cooler system,just wondering if in a pinch you're out in BFE and one those hoses blew and you had to do some kind of engineering to by-pass the system to at least get home or to the shop.

 

oh by the way if you do have to change out the oil coolant hoses it is a major PIA !!!!,,,needed my son who has smaller hands then me and in my instance it became a two person job. still wondering about the reason why they are there.did a lil research and found out they are helpful if you are towing or carrying heavy loads.helps keep the oil at a consistent temp.but wouldnt the oil going thru the motor do that anyway ?

 

Jaxmark, if you had a coolant loss, and these were the culprits, I would have no hesitation in bypassing the oil cooler on an emergency basis. The oil will get a bit hotter, but it's better than frying the bearings and de-tensioning the rings, and possibly scoring the pistons and cylinder walls.
The thermostat is a 182F I think, which is cooler than the operating temperature of the oil, so I think it is more of a cooler than anything else. As the coolant starts to warm up faster than the oil, it may also get the oil to operating temperature quicker. You get heat out of the heater after just a few miles, but the oil is not that warm. At least that has been my experience changing the oil in my Ranger. The engine was at normal temp after driving about 20 miles, but the oil was just a bit above warm. No where near the temperature it would get after a long drive. If the oil had been warmed by the coolant, it would have been hotter and less viscous when I drained it.
tom

 

I had the steel pipe rot out on mine so I just removed it no problems yet. 2500 miles ago.

 

67ray,i was at my local bbq joint a few days ago and sat next to a couple of ford techs from one of the dealerships in town and i asked them about the oil filter cooling/heating thing,if it was needed.one of the techs said that is used to keep the oil at a consistent temp and to warm the oil quicker( which we knew ).he said unless you do alot of towing or putting a consistent load on your motor you dont need it.just turned 216k on my escape,,,need to keep it going, dont want a car /truck payment

 

oil cooler lines, just changed the one from my pump to the steel line, everyone check yours mine started leaking

 

Those hoses are you oil cooler lines

 

it's oil cooler included in the trailer towing package.
I had one added last year and recently had the oil changed. Now I have a oil/coolant leak but can't tell where it is coming from. Oil filter is tight and the hoses/clamps are good. The odd thing is that the oil filter and ground under it have what looks to be coolant with a little oil mixed in, and the drip hanging from the filter is oil colored. I didn't have that until this past oil change.
Any ideas?

 

Jaxmark - where did you buy those two short hoses that originate at the oil cooler? The dealer wants $40 for one, $60 for the other. Did you go to the dealer, or just buy some bulk hose? I'm also wondering, since one of them passes very close to the catalytic converter, is it a special silicone hose?

 

I replaced mine about a year ago. To do it I took the hoses to the parts store and found some that were similar shape then cut to fit. They are not fun to change!

 

So you found two molded hoses and did some cutting? You wouldn't have any record of what the hose part numbers that you used were? On the 2001 Escape, the bend in the hoses is so gradual, it looks like bulk hose might suffice. Were the hoses that you cut to fit 1/2" ID?