I am still trying to figure out why my oil keeps puking out the front oil cooler gasket when I start it up on cold mornings. I've already replaced the gasket 3 times, checked for cracks on the cooler and front cover. Checked for warping on the flanges, replaced the front header and now I'm about to put a bullet in it. It blew a half gallon out this morning.
Last winter it was leaking coolant out of the original cooler seals. So I took the cooler off of my wifes 97 and took it completely apart and cleaned it, resealed it and put it on my 94. The first time I started it the front gasket blew oil. I took it off, put a new gasket on again and it blew again. Then I siliconed the crap out of it and it stopped till this winter. It blew again a couple weeks ago and I resealed the SOB again. Now this morning the front gasket blew again. I'm pretty ticked off now.

I am about to go pull the cooler again and I'm going to look at the relief valve. Anyone know the order of the parts that go in it? I know I put it back in the way I took it out but it still could be wrong. The engine I got it off of was a oil leaking pig. That's why it is getting rebuilt now. I have got to get this oil leak fixed so any ideas then let me know. Before I shoot it!

 

The order is like in the pic. Your issue is very strange for me. good luck.

 

That's the oil filter bypass. I was needing the relief valve in the back of it.

I just got done taking the pos apart again and I inspected the relief valve. It was pure junk!!!!!!!!!!!!! The thing was so scored up that I was surprised it was working at all. It wasn't worth fixing so I took the old one off the 94 header and modified it to work. The 94 oil pressure relief valve is about .060 longer because it wasn't held in with a snap ring. I turned it down in the lathe to the same length as the screwed up one and radiused the edge nice then polished it inside and out within and inch of it's life. I swear this relief valve design is among the worst and most primitive I have ever seen. The actual valve piston part is barely an 1/8 inch wide. It relies on the tail end of it to guide it in the bore of the cylinder so it doesn't hang. Well that tail is too darn long and way too prone to scuffing that will stick it. A multi surfaced piston would have been a much better idea. I mean a longer piston with grooves cut in it. Bone head international designers!~!~ THis is unfiltered dirty oil going through a relatively high precision part so they should have thought about this better.

Anyway, I just put it back together and it works but I cut my oil filter in the process of taking it off with the filter wrench. I didn't notice it till I started the engine.
Well, now I know why the 97 engine that I took that header off of was leaking so bad! And I'm pretty sure this has been my problem with that front gasket blowing ever since I put this header on. I hope people will find this in the future and check that stupid relief valve for scoring on the inside before they put it back together. I can't believe there isn't a single thing about it anywhere on the internet.

The next time any of you have that cooler off look how thin the casting is on the rear side gasket surface of the front header. What I am guessing is that is the path of least resistance if the oil pressure gets too high. I read a lot of threads about oil filters blowing out and a few about oil filter gaskets blowing for bad relief valves but I guess I am unique about that stupid gasket blowing and I can't figure why. It's a lot weaker joint there than an oil filter.

 

Thanks buddy.

 

For what? I hope I didn't sound too pissed off. This has really been bugging me for over a year now. I just hope this is it. I'm pretty sure. I need a bottle of something now. Anyone got a running vehicle near me that can come by with a new oil filter and a bottle of scotch?

 

Thanks to share that. did you took some pics?
and Ah! OK, so you were talking about this one right?:

 

That's the one. It relieves excess oil pressure back to the sump and regulates the oil pressure after it is running. If it is stuck closed them cold startups in the winter are gonna be a problem. I guess when I used the block heater it warmed it up just enough that it would unstick. It never leaked when I used the heater.
I was way too covered in oil to touch my camera but in a few days, after I calm down, I'll take some pics of the messed up one and try to explain how it SHOULD be working and what to do to fix it. I have a pretty well equipped machine shop but it can be polished with a dremel tool in a pinch. I used an air powered dremel looking tool with a little felt wheel and polishing compound for the inside and did the outside of the piston on the big bench polisher. Worked like a charm. I'm waiting on my kid to get back from oreilleys with a new oil filter now so I can run it a while.
I'm pretty ticked at myself for not catching this before.

 

After you shoot it try one of these:

OIL COOLER FORD F250 TRUCK 7.3 - eBay (item 380275647089 end time Jan-02-11 06:54:29 PST)

 

I've already replaced the whole thing once. That's what started this oil leak. Then I went back and fixed the old one. Still leaked. Then I put new gaskets on it, checked it for cracks on the mounting flange and the headers, still leaked, took it off again, new gaskets again, fixed the relief valve checked it for cracks again, IT"S STILL LEAKING OIL!

Any other suggestions?

 

Can you tell exactly where its leaking from?

I'd use some make a gasket on the gaskets when you install them and leave the block heater plugged in so its all warm when it seats.

The make a gasket will fill any hollows, and its not messy like RTV so it wont squish around if applied correctly.

 

I never have been able to see exactly where it was spraying from but it is only on cold mornings when I haven't plugged it in. When I crawl under it it looks like it's spraying from the back side of the front cooler flange. I've never seen exactly where though. Now I can. Everything is off the front of the engine on that side and I can see all the way around it real well. I'll wait till tonight when it's cold and look again.

 

might not be the oil cooler at all. :P

 

I'm starting to think that too but what else right there is pressurized enough to spray from teh front to the top of the rear header? Do you have another front cover you can look at? I just can't figure it. My sons in there with a wire toothbrush now cleaning it all up real good. It's weird. The cooler flange and the front of the block isn't even wet but I swear that's where the spray was coming from! And last winter when I siliconed the gasket it did stop the leak till this month.

 

I think TJ is the guy to help you with this equasion.

Send him a PM on here, that will steer him to the thread, just explain it really quick in the PM whats going on.

 

How about the plug for the HPO rail front drivers side? could it be leaking down on the front cover and front of the oil cooler? just a thought