Oil cooler forward header
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena, Maryland
Oil cooler forward header
I changed my oil cooler o rings two weeks ago because it started to leak at the forward cooler and header seal, the two large o rings. After re assembly, new fluids added and no leaks found on start. Couple of days later, we had a cold snap and I found oil pouring out of the forward header mating surface. My 10 yo daughter and I pull the cooler again inspect the seal and found no defects. Bought new seals and re assebled with no leaks. Ambient temperature was around 40 degrees F. Yesterday AM found oil pouring out of the same seal again. Temperature around 10 degrees F. I read that others have experienced the same thing. Tomorrow is going to be above freezing so I'd like to get it fixed then if I can. Question is...What did you do to seal this up? My mating surfaces were cleaned before assembly and I used no sealant, which with these types of seals is not required...or is it?
Thanks in advance..
Thanks in advance..
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 10
I assume you're leaving the header on the engine.
I use emery cloth on both surfaces, wipe clean, and put a thin coat of oil inside the header along with assembly lube on the O-rings and they usually slide right in.
Have you allowed it to get to operating temperature? (EOT somewhere around 190* - 200*)
An 1/8" bead of quality RTV (I use the black) will stop the Header Leak.
I use emery cloth on both surfaces, wipe clean, and put a thin coat of oil inside the header along with assembly lube on the O-rings and they usually slide right in.
Have you allowed it to get to operating temperature? (EOT somewhere around 190* - 200*)
An 1/8" bead of quality RTV (I use the black) will stop the Header Leak.
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena, Maryland
AZ has the Dorman kit for 60 bucks....I'm just going to drain the coolant, pull the oil filter and replace the forward seal. I'll post some comparison pics of the seals before install. Something tells me there wont be much difference....
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena, Maryland
Dorman kit looks identical to the stock IH kit....Imagine that.
My Cobra ejected a spark plug last year. I ordered new coil packs through Ford and tho and behold printed in large letters(bigger than the Ford emblem mind you) was "Made in China"...
I guess quality aint job one anymore....
My Cobra ejected a spark plug last year. I ordered new coil packs through Ford and tho and behold printed in large letters(bigger than the Ford emblem mind you) was "Made in China"...
I guess quality aint job one anymore....
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,298
Likes: 94
From: Delta, CO
I was told by someone that has quite a bit of experience working on these 7.3 engines
"get the gaskets & o-rings from Ford...not International, Napa or anywhere else"
IDK but I kinda listen when this dude tells me something like that, it would seem that there should be no difference with the International gaskets but he was pretty adamant about getting the Ford stuff after having tried all the others.
"get the gaskets & o-rings from Ford...not International, Napa or anywhere else"
IDK but I kinda listen when this dude tells me something like that, it would seem that there should be no difference with the International gaskets but he was pretty adamant about getting the Ford stuff after having tried all the others.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 9,359
Likes: 1
From: Hampstead, NC
Dorman kit looks identical to the stock IH kit....Imagine that.
My Cobra ejected a spark plug last year. I ordered new coil packs through Ford and tho and behold printed in large letters(bigger than the Ford emblem mind you) was "Made in China"...
I guess quality aint job one anymore....
My Cobra ejected a spark plug last year. I ordered new coil packs through Ford and tho and behold printed in large letters(bigger than the Ford emblem mind you) was "Made in China"...
I guess quality aint job one anymore....
I have ordered a few aftermarket parts at the shop, one specifically being an EGR valve on a GM. Part came out of the box with GM stamped on it with a GM part number......
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Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena, Maryland
Pictures of the gaskets. In the top photo the black gasket is stock IH the right is Dorman. In the bottom photo the stock IH is on the right and the Dorman is on the left. No leaks so far, cold soak start in the am will tell the tale.
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 407
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From: Southern IL
When I did mine I got the rebuild kit from Bob at Diesel oring. Never had a problem of a leak after I did the rebuild. I did clean up the mating surfaces with some fine sand paper and steel wool and then wipe down with I think it was some sort of brake cleaner.
Hope this time it work for ya!
Hope this time it work for ya!
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena, Maryland
When I did mine I got the rebuild kit from Bob at Diesel oring. Never had a problem of a leak after I did the rebuild. I did clean up the mating surfaces with some fine sand paper and steel wool and then wipe down with I think it was some sort of brake cleaner.
Hope this time it work for ya!
Hope this time it work for ya!
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 498
Likes: 0
From: Hagerstown, MD
x2... My '04 Cobra with drag radials doesn't even think about coming out if the roads are anything but dry. Hope you get her fixed in time!
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,613
Likes: 8
From: North Georgia
I hate to be the doomsayer...
But-
If it was the first time the oil cooler was removed then there is a fairly good chance the bolts up holding the front housing to the engine's front (timing) cover may have corroded and seized. I learned of this possibility first hand about a month after getting my truck... and what i experienced was close enough to horrific. The end of the bolt had seizure between the bolt threads and the internal threads of the bolt hole. The cast aluminum... being the weaker metal... let loose first causing the bolt to drag the broke off thread pieces out the hole. The extra material coming out with the bolt put too much pressure on the front cover and cracked it.
Tell you what...
You learn a hell of a lot in a dayum hurry pulling one of these engines as a noob.
Hope you dont have to resort to such dramatic activities to resolve your leak.
But-
If it was the first time the oil cooler was removed then there is a fairly good chance the bolts up holding the front housing to the engine's front (timing) cover may have corroded and seized. I learned of this possibility first hand about a month after getting my truck... and what i experienced was close enough to horrific. The end of the bolt had seizure between the bolt threads and the internal threads of the bolt hole. The cast aluminum... being the weaker metal... let loose first causing the bolt to drag the broke off thread pieces out the hole. The extra material coming out with the bolt put too much pressure on the front cover and cracked it.
Tell you what...
You learn a hell of a lot in a dayum hurry pulling one of these engines as a noob.
Hope you dont have to resort to such dramatic activities to resolve your leak.
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena, Maryland
All smiles this morning!!! 9 degrees cold start and no leak!!!!! As much as I hate to say it, that Dorman part was a better quality part and twenty bucks cheaper to boot.. I learned from my water pump fiasco years ago to replace the hardware at the same time...IH dealer has everything pretty cheap.
04 Cobra...Terminator.....nice!!!!!!! Mines a 99 so its NA but still quite potent.
04 Cobra...Terminator.....nice!!!!!!! Mines a 99 so its NA but still quite potent.