7.5L Ford 460 Oil Cooler Heat Exchanger Failure
 

I researched this website and there many posts about this problem, but none of them were ever finished or had pictures, so I decided to do my own.

I recently had an oil cooler failure on my 1992 F-350 4x4 with the 7.5L 460. It was not a good day. I had coolant enter my oil filter then my engine. I drained all of the engine oil and the coolant from the radiator.

I removed the oil cooler / heat exchanger:

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7825/1365tt.jpg

Removing the threaded insert from the block proves to be a real PAIN because it has a head that a socket can get on, but its very shallow and the socket will slip easily. Watch out for busted knuckles!

The threaded block insert is the one on the top and the new adapter you will need is below:

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/9768/1370k.jpg

The new adapter can be had on eBay or from Ford and is P/N F1AZ-6890-B:

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/4320/1368a.jpg

This is what the 460 block looks like with the oil cooler and the threaded insert removed:

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/900/1366v.jpg

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6162/1367b.jpg

Next I bought a remote mount oil filter kit from Summit Racing that is made by Hayden. I went with this for two reasons: 1. A standard sized oil filter WILL NOT FIT because of the crossmember being so close. The picture looks like it will and that there is a hole in the crossmember (look at pic above) but I have tried this, and it just wont fit. the hole in the crossmember is not even big enough for an oil filter. 2. I want to have my oil filter easy to access for maintenance. I want it to be straight vertical so as not to make a huge mess when changing the filter.

It is part number 291:

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/9756/1372.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5392/1374r.jpg

This is what it looks with the new ford adapter threaded into it:

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/3633/1371a.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2530/1373d.jpg

I ran out of daylight to finish the project tonight, more to come.

thank you for posing this!!

Would a Dodge oil filter fit (*gasp*)

same thread, just shorter.

also is there a 1 piece lower radiator hose that would work?

The older 460's use an adapter that angles the oil filter away from the frame, but it still makes a huge mess when changing your filter. The older oil coolers were also plumbed off of that adapter and couldn't mix with the coolant as they ran hoses to the front of the truck to utilize an air to fluid stacked plate type cooler.

Those filter relocation kits are nice though, saves you from having to wipe off the frame and axle after an oil change.

The kit comes with several different threaded adapters and you can buy more styles as needed. Which Dodge filter do you want to use? There probably is an adapter for it. When mixing and matching filters from OEM, just make sure the filters "flow rating" is as high or higher than the OEM type.

Below is a random compairson of the Ford 460 oil filter to the Dodge Cummins oil filter (because I use both). It would be ok to use because it has a higher flow rating AND it has a lower micron rating + more capitcy!

A lower micron rating is better, because it filters by stopping smaller stuff than the 460 style. 21 micron = 460, 17 micron = 5.9L Cummins.

Dodge Cummins oil filter:
Part Detail
Ford 460 oil filter:
Part Detail

I'm looking into that.

would one from a 90 work?? It looks like it would...

the wix number would be a 51085 and it looks like it would be the same rating, but at almost 4" high, would it fit?

It looks like it could, but I still want to get my filter away from the truck for ease of maintence and a bigger filter with less mess.

Ford 460 to Cummins filter adapter:

http://i3.ebayimg.com/03/i/05/f2/3d/77_2.JPG

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Bypas...item359bc60cd9

So you are not running an oil cooler at all? Do you think you will add one later? or is something that is ok to be eliminated.

Nope, no oil cooler at all. I may use one later but from all I have read it's not worth it. The little amount of benefit it gives isn't worth the risk. Many police departments and fleets have removed theirs because of reliability issues. What happened to my truck seems to have happened to several others after looking into it. :eek:

I had a hard time finding info on this as well, and had an even harder time finding a replacement oem style cooler. I figured it has worked for 18 years, may as well keep it the same. Thanks.

Mine too was around 18 years old, it worked without fail up until now.

My logic on it is this: I would rather pay $50 for the remote mount kit, $11 for the Ford block thread adapter and make my oil changes easier/cleaner with the flexability of using a better filter OR my OEM style filter.

I'd rather do this then hunt down a hard to find OEM oil cooler (that Ford no longer says is available) and no parts house has. The last one I found in existance was around $200.00 ! Why waste the money if it really doesn't help enough to matter?

Thanks

Heres a shot of the threaded adapter installed:

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5169/002h.jpg

Heres a shot of the remote mount adapter installed:

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3338/003pk.jpg

Heres a shot with the new lower radiator hose installed, bpm4x4 was right to try a hose from a 1990 Ford 460, Its a Kelly Springfield L-367 from autozone. It cost $13.99.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6825/005xw.jpg

Here it is with the hoses installed. I still need to find a sutiable filterhead mounting location.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2601/008pf.jpg

great pics!! I am going to try to do this on Sat.