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[star_whites]

Well have just spent the last 5 hours fitting the replacment oil pipes on my V6 cooler due to a suspected pipe fracture. What a waste of time!!

Put her all back together and fired her up and there goes about three litres of oil all over the drive. She fired up first time and didnt sound bad, but not sooner had I started/stopped her less than 15 seconds there was oil pouring down the rear and front of the engine.

Obviously the pipes were not at fault and the leak is still there. Bearing in mind she was only running 15 seconds is it possible that the oil cooler is leaking externally. I know the plate would leak water but what would happen if the cooler fractured at one of the unions lets say just bellow a union. Would it be possible for it to piss out without contaminating the water?

This would make sense as the leak is definatly in the V of the engine so its either oil cooler or its coming out from between the head but they were fitted and toerqued correctly.  

Anyone got any ideas  ?

[big-o-bob]

Havin just changed the oil cooler myself (with some difficulty), I would have thought you're problem lies with the oil pipes, or the Hollow bolts and sealing washers that fit the pipes to the oil cooler.

Sometimes the hollow bolts snap when tightening, especially if using the old ones (I had this happen to me).

I'm no expert though mate, so maybe you're problem lies else where.

For what it's worth, I would take the plenum and the lower manifold and flange back off to have a look.  If the oil is coming from the oil cooler or oil pipes, you will be able to see.

Good luck mate

[star_whites]

This is the third rebuild following both head rebuilds. As soon as we put her together and ran her it leaked oil. It is definatly coming from the V as when we removed everything it was full of oil, this is what led me to change the oil cooler pipes as guessed one must be fractured.

The bolts are not damaged and the sealing washers are new. They tighned up ok and are definatly seated correctly. This is why I was thinking it must be the cooler that is knackered and must be leaking from below the unions but didnt know if it was possible??  :-/

[star_whites]

The other thing to point out is the speed in which it dumps the oil. It only takes a few seconds for it to lose a few litres and as far as Im aware (put me correct if im wrong) the oil pumps through the oil cooler before circulating the engine thus the speed of it leaking??

[big-o-bob]

The other thing to point out is the speed in which it dumps the oil. It only takes a few seconds for it to lose a few litres and as far as Im aware (put me correct if im wrong) the oil pumps through the oil cooler before circulating the engine thus the speed of it leaking??

Bloody hell....this is beyond me then mate.

Like I say, i'm far from an expert, hope somebody can help
 

[star_whites]

Thats Ok mate, will await one of our experts to comment and hopefully get an answer  

[kingplym]

the oil comes up one oil pipe through one oil union bolt into the oil cooler, from cooler up through other oil union bolt and back down other oil pipe.

so if you have replaced the oil pipes you can eliminate these

if the oil cooler was leaking you would have oil in your water

so it must be the oil union blots. do you have new washers top and bottom of oil pipe?

[Bent valve]

One thing you might be able to do in order to eliminate the oil cooler would  be to disconnect the pipes from the block , then using your old pipes and a length of suitable hose +several jubilee clips you could by-pass the cooler temporarily, start the engine and if it still pisses out then its heads off time again

[star_whites]

Yes I replaced both the top and the bottom washers with gen vx washers. I also ensured that they were seated correctly. Then torqued up as required.

My question is though could it be the shft that the oil cooler pipe union screws into that is knackered. As ive toqued up Im guessing that this is ok. However I have not touched the two large 32mm nuts that pull the oil cooler tight to the cooler plate. If one of these has been damaged or the threaded section where the union tightnens into is it possible that the oil is leaking from there.

Plus as Ive only been able to run the engine for 15 seconds is it possible that oil is in the water but Im not seeing it as Im unable to run the engine long enough??

[Seth]

One thing you might be able to do in order to eliminate the oil cooler would  be to disconnect the pipes from the block , then using your old pipes and a length of suitable hose +several jubilee clips you could by-pass the cooler temporarily, start the engine and if it still pisses out then its heads off time again

This sounds like a feasible option, given the work you've done so far.
Can you try this and report back?

[star_whites]

Will have to try ang get hold of a length of pipe and some more jubilee clips first. I will have to do this to both the oil and water side.

I just cant image its the heads as they went together fine and were torqued down.Would have also though that if it was it would also leak water and it isnt.

[sassanach]

remove the inlet manifold and the spark plugs and spin the engine on the starter,any leaks will soon become obvious.

[star_whites]

Already tried that but no leaks appear. They only appear when engine fully rebuild and am able to start the car, so the leak only appears under pressure.

I had it fully stripped down with injection manifold removed but it would not show leak up. Thats why I guessed at oil cooler pipes and got another set off markey mark.

[Bent valve]

Will have to try ang get hold of a length of pipe and some more jubilee clips first. ]I will have to do this to both the oil and water sideI just cant image its the heads as they went together fine and were torqued down.Would have also though that if it was it would also leak water and it isnt.

You will only need one length of pipe and connect both oil pipes together. There isnt a water side.

[star_whites]

doh   of cours there isnt, thats all internal to the cooler plate.

Will still be some time next week as need to get some pips and jubilees oh and some more oil. Already used 10lts of gen vx oil. Need some more now.

Wish my tradecard would hurry up its costing a fortune