Oily water

[ditchcrawler]

Harnser has a BD3 fitted. A few days ago I did an oil and filter change as normal and as we were getting ready to pack up yesterday I just thought I would check things were OK. Oil Level fine, no leaks from around the filter etc. Took the top of the cooling  reservoir, looked in and it was black and shiny, poked a finger in as you do and it was covered in oil. Spent a few minutes panicking how I would get the engine lifted for a rebuild etc before calming down a bit and thinking logically. The oil floating on the water was black and not frothy as if it had been poured in and the most obvious place I can think of is from the oil cooler which is an old Poler one, no longer made. I removed one of the rubber end caps to drain the coolant into a bucket which just had a very thin skin of oil on it and brought the cooler home. The next problem is how to pressure test it. I am inclined to attach an airline somehow to the oil inlet/outlet and drop the whole thing in a tank of water and look for bubbles. Anyone have any better ideas?

[hider]

Gearbox has an oil cooler as well? Or engine oil cooler?

Gearbox oil should not be black. engine oil will be.

[tree monkey]

17 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Harnser has a BD3 fitted. A few days ago I did an oil and filter change as normal and as we were getting ready to pack up yesterday I just thought I would check things were OK. Oil Level fine, no leaks from around the filter etc. Took the top of the cooling  reservoir, looked in and it was black and shiny, poked a finger in as you do and it was covered in oil. Spent a few minutes panicking how I would get the engine lifted for a rebuild etc before calming down a bit and thinking logically. The oil floating on the water was black and not frothy as if it had been poured in and the most obvious place I can think of is from the oil cooler which is an old Poler one, no longer made. I removed one of the rubber end caps to drain the coolant into a bucket which just had a very thin skin of oil on it and brought the cooler home. The next problem is how to pressure test it. I am inclined to attach an airline somehow to the oil inlet/outlet and drop the whole thing in a tank of water and look for bubbles. Anyone have any better ideas?

On the off  chance, you didn't top up the coolant with a container/jug contaminated with oil?

 

[matty40s]

2 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

On the off  chance, you didn't top up the coolant with a container/jug contaminated with oil?

 

Is this one of those "How did you know this?" Helpful hints.

[tree monkey]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Is this one of those "How did you know this?" Helpful hints.

Might be...

Although In my case I picked up my bottle of premixed antifreeze and was just starting to pour when I realised it was the bottle of old engine oil 

[ditchcrawler]

Well it is the oil cooler thankfully, it is leaking around where the stack is brazed to the end of the outer body but inside the rubber cap. Took it home and cleaned it up, connected a Schrader valve to one of the oil ports by putting a schrader valve from a car wheel into the nut of a 15mm compression fitting. Its an exact fit so very handy for pressurtesting plumbing etc. A piece of 15mm pipe with a blank on the other oil port and using a car tyre pump, pumped it up to 40psi and could see the leaks. I pick a new one up this afternoon.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Well it is the oil cooler thankfully, it is leaking around where the stack is brazed to the end of the outer body but inside the rubber cap. Took it home and cleaned it up, connected a Schrader valve to one of the oil ports by putting a schrader valve from a car wheel into the nut of a 15mm compression fitting. Its an exact fit so very handy for pressurtesting plumbing etc. A piece of 15mm pipe with a blank on the other oil port and using a car tyre pump, pumped it up to 40psi and could see the leaks. I pick a new one up this afternoon.

Nice one. Good tip about the valve being 15mm dia.

[Phil Ambrose]

Oh by the way, Happy Birthday Brian, have a good'un.

Phil

PS more greetings elsewhere. 

 

[dor]

Not a criticism, just wondering;  did it really need brazing, or would soldering have done it, using a torch as you would for a gas pipe?

soldered plumbing joints are expected to hold up to fairly high pressures. It does look in the photo that it was originally soldered  not brazed.

Edited June 3, 2019 by dor

[WotEver]

3 minutes ago, dor said:

Not a criticism, just wondering;  did it really need brazing, or would soldering have done it, using a torch as you would for a gas pipe?

soldered plumbing joints are expected to hold up to fairly high pressures.

Perhaps it was soldered... it’s only low temperature brazing after all. 

[ditchcrawler]

It may have been solder but I have bought a new one. The thought of getting the end off and all the tubes out to clean and resolder. ASAP supplies here is £100 thank you

 

[ditchcrawler]

OK FREE to a good home if anyone wants them, 2 Polar end caps straight Part No A4/670. One is probably original and the other is about 10 years old.

[Bee]

Phew! that's better than it could have been and thanks for posting the info re. Schrader valve and fitting. One of these days that might come in handy.