So what's better about the updated oil cooler?

I thought I'd ask in here rather than the Aussie forum as there seems to be a lot of discussion about RHD car oil cooler failures in the U.K. section. So, what's actually different about the oil coolers on the cars built post July 2016? Has anyone been able to confirm if there is an actual difference? Are post July '16 cars exempt from failures? Has anyone heard of one failing on a post July '16 build? I'd love to know.

My car is an October '16 build and I'd like to do some track days in my car but I'm very apprehensive. If it were to fail and cause engine damage, I don't have a lot of faith in Ford covering it due tobeing on track. By the same token, I could upgrade the cooler but that would be kissing warranty goodbye anyway. Not something I feel you should have to do for the sake of reliability. I will be fitting and aftermarket oil sump with baffles, but that is more easily reversed, unlike an oil cooler.

TIA

Almost 100 views and no replies...?

Post 16 cars fixed a fault with them. That's basically it. Pre and early 16 cars had an issue where seals of some kind would explode and cause oil to mix with coolant, or all the coolant to explode out of the engine (I had the latter happen to me at 80mph on the way to work).

Ask your dealer to do a pressure test on your car and see where it goes from there.

I don't think anyone in the public domain actually knows what the difference between the faulty parts and ok parts are. There hasn't been a part number change so there hasn't been a design change which implies that it was purely a part quality issue. The manufacturer of the part will no doubt know the story but I haven't seen it shared anywhere.

The very specific date of 26 July 2016 implies that's the known "clean" date, i.e. no cars built after this date will have been fitted with the identified faulty part.

Correct, been doing a bit of digging, and i don't think anyone knows what's changed, infact, if anything has.... It may just have been a defunct batch.

If it helps any Volvo had an oil cooler issue on the early 850's.

The oil cooler on these cars is in the radiator so is cooled by the water in the rad. On early cars the cooler was fitted into the end cap of the rad and had female threads in its body, therefore the water was fed to the cooler through banjo bolts. If the bolts seal went the high pressure oil when cold mixed with the water then when hot and turned off the high pressure coolant would leak into the oil.

They changed the design by fitting male threaded extensions to the cooler, so now the water was held back by an o ring between the cooler and radiator. The oil was held at bay by a compression fitting on the threaded portion of the cooler. So, in short the design change meant that leaking oil or water could only pass to atmosphere and not mix.

Useless information on a Mustang forum, but may be what Ford have done to improve things??

Gloucesternige said:

If it helps any Volvo had an oil cooler issue on the early 850's.

The oil cooler on these cars is in the radiator so is cooled by the water in the rad. On early cars the cooler was fitted into the end cap of the rad and had female threads in its body, therefore the water was fed to the cooler through banjo bolts. If the bolts seal went the high pressure oil when cold mixed with the water then when hot and turned off the high pressure coolant would leak into the oil.

They changed the design by fitting male threaded extensions to the cooler, so now the water was held back by an o ring between the cooler and radiator. The oil was held at bay by a compression fitting on the threaded portion of the cooler. So, in short the design change meant that leaking oil or water could only pass to atmosphere and not mix.

Useless information on a Mustang forum, but may be what Ford have done to improve things??

Click to expand...

Maybe but if so i'd expect a diff part # for the new ones.... part #'s are the same :/

I have been reading the Oz section and there are suggestions on there that the change to this part has not resolved the issue. StreetFighter and Harrop are going to be offering kits to change to an air/oil cooler system rather than a water/oil system.

Has anyone in the UK reported issues on my17 cars yet?

I think what we need is confirmation from Ford that our warranties will not be voided if we fit an AM oil cooler.

If they are unable to supply a fit for purpose part, why should they then be allowed to stop people fitting a better quality part which gives both parties better insurance against failure.

How many Serck or Mocal systems have you seen fail? Even the cheap Ebay systems seem to hold up?

FFS, Ford should be offering us an aftermarket system FOC!!

Has anyone that's had a replacement had a second failure??

I'm not far off 20k miles in mine, and touch wood all is well..