Removing the oil cooler KAD series?

[A_8]

Does anyone know if it's necessary to drain the engine oil before removing the oil cooler?

It looks like the engine oil level is below the oil cooler on a cold engine but on a instruction video for the AD40 (not the same cooler) its was stated that oil needed to come out.

 

[matt8442]

Morning, I’ve got the Kad series of technical manuals online, would you like me to email them to you? If so PM me your email and I’ll send them over.

 

[spannerman]

No, not necessary, there will be a bit of oil in the cooler but the majority is in the sump.

 

[joae]

I have done this the past weekend and the easiest (in my opinion) is to:

1. remove the air filter box
2. oil dipstick tube
3. compressor inlet pipe
4. the 2 hoses for the oilfilter (plug these to make cleaning up easier).
5. remove the seawater hoses of the oilcooler
6. remove the 3 screws holding the oil distribution house and remove it together with the cooler. I would recommend to plug the ports to the engine to keep it from draining completely after removing the distribution house.

This is fairly easy if you can get to the side of the engine as I could (SB engine Princess V40)

/Jonas

 

[BruceK]

remove the oil filter or it may syphon down. No matter what you do you are going to dump at a half least a litre of oil from the carrier pipe and double that from the oil cooler assembly so get cat litter and a tray or similar under in the bilge. Nothing worse than catching all the oil then spilling it removing the tray! I turned the air blue last time I removed mine

 

[A_8]

Great stuff everyone. Thanks.

 

[A_8]

So finally got some time this afternoon and got it off....and it looks really bad.

The last image shows the housing being corroded away all the way to the o-ring which I am thinking might mean I need a new oil cooler as it will likely always leak a bit from this area. I have still not managed to get the other cap off as the screws won't come off and it's even more corrosion on that side including the drain outlet having gone soft.
Any thoughts on needing a new unit or being able to salvage this?

 

[BruceK]

The end cover is still available as a part, the body is not. However, a good welder and machinist should be able to restore the body. You may have to go forward with a gasket than a o-ring, but tbh, that o-ring was always a dodgy seal.... as you have just found out.

Volvo Penta Exploded view / schematic Oil Cooler KAD42A, KAMD42A - MarinePartsEurope.com

 

[A_8]

Note to myself, follow volvopauls advice when you get it! I asked him to help with the engine survey on the purchase of this boat in 2014, he noted already then the o-rings needed to be replaced on the oil cooler which did not get done and now it seems a bit late. The housing has been damaged in more places and the screws holding the lids break off. It might be recoverable but the lead time and uncertainty leans me towards getting a new unit.

This is a KAMD300 and for anyone else trying you can get the cooler off nicely without taking the oil filter hoses or housing off which also limits the oil spill to almost nothing as long as you let the engine cool off/oil drain back fully, in my case around 72 hours.

 

[stelican]

Great stuff everyone. Thanks.

Well that's got it off but are you confident about overhaul and the installation

 

[stelican]

had mine reprofiled

 

[Mr Googler]

The end cover is still available as a part, the body is not. However, a good welder and machinist should be able to restore the body. You may have to go forward with a gasket than a o-ring, but tbh, that o-ring was always a dodgy seal.... as you have just found out.

Volvo Penta Exploded view / schematic Oil Cooler KAD42A, KAMD42A - MarinePartsEurope.com

can still buy new…..won’t be pleasant though

Volvo Penta Exploded view / schematic Oil Cooler: C KAD300-A, KAMD300-A - MarinePartsEurope.com

 

[A_8]

Well that's got it off but are you confident about overhaul and the installation

Yes I am but I probably need a new one. Found a shop that specialize on this, sent them some pics just now to see if they can get it fixed which will be a full renovation if its possible so then I would only need to get it bolted back on.

 

[BruceK]

can still buy new…..won’t be pleasant though

Volvo Penta Exploded view / schematic Oil Cooler: C KAD300-A, KAMD300-A - MarinePartsEurope.com

Yes, but that's the whole unit including core. The endcap is available, the body not. Now that it's off I'd certainly see what an engineer shop can do. I've seen them to wonders with props that look well past salvage, this should not be overly taxing.

 

[BruceK]

Note to myself, follow volvopauls advice when you get it! I asked him to help with the engine survey on the purchase of this boat in 2014, he noted already then the o-rings needed to be replaced on the oil cooler which did not get done and now it seems a bit late. The housing has been damaged in more places and the screws holding the lids break off. It might be recoverable but the lead time and uncertainty leans me towards getting a new unit.

This is a KAMD300 and for anyone else trying you can get the cooler off nicely without taking the oil filter hoses or housing off which also limits the oil spill to almost nothing as long as you let the engine cool off/oil drain back fully, in my case around 72 hours.

You had to get that in before Paul chewed your ears off.

I dont know how a KAD300 should be different but my oil cooler was leaking oil, into the bilge, into the car and still dumping copious amounts in the garage days later! I should come watch you, might learn a few tricks, because my life seems to centre around mopping up dirty bilges

 

[A_8]

You had to get that in before Paul chewed your ears off.

I dont know how a KAD300 should be different but my oil cooler was leaking oil, into the bilge, into the car and still dumping copious amounts in the garage days later! I should come watch you, might learn a few tricks, because my life seems to centre around mopping up dirty bilges

Indeed and on this KAMD 300 (above maybe letting the housing stay on) there are no tricks other than perhaps the engine being perfectly level allowing all the oil to drain out of the cooler, I would assume if the engine was not level some oil would sit in one end of the cooler and when you handle it more oil would come out. I had maybe 10ml come out when I took it off but once free from the engine I turned it with the oil openings facing up which kept any additional oil in the cooler. That said turning it around later in the workshop there were still very limited amounts of oil coming out.

 

[joae]

Had the same issue with one of my oil coolers for a KAD44. The endpieces are brass and was not affected at all, but the aluminium housing was badly corroded. Had a guy at work weld it up and then I machined the housing. works fine so far.

The other engine is another story...
It was leaking very little oil (about a tabelspoon last season) but I decided to fix this anyway as this is one of the more important engine details. The picture shows what I found when I dismantled it. Strange that it didnt leak more. Anyway, I left the core to Bilkylspecialisten on Hisingen island for them to rebuild the sealing surface, and they did with the only downside that the core now leaks in about 10 places. Most likely they have left the core in the acid bath for too long. Too bad they wont admit any claims for this "work" and I had to buy a new one... Not going there anymore!

 

[BruceK]

Indeed and on this KAMD 300 (above maybe letting the housing stay on) there are no tricks other than perhaps the engine being perfectly level allowing all the oil to drain out of the cooler, I would assume if the engine was not level some oil would sit in one end of the cooler and when you handle it more oil would come out. I had maybe 10ml come out when I took it off but once free from the engine I turned it with the oil openings facing up which kept any additional oil in the cooler. That said turning it around later in the workshop there were still very limited amounts of oil coming out.

How could you take the assembly out, take it to the workshop etc and not have to take the oil hoses off to the filter? And only a residual amount of oil in the housing and core matrix? I've had mine off at least 3 times and it's always a mess. Even when I get home the mess is incredible dribbling everywhere I need to keep it in a bucket! It's like removing an oil filter. Sure, bag it first before undoing yet oil gets everywhere nonetheless.

 

[A_8]

How could you take the assembly out, take it to the workshop etc and not have to take the oil hoses off to the filter? And only a residual amount of oil in the housing and core matrix? I've had mine off at least 3 times and it's always a mess. Even when I get home the mess is incredible dribbling everywhere I need to keep it in a bucket! It's like removing an oil filter. Sure, bag it first before undoing yet oil gets everywhere nonetheless.

I let this part stay on the engine: Oil filter housing (this is where the oil sits on a cold engine) and only remove this: Oil cooler (this drains into the housing). Once loose move it to the left and take it out and that's it. The hose to the heat exchanger needs to be moved out of the way.

 

[A_8]

Had the same issue with one of my oil coolers for a KAD44. The endpieces are brass and was not affected at all, but the aluminium housing was badly corroded. Had a guy at work weld it up and then I machined the housing. works fine so far.

The other engine is another story...
It was leaking very little oil (about a tabelspoon last season) but I decided to fix this anyway as this is one of the more important engine details. The picture shows what I found when I dismantled it. Strange that it didnt leak more. Anyway, I left the core to Bilkylspecialisten on Hisingen island for them to rebuild the sealing surface, and they did with the only downside that the core now leaks in about 10 places. Most likely they have left the core in the acid bath for too long. Too bad they wont admit any claims for this "work" and I had to buy a new one... Not going there anymore!

Thanks for the heads up on bilkylspecialisten, I left mine with Autokyl in Mölndal yesterday and waiting on their feedback if it can be fixed or not. Even if they think they can fix it I am still undecided if it's better to get a new one, it's about twice the cost of getting it refurbished but I won't risk having to redo the work.

Nice to see a fellow Gothenburgian joining the forum, Welcome!