Thanks for the info. I think I am going to start with basic maintenance and flush and fill the cooling system (using the process on the shoebox site) and do a combustion leak test first. If there's no leak, then I will probably bypass the oil cooler first.

She's not running hot, or blowing smoke, the heater works, and the oil looks clean, so rather than throw parts at it I am trying to be methodical. The stuff in the radiator isn't like a milkshake consistency and the radiator cap is clean as is the oil filler cap.

Again, I really appreciate the advice.

 

I think we may be confusing him. See my post #12, which has Shoebox's diagram of the 1995 oil cooler hookup. One pipe on the cooler receives coolant flow from the water pump. The other hard line for the oil cooler connects to the base of the radiator. There is no return line from the radiator to the cooler. It is circulating (edit) coolant, not oil (end of edit).

http://shbox.com/1/oil_cooler.jpg

What you are describing sounds more like the transmission oil cooler.

 

Going by the pictures, to me, it looks like it circulates coolant driven by the water pump to the oil cooler housing and back to the radiator, which is why you would put a bypass hose from the water pump down to the fitting on the bottom of the radiator to close that loop once the oil cooler assembly is removed. The cooling is done at the filter location with the cooling adapter acting as kind of a heat sink. Is that correct?

 

I had a typo in my response which was further adding to the confusion. I corrected it in my post and in your quote of my post.

The water pump sends “cool” coolant to the oil cooler at the filter, where the coolant removes heat from the oil. “Hot” coolant returns to the radiator. Coolant is circulating, not oil.

Sorry about that.

 

I figured it was a typo. Thanks!

 

You seem to be describing the transmission oil cooler. No engine oil passes into the radiator. Probably just a slip of the mind.

 

OOPs, my bad guys. Thanks Rob for the note. Been 20+ years since I went external (not to radiator) oil cooler and my FSR radiator has no provision for "cooler" lines.

 

Good news. Finally had some warmish weather to dive into the car issues.

After draining some of the coolant, it really isn't "milky" at all but there is some brownish residue on the inside of the radiator and in the reservoir but nothing that a proper flush and fill won't take care of. I did a check with a block tester with the car properly warmed up and the heater running, and after one squeeze I couldn't even suck air in with the bulb, which according to the tester means no combustion leaks.

The very minor oil leak looks to be coming from (surprise) the back of the intake manifold. I will deal with that one once spring has fully sprung in these parts.

I have a bypass hose, etc. to delete the oil cooler and I probably will do so on the first oil change (the oil looks great).

Thanks again for all of your help!

 

Glad you got it sorted out !

 

I am working on a few other things before I dive into the leaks, but I appreciate the guidance.

Working on this car has been time-consuming, but that's fine. I am getting to know her as I go. It wasn't driven hard, so I don't think some of these parts, plugs, or wires have been so much as touched in 28 years outside of routine maintenance. I am taking care and being as deliberate as can instead of charging ahead as I usually do.

 

Forget the above (deleted) post between #24 and #25. “annamarks” is a spammer. What he/she (??) posted is a copy and paste from post #4 by Chimera96.

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