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[Ricky043]

After about a months trouble free driving, yesterday was set as the day for my mechanic and I to give the inner sills a de-rust and underseal in preparation for the MOT in early December. When I went to put the car in the garage I noticed a damp oily patch on the ground under the front R/H corner of the car. Opened the bonnet and noticed that the top of the coolant expansion tank was wet on the top. Opened it up, put my finger in the tank, which was full to the top and brought it out covered in a thick brown liquid that was not anti freeze.

I assumed the worst at first, cracked block, blown head gasket (even though the car was still driving great when I parked it up the night before).
Then I remembered the engine oil cooler buried in a water jacket in the V of the engine (don't know who thought that was a good idea!!) so, when my mechanic arrived I started the car briefly to get it up the slope and into the garage. 
Change of plan. We assumed it was the oil cooler rather than a blown HG so we (he!)  dismantled the manifold and extracted the cooler which was sitting in a little bowl of oil rather than coolant.
Weirdly, upon draining the rad it was only full of coolant, not an oily mixture, so we at least won't have to clear that out.
Don't know the route the coolant takes from the oil cooler bowl but it seemed to go practically straight to the expansion tank and displaced the water, filling up the expansion tank and forcing the oil through the expansion cap.

Anyway, cannot seem to find a new oil cooler on ebay or with a general internet search under the part number.

Any idea where I can get one or is there another option (like just connecting up the two oil pipes that go to the cooler and bypassing the cooler completely?)

​​​​​​​I would prefer a new cooler as I don't really want a second hand one.

[BazaJT]

You could I suppose try fitting an external oil cooler but that I think would require some fabrication of mounting points for the cooler and different pipe work.have you tried looking to see if there are any coolers listed for the V6 Saab which is at least pretty much the same engine-if not totally so? Other than that you might have to try America a source[Cadillac Catera springs to mind but GM used the engine in other models too].

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Sounds like youve caught it quite early, but there will be oil in the cooling system, even though the rad wasnt full of sludge.
Once its running and warmed up, quite a bit of draining / cleaning / refilling will be needed before its all clear.
There must be still new oil coolers available from somewhere.
Doc Gollum will probably be along soon with a link.

I have always had my doubts if the cooler is needed in this country, particularly on a car that isnt regularly thrashed.
Im not expert enough to recommend doing it though.
 It might be worth considering blanking off the pipe connectors on the block ? 
Your decision, not mine. 

[Ricky043]

Certainly in my ownership the car won't be thrashed, so I too question the absolute need for an oil cooler.

I probably wouldn't be happy just blanking the two outlets on the block off, as the pipes clearly make a circuit to the cooler and back again to the block, so unless I knew for a fact this would not be reducing oil circulation, I'm reluctant to do it.

If I cannot get a new oil cooler I'd be happier finding a point somewhere along the two pipes' path to actually cut them and join them together, so the circuit is still maintained. And the close this is done to the top of the engine by the inlet manifold, then there might still be some cooling effect to the oil by running up and down the pipe.

As we have now removed the leaking oil cooler, my preference is to find a new replacement, if there is one out there.

I'll have to dig out the micrometer so I can measure the O/D of the two pipes and try to source suitable pipe connections, in case the hunt for a new cooler proves fruitless.

[Andy B]

 the ''oil cooler'' is actually a heat exchanger ie it works both ways round & helps to heat the coolant after starting from cold.

[STEMO]

Unfortunately, after a while, they exchange more than heat

[countrywoman]

I got a stainless one from a Vectra, okay used but sound.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Also worth looking on Saab  parts sites, as some Saabs also used the same V6 engine.

[Enceladus]

Is there anybody out there who can repair and pressure test the engine oil cooler?

[Ricky043]

Countrywoman
I have sent you a PM

[Ricky043]

Just been on to a Saab specialist near Chelmsford who got a Saab part number for the oil cooler. There was only one n Europe which was in Sweden at £335 plus VAT and shipping. However, when he sent me the exploded diagram, the oil cooler is completely different in the Saab v6, so a fruitless exercise.

Does anyone know what the thread type and size is where the two pipes go into the cylinder block, so I could just plug up the oil pipes, if I have to, as I seem to be having trouble finding a suitable set of fittings to join the two oil pipes together adjacent to the rear of the inlet manifold

[countrywoman]

You cant blank the pipes off as it has to circulate, there were remote kits on the bay when I looked 2 years ago.

[Ricky043]

Unless someone could definitively say blanking off the two pipe outlets from the block would not affect circulation I was not going to do it. Think I've found a solution if a new or good second hand cooler cannot be found.

The O/D of the oil pipes are 12mm. I can get 12mm x 15mm compression reducers, which I've ordered. Also ordered a 180 degree bent piece of 15mm copper, so I can cut the 12 oil pipes, fit the 12mm end of the reducer over that and then fit the 15mm x 180 degree bend to the other end of the reducers to connect them so I maintain the circulation.  I will have to use a short length of 15mm copper between the reducer and the bend, as the bend is an end feed (soldered) connection, not compression.

But that would work if I cannot get a replacement oil cooler.

[JamesV6CDX]

I would urge you not to blank off the oil cooler pipes.

If you joined them up instead in a loop it wouldn’t affect flow.

Personally if I had a failure now I would probably fit a small external cooler

[biggriffin]

An extension cooler/remote can be fitted, you need to remove the connections/pipes that are on the oil filter housing, and get the correct pipe work made up, and fit a new cooler in front of the rads, you will need to leave the old cooler in situ,as this keeps the water flow at a flow.

To clean out the sludge, drain system refill with 1L of liquid dish washer soap run for few miles, flush out and repeat a couple of times.