In my RV (1996 Chevy P30 Chassis), the AC condenser in front of my radiator also cools my engine oil (apparently something about PAG oil, or something the previous owner did? Unsure). There is a leak in my AC condenser (small hole on the exposed left tube). I’m not finding this AC condenser for order. It’s October. For the moment, can I connect tubes from the radiator that bypass the leaking condenser altogether? Would the oil still cool? Is there a part (some types of tubes for that). I tried to plug the hole/crack from the outside with various welding seals. All failed. Is this a plausible idea I can use some type bypass tubes to resolve for the moment. Other ideas? Thanks. I’m not extremely savvy on this subject.
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Bypass leaking AC Condenser with tubes.
- Thread starter Vlad_p01
- Start date
dbrannon79
I'm getting there!
if that is engine oil on the hoses in your last photo, there should be a separate cooler aside from the ac condenser. two total different systems, for the ac condenser if it leaks refrigerant and your not wanting to replace right away it's not gonna harm anything leaving it alone, but engine oil is a whole nother ball game. Leroy sells cooler kits with hoses. the cooler should mount in front of the condenser and have two oil hoses that run to the engine connecting to the block near the oil filter. if one of those lines blow or the cooler goes, you can loose an engine in a hurry. that will need to be dealt with before driving anywhere!
Yes that’s engine oil. Seems I have a radiator, with an AC condenser stacked in front of it. But the AC condenser leaks black engine oil, where as I was expecting refrigerant (somehow the 2 systems flow engine oil. PAG oil? previous owner did something.?
When you say loose an engine, you mean all the oil would would leak out and the engine would be running with no oil? That’s what would lead to it? Or is there something else I’m missing?
When you say loose an engine, you mean all the oil would would leak out and the engine would be running with no oil? That’s what would lead to it? Or is there something else I’m missing?
dbrannon79
I'm getting there!
being it's an RV, it's very possible there is a engine oil cooler combined as a portion of the AC condenser rather than a separate piece. does the AC work or have charge pressure? you can follow the AC lines going in and see if there are two more hoses on the condenser that go to the engine for oil.
Yes if its leaking engine oil you can loose the engine very quickly taking only seconds to dump 6+ quarts of oil out when running. Pag oil is clear or yellowish clear and is for the AC system. black oil is ether an AC system that's fubar or most likely engine oil and that condenser has a section in it that is an engine oil cooler. this might be why you can't find one. Many RV's are built with non-conventional parts which years later cannot be replaced with the exact part unless you happen to find one in a junk yard.
Most engine oil coolers look similar to the trans cooler that is pictured in the lower left in front of your electric fan. if you can locate the two hoses going to the engine block near the oil filter, follow them up to the front, I bet they go into what's leaking the oil. I would disconnect that section of the cooler and re-route the oil hoses to a cooler that can be mounted same as your trans cooler but to the right of it. steel braid hoses with AN style fittings are the best, but you can use oil cooler rated rubber hose and clamps with an aftermarket cooler.
For limited air flow you can also get you a small electric fan to put on the oil cooler if you have the room for it.
Here is the link to Leroy's oil cooler kit with hoses. I don't know the length of his hoses, with an RV I'm sure they will need to be longer than for a truck. you might have to just get the cooler and then have a local hydraulic shop make you a set of hoses the correct length. Hydraulic hoses will work and last a lifetime for engine oil.
Yes if its leaking engine oil you can loose the engine very quickly taking only seconds to dump 6+ quarts of oil out when running. Pag oil is clear or yellowish clear and is for the AC system. black oil is ether an AC system that's fubar or most likely engine oil and that condenser has a section in it that is an engine oil cooler. this might be why you can't find one. Many RV's are built with non-conventional parts which years later cannot be replaced with the exact part unless you happen to find one in a junk yard.
Most engine oil coolers look similar to the trans cooler that is pictured in the lower left in front of your electric fan. if you can locate the two hoses going to the engine block near the oil filter, follow them up to the front, I bet they go into what's leaking the oil. I would disconnect that section of the cooler and re-route the oil hoses to a cooler that can be mounted same as your trans cooler but to the right of it. steel braid hoses with AN style fittings are the best, but you can use oil cooler rated rubber hose and clamps with an aftermarket cooler.
For limited air flow you can also get you a small electric fan to put on the oil cooler if you have the room for it.
Here is the link to Leroy's oil cooler kit with hoses. I don't know the length of his hoses, with an RV I'm sure they will need to be longer than for a truck. you might have to just get the cooler and then have a local hydraulic shop make you a set of hoses the correct length. Hydraulic hoses will work and last a lifetime for engine oil.
Yes. Thanks this makes a lot of sense. I’m thinking about getting an aftermarket oil cooler. Connecting 2 oil cooler lines to it. And since I’m not worried about the AC (top half of my current condenser), maybe remove that condenser altogether and cap the AC lines.
Will L.
Well-Known Member
I don’t think you are looking at an ac condensor. I think it is an oil cooler. I think your inexperience has you assuming it is a condenser because many people know what that is but are unfamiliar with full size oil coolers.
On 6.2 /6.5 pickups gm used a small (too small imo) oil cooler. On hmmwv, hummer, RV, generators that run the 6.2/6.5 they use a much larger and dedicated oil cooler. Carefully and meticulously trace those two lines and see if they go to the engine block just above the oil filter.
When you post pictures please choose the other option that says “full image” not the thumbnail one.
Bypassing the oil cooler by making a hose that connects the two tubes together and allows PERFECT FLOW - make sure no restriction at all is there - will allow you to run the engine. But you are not going to drive it a lot that way or you will smoke your engine bearings- crank, rod, especially the cam wrist pin &turbo bearings will suffer. Baby the hell out of it when running it, keep the drives short- like under 10 miles at a time. Let the engine rest a half day between moving if possible. Or plan on replacing not rebuilding the engine within 10,000 miles.
If you plug or restrict the oil flow through those lines kiss the engine goodbye.
RV & generator manufactures do limited production runs and getting the specific parts made for them is often impossible once 10 years old. Call around and find a radiator rebuilding shop that can build a custom oil cooler. Remove yours and take it to them to use as a pattern. They often reuse the mounting brackets and connecting ends of the old one. Depending on the condition of it, it might be repairable.
When you are following the lines back to the engine you should find two flexible hoses. Without a doubt replace them. They are old enough to fail at any point and when it happens you have zero warning. There could be hoses both at the oil cooler connection and at the engine connection. I have seen a couple that had a third set of hoses between steel tubing mid way to get around frame components.
Clean and examine the metal tubing the entire way for rubbing, rusting, or other damage. If it is questionable- replace it. In hmmwvs because of their life critical use, they made what is imo the best version of oil cooler hoses: they used high pressure double steel triple rubber braided hydraulic hoses like you would see on heavy equipment like a bull dozer or back hoe. The fittings are all JiC flare fittings of steel same as heavy equipment uses. The hoses then have spiral wrap around them the entire way. This is a more expensive investment on day one- but on RV forums, generator forums, truck forums, etc. you can read of people who blew up their engines because of the leak you caught in time- so don’t buy a lottery ticket this year, you just used up your odds statistically catching this before destruction.
Look on hmmwv or hummer forums and those owners never heard of such a leak. The factory oil cooler is overbuilt extremely well and the hoses obviously as I described. No Marine or Soldier will ever be a foot due to oil leaking hoses or oil cooler in the 6.2/6.5 powered hmmwv unless a bullet goes through the cooler.
So maybe if you are in Detroit it might be in vain making the investment- haha.
On 6.2 /6.5 pickups gm used a small (too small imo) oil cooler. On hmmwv, hummer, RV, generators that run the 6.2/6.5 they use a much larger and dedicated oil cooler. Carefully and meticulously trace those two lines and see if they go to the engine block just above the oil filter.
When you post pictures please choose the other option that says “full image” not the thumbnail one.
Bypassing the oil cooler by making a hose that connects the two tubes together and allows PERFECT FLOW - make sure no restriction at all is there - will allow you to run the engine. But you are not going to drive it a lot that way or you will smoke your engine bearings- crank, rod, especially the cam wrist pin &turbo bearings will suffer. Baby the hell out of it when running it, keep the drives short- like under 10 miles at a time. Let the engine rest a half day between moving if possible. Or plan on replacing not rebuilding the engine within 10,000 miles.
If you plug or restrict the oil flow through those lines kiss the engine goodbye.
RV & generator manufactures do limited production runs and getting the specific parts made for them is often impossible once 10 years old. Call around and find a radiator rebuilding shop that can build a custom oil cooler. Remove yours and take it to them to use as a pattern. They often reuse the mounting brackets and connecting ends of the old one. Depending on the condition of it, it might be repairable.
When you are following the lines back to the engine you should find two flexible hoses. Without a doubt replace them. They are old enough to fail at any point and when it happens you have zero warning. There could be hoses both at the oil cooler connection and at the engine connection. I have seen a couple that had a third set of hoses between steel tubing mid way to get around frame components.
Clean and examine the metal tubing the entire way for rubbing, rusting, or other damage. If it is questionable- replace it. In hmmwvs because of their life critical use, they made what is imo the best version of oil cooler hoses: they used high pressure double steel triple rubber braided hydraulic hoses like you would see on heavy equipment like a bull dozer or back hoe. The fittings are all JiC flare fittings of steel same as heavy equipment uses. The hoses then have spiral wrap around them the entire way. This is a more expensive investment on day one- but on RV forums, generator forums, truck forums, etc. you can read of people who blew up their engines because of the leak you caught in time- so don’t buy a lottery ticket this year, you just used up your odds statistically catching this before destruction.
Look on hmmwv or hummer forums and those owners never heard of such a leak. The factory oil cooler is overbuilt extremely well and the hoses obviously as I described. No Marine or Soldier will ever be a foot due to oil leaking hoses or oil cooler in the 6.2/6.5 powered hmmwv unless a bullet goes through the cooler.
So maybe if you are in Detroit it might be in vain making the investment- haha.
Glagulator
GM diesel junkie
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jrsavoie
Recruit
So why aren't we using Hummer engine oil cooler hoses? Or at least the parts that go in the block?
Will L.
Well-Known Member
.
On my 6.5 pickups, when I changed my hoses, I swapped out the gm crap fittings at the block, bought a better cooler, had the hoses made at the hydraulic shop.
So I did. Leroy sells better hoses than stock and adapters to use original cooler so thats an improvement over stock. My suggestion was always spend the big bucks and make it my way- but people cry over Leroy’s price so they would really cry for the best option. Making the hoses my way and those fittings would probably be double Leroy’s price
Idk. Length might not be right, and adapter to the oil cooler would be needed.
On my 6.5 pickups, when I changed my hoses, I swapped out the gm crap fittings at the block, bought a better cooler, had the hoses made at the hydraulic shop.
So I did. Leroy sells better hoses than stock and adapters to use original cooler so thats an improvement over stock. My suggestion was always spend the big bucks and make it my way- but people cry over Leroy’s price so they would really cry for the best option. Making the hoses my way and those fittings would probably be double Leroy’s price
jrsavoie
Recruit
My problem with doing it your way is, I don't know exactly which fittings tobuy and I've never seen it posted.
MrMarty51
Well-Known Member
Here is one oil cooler hose for a HUMMER.
This outlet might have more than just the one hose.
And here is the entire kit from @Leroy Diesel
Leroy Diesel
jrsavoie
Recruit
Are the fiffings coming out of the bock and oil cooler different between Leroy's kit ad the Hummer?Here is one oil cooler hose for a HUMMER.
This outlet might have more than just the one hose.
And here is the entire kit from @Leroy Diesel
Leroy Diesel
leroydiesel.com
MrMarty51
Well-Known Member
That I do not know.
Will L.
Well-Known Member
Yes. When when i get a chance I will post pics of the fittings. Original all steel, one of mine was damaged in the engine swap back in 2004 so I found a bronze one and been running it.
The problem with buying hmmwv hoses is they are proper length for a hmmwv and it’s radiator stack which lays down at more of an angle than a corvette uses. Chances of these hoses being too he exact size needed for a truck is not good.
Same for fitting the hmmwv oil cooler on a pickup.
It someone was to do these bigger hoses, might be easier to get the adapters Leroy has custom made, change fittings in the block then go have the custom hoses made. But really imo- in for a penny in for a pound, so buy a big oil cooler that has the 1/2” npt threads at that point.
The problem with buying hmmwv hoses is they are proper length for a hmmwv and it’s radiator stack which lays down at more of an angle than a corvette uses. Chances of these hoses being too he exact size needed for a truck is not good.
Same for fitting the hmmwv oil cooler on a pickup.
It someone was to do these bigger hoses, might be easier to get the adapters Leroy has custom made, change fittings in the block then go have the custom hoses made. But really imo- in for a penny in for a pound, so buy a big oil cooler that has the 1/2” npt threads at that point.
Will L.
Well-Known Member
@Glagulator great researching find! Your google-fu is well practiced!
@Vlad_p01 the link he found shows half of it is a condensor, the other half is an oil cooler. Order that puppy, but still be VERY THOROUGH to examine the rest of the oil lines between it and the engine. Replace anything in question-This is critical.
@Vlad_p01 the link he found shows half of it is a condensor, the other half is an oil cooler. Order that puppy, but still be VERY THOROUGH to examine the rest of the oil lines between it and the engine. Replace anything in question-This is critical.
jrsavoie
Recruit
Will L.
Well-Known Member
I have two pics I took just using iPhone
But the site says “The uploaded image is too large”
I have always used my iPhone.
Any help on this?
But the site says “The uploaded image is too large”
I have always used my iPhone.
Any help on this?
jrsavoie
Recruit
I've run into that before. My solution was to give up. Lol.
That was on Android phones
MrMarty51
Well-Known Member
Go to the pics and pull up the one thats too large, tap the EDIT.
Lower right a thing that says crop, tap that.
Move the sides, top and bottom to make the pic a little smaller.
Tap the done.
Go back to the posting and insert the revised pic.
Then if so desired, go back to the pic, tap edit, tap revert and it will restore the pic back to original size.
Sucks that a person has to do that when all the phone cameras are taking a lot mire clarity to pics And the site wont give us room to post them without going through the hassle.
Also, at the top of the camera, a round weird looking emblem. If there is no line through that then tap it so that a line appears through it, then take the pic.
That action turns off the live mode which is a miniature of a video, takes a lot of room.
dbrannon79
I'm getting there!
The cameras on these newer phones are getting to be like one a photographer uses, umteen megapixel. I once filled up my email space on google from all the emailed photos from my phone. for uploading here, it's not so much the physical size but it's the detail and quality of the photo that uses up storage space
usually when I upload a photo to the forum I use my PC. I will email myself the pic from my phone and when I do that, my phone will ask me to downgrade the quality of the photo. That has worked for me. Not sure how the do that otherwise.
usually when I upload a photo to the forum I use my PC. I will email myself the pic from my phone and when I do that, my phone will ask me to downgrade the quality of the photo. That has worked for me. Not sure how the do that otherwise.