Oil Cooler Hose Source
 

Replaced my front crankshaft seal and I was oil leak free for about a week. Until I decided to adjust the IP timing. Now the IP gasket is leaking as bad as the old crank seal.

I suppose I should renew the oil cooler hoses while the oil filter housing is off. The local MB dealer wants $180 for the two hoses. Anyone know a better source for genuine MB hoses? (I don't want an aftermarket version.)

Fastlane has them closer to $140, I think they're OEM.

I found a local hydraulics supply place (in cincinnati, "Ohio Hydraulics" and brought the old hoses into them, told them what it was for, and I think I was only $60 lighter when I left. I'd do it again. (with due consideration of the forum)

They arent OEM, but a hydraulic place will have the "good" crimping tools to do the job well-thier other customers were guys and companies with Bobcats and hydroseeders...). I can't speak for performance becuase that 300D that took me to the hose place was running with hose clamps on the oil lines, and a hose clamp came off on the way home - I caught it but not in time :( my mistake=my loss

-John

I don't think $180 for factory hoses is too terribly bad really.
My wagon has hoses from Performance Products, and I'm pleased with their quality.

I have some OEM ones on my SD now, been on there over a month or so I'd say now. No leaks, fit fine, etc. Just over $100 for my two if you shop around.

Attention folks. This topic has come up many times and the answer is to salvage the ends off of your existing hoses, go to the local parts/hydraulic hose shop and get new hoses made. I just had mine done for $10 each. The process is so easy as to make no odds. Try it, you'll like it.

The oil pressure is about 4-5 bar , not more than a 100 lbs psi. So most of these hydraulic hose places should be able to crimp them for you.
A Cat , Bob cat hydraulic system got to be 1500 psi.
So as your power steering pump be at least 1000 psi.
While this subject is up, some newer model Benzes had these el cheapo power steering pump clamp fail prematurely too. Cause big prob for a lot of folks.

I worry about the hose material, we are pre-supposing that you are saying a hydraulic place crimps on NEW HOSE for you. The OE hose is made of layered material that seems to be vulcanized somehow. Its tough stuff compared to some hoses stuff I've seen that uses a nylon web inside two rubber layers. I also spoke with a local hose place that said they could make up a hydraulic hose and crimp metric ends "most likely" for me. I took that to mean if they had the right ends they would crimp them on to whatever hose they could find that is used for hydraulic service. I wanted hose material that absolutely would be rated for hot oil and that wouldn't compromise my newly rebuilt 617, so it was off to the dealer and they give me a small discount that helps.
And while I'm thinking of this subject let me remind folks that removing the hose fittings from the oil cooler can sometimes take the make threads with them being aluminum and all they fuse onto the steel threads in a bad way. To avoid this I slit the nuts with a small cutting wheel (Dremel) or remove the oil cooler with the hose ends attached (cut them off!) then remove the ends carefully this will mean the difference of another $280 or so If you do it right you won't be replacing the cooler also!

Hoses
 

I just redone my hydraulic hose for the SLS. That hose sells for near $200. Bought hose off E-Bay for $4.15 and put the ends from old hose on. The ends were a booger to get on but very do-able.

If you do mess up the threads onthe oil cooler there is this from an earlier post:

I'm windering where did you obtain those nipples? The p/n's aren't in the regular MB format. I'd like to try to repair the 603 oil cooler I ruined last year, this sounds very good but I need the parts to try it. Maybe the dealer you used will have a record of the transaction and can order for some of us?

Here's the "nipples" and the package, straight from MB. Good luck. On the paper work, they were ordered using the above listed part # 915013-013002

Those look like the same nipples that are in the oil filter housing. Which would not be unreasonable.


All those folks who have purchased new oil coolers will be sick when they see this!!!

tangofox007,

I just took them out to the car and eyeball comparison shows them to, indeed, be the same as the nipples on the oil filter housing. Once again...ain't German engineering grand! (Well, except for the air cleaner mount, the cruise control amp and the climate control servo, etc. ;) ;))


Edit: I just looked up the part # on the EPC for the oil filter nipples and tangofox was correct. The part # is exactly the same as for the repair "screwed nipple" for the oil cooler!!

Thanks! Maybe when I show the fellow at the parts counter at the local dealership he can go and order some for me. I suppose they kinda like to $ell a new oil cooler and would rather people NOT know abuot these things!
Nipples! Hooray!
oh yes, speaking of great German engineering like the the W202 shock towers that fail, the wiring harnesses that get flaky on newer models, etc etc.

jbaj007,

Thanks for that information. It could easily lead to thousands of dollars saved by forum participants. In a way, using the oil filter housing nipples on the oil cooler is an obvious no-brainer. But I would not have thought of it in a million years. Although it may just reposition the dissimilar metal corrosion problem. But for the oil cooler, two lives might be enough.

Proof that Shopforum is a great place to save tons of $$$
 

As for corrosion at the joint, I'm sure its a combination of many years with heat and the dissimilar metals. Whatever happens, it sure locks the threads - wow I had a huge open end wrench and I really leaned into it and then when it came free I saw the results! :o Threads stripped clean away!

When I replaced hoses recently (on my '87 300Dt) I used a glob of Alunox on the threads. Its the joint material developed for aluminum wiring in commercial bldgs (rememebr when aluminum wiring was outlawed in home construction after so many homes burned up!?) As if I might have to change the new OE hoses I installed in another 19 years or so, heck I'll be 80 years YO then and I doubt that I'll have the car or even be working on it, but if its still running the next guy will find it easy to remove the hoses from the nipples, that I sure of!

*************** at about $50 each, OE. I used some and they worked just fine.

How long have the hoses been in service? I want some that will be still working fine 20 years from now.

Look for the tiny tri-star on the crimps of a OE hose. It should have a two-row crimp. I'll bet ******** AZ is selling the WorldPac hoses - the ones that have been known to blow at the single crimp. If its not layered hose I don;t use it. Even the dealer shipped the shop a WorldPac hose, so beware!
I'm a believer in saving money but only where its less important, things like oil cooler hoses have grave consequences if they fail.

My thoughts, exactly. That's why I specified genuine MB hoses. Thanks for confirming that decision.

Oil Circuit Diagram
 

I'm going to try this to see if it can fix my weeping lower oil cooler line fitting.

I was concerned about not being able to get all the cuttings from the threading operation out of the cooler before reattaching. I checked the oil circuit diagram and find that oil from the cooler flows immediately to the filter, so I'm somewhat relieved.

Any opinions? Other than reasonable diligence, do I need to do anything special to clean the cooler prior to installing?

Thanks,
Bob
'82 300D

As far as I can tell....
 

Ones I have from ********az are OE, from Continental, not "WorldPac". They are double crimped. I can't warranty them for 20 years, but I've got some that are a year and a half old that are doing fine.

Double crimped is what is right, WorldPac sells some that are single crimped and not layered hose. ANd BTW ********Az is a great place to get MB parts!
DDH

My car still has its original hoses. The supply line is double crimped. The return line is not.