Oil cooler threaded mount for filter came loose

Cobra10thaniv

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I was changing oil for winter storage, noticed a drip of oil behind oil filter and also behind aluminum oil cooler.. thought odd I couldn't have splashed any oil there.

I grabbed the lower radiator hose and realized the whole alum cooler was loose!

The threaded filter fitting is only thing that holds the cooler to the block. Filter and oil cooler just started to leak!. I'm very lucky I wasn't at high rpm.

I talked to a long time ford mechanic. He has seen this in the alot in the past. He thinks they were improperly torque at factory an then few oil filter changes loosens oil filter cooler mount fitting each time filter is removed

Just wanted share this so everyone inspects or does a retorque. Only takes cpl of min to keep you off the road side with no oil

FYI 41-53ft-lbs. I did mine at 50
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Liquidsnake

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Yep, i’ve seen this on two of the 4 cobras I’ve owned. When people post about their oil cooler leaking coolant or oil I refer to giving it a re-torque before assuming the O-rings are bad, which is always the first assumption but almost always not the case. It’s good to check it every time you change the oil.
 
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P49Y-CY

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Yeah that happened to me too, years ago. Ever since then, I check it at every oil change.

I think that it's one of the few incorrect torque values in the Ford service manual. It is too low. That thing needs the German torque value of "guttentite"!
 

Blkkbgt

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Easy fix, I’d avoid Fram filters like the plague jmho stick with Motorcraft, Mobil, or Wix filters.


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So much this!

Motorcraft and Purolator (same filter) are cheaper and far better filters. STP is another brand I avoid and the only store brand I like is Napa as they are all made by Wix.

I never believed Fram was bad until I put one on my car and had valve train rattle on cold starts. Switched to a Motorcraft and it went away. The anti drain back valves in Frams go bad quick from what I gather and experienced. They were always fine when fresh, 1000 miles later I'd start hearing the rattle.
 

01yellercobra

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So much this!

Motorcraft and Purolator (same filter) are cheaper and far better filters. STP is another brand I avoid and the only store brand I like is Napa as they are all made by Wix.

I never believed Fram was bad until I put one on my car and had valve train rattle on cold starts. Switched to a Motorcraft and it went away. The anti drain back valves in Frams go bad quick from what I gather and experienced. They were always fine when fresh, 1000 miles later I'd start hearing the rattle.
I had one ruin a 2500 mile engine. Never ran one again.
 

01yellercobra

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Holly shit! How?
Was doing a cam break in (the old guys will remember that) and the motor started knocking. When I pulled things apart I found the cam lobes rounded off and metal in the bearings. Turned the filter over to drain it and no oil came out. Figured the oil pump died. Cut the top off the filter to look at the media and a quart of oil came out. Turns out the media had detached from the top of the filter and blocked all the holes starving the engine of oil.
 

Blkkbgt

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Was doing a cam break in (the old guys will remember that) and the motor started knocking. When I pulled things apart I found the cam lobes rounded off and metal in the bearings. Turned the filter over to drain it and no oil came out. Figured the oil pump died. Cut the top off the filter to look at the media and a quart of oil came out. Turns out the media had detached from the top of the filter and blocked all the holes starving the engine of oil.


That is horrible to hear. That had to hard to take having a $5 filter kill an entire engine. I am sorry dude!
 
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Black02GT

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I've had a fram air filter fall apart on a 2V picked a snickers wrapper out of my MAF screen. Never looked at Fram again.
 

01yellercobra

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That is horrible to hear. That had to hard to take having a $5 filter kill an entire engine. I am sorry dude!
To say I was bummed would be an understatement. That car never ran again while I owned it. I got into late models at that point.
 
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shurur

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Yeah that happened to me too, years ago. Ever since then, I check it at every oil change.

I think that it's one of the few incorrect torque values in the Ford service manual. It is too low. That thing needs the German torque value of "guttentite"!
That's the general spec I use...especially on the Audi. ;-)
 

Cobra10thaniv

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I see lots had a comment about my choice of filter. Everone likes one filter over the other.

Fyi I wont use the Fram orange extra guard, or silver tough guard because of construction of paper end caps and how glue media together at end of pleats and a engine failure because of it 22yrs ago

I use the Synthetic ultra, because of construction steel end caps crimped media ends, metal screen reinforced media and 99%+ effeciency.

All the top end synthetic filters are good RP, Mobil, Amsoil. You have to pick the right filter for application, like racing filters don't have the MPE or SPE filtering capabilities of its synthetic counterpart. In racing filters you have the guaranteed flow and not to blow out with instant oil pressure among other things. You dont worry about the MPE multiple pass effeciency or SPE single pass efficiency when oil will be changed all the time,

I was using the Motorcraft and swapped to this filter in 2012 when ultra was introduced. Fyi I always use full synthetic oil in all my cars.

To add some Merit on on my reasoning and why. My daily driver is driven about 44,000 miles a year and sits out side started in -40 to 100F above. I'm not the 10 mile a day guy. My wife's same outside does 25,000 miles year we run our vehicles 350,000 miles plus. With results on any inspection after those miles on internals.

The Cobra & Saleen are only fun miles but ads up. Cobra an Saleen do get synthetic oil an synthetic filers always

FYI because got off topic of filters My filter gripes!

Mopar SRT viper filter Is great filter they even put on plastic over top of filter an second package around filter. That just screams quality! and attention to keeping clean !
I wish the top end filters would do the same. I have a big investment want the best.
You don't go in for a operation say yeah don't give me the best blood and the surgical tools covered with a dirty box that's ok... lol....

To sum it up oil filters are like Doctors... some save your life! others their are lawsuits over. Lol
Maybe best thinking you have ones at top of the class and ones at bottom of class. Make your pick wisely



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