Pictures of the Week
I removed the oil cooler and am manufacturing a block off plate to get the oil from the engine to the remote oil cooler. (May 27, 2002)
I ordered a part to accomplish this task but it had the oil lines coming out the top and my installation has the oil cooler on the bottom. I decided to build the part myself to get the proper sized hose fitting running in the right direction. This weekend's activity was good news and bad news, The good news is that I now know how to weld aluminum. The bad news is that I slipped and let the electrode touch the part when I was welding between the two an fittings. The result was aluminum splattered on the threads and a ruined part. The first time for anything always includes the step of learning how not to do the job. I learned the hard way that you can't let the torch slip and contaminate the weld. Somehow there is such a big difference between knowing how to do a job and making the mistakes yourself that teach you what you already knew. I feel comfortable that I can make this piece properly as soon as the replacement parts arrive. Unfortunately the AN815-12D unions that I ordered did not all come in. One was on back order so I've got to wait on parts to finish this project. Click here to see the drawing of the Oil Cooler Block Off Plate.
May 29, 2002 the new AN815-12D unions arrived via UPS today and I went to work. As it turns out the part is almost serviceable. The threads of the nipples are very bad. I think the heat required to weld the Aluminum is softening the heat treat in the union and ultimately the threads are not keeping their shape. Time to rethink the design, perhaps substituting mild steel will solve the problem?