im re-building my motor in my 71 square.
and im not sure if the oil cooler i have is leaking ( everything was filthy nd oily in engine bay :P ) or weather the seals wer just stuffed. i have made a rig at work to test if it leaks, what pressure should i be testing it to? i just dont feel like having it explode on me

I presume you would want the engine oil pressure plus a 30% safety factor. So my engine has 50 psi cold plus the 30% would mean it would have to handle 65psi. But that said, some engines may have 60 or 65 psi so you would need more like 80 psi. Then what about the pressure relief valve, if it sticks, pressure could go to 100 psi.

I would get everyone to post their max oil pressure and use the highest one posted plus a safety factor

ok thanks, at work i can go upto 5000 psi so any pressure i can do. im not sure what pressure it was running befor i took it apart, it just looked so oily i didnt think bout checking it befor-hand.

The standard oil pump on a VW engine can go up to at least 300PSI
its only the relief valve that keeps the pressure low..

I would replace the oil cooler with a New One...

not worth risking cooking Your new engine...

Someone had them for sale for under $100 in the VWA magazine

Lee

Do not test it with compressed air as the explosion can be very dangerous, if i rev my car dead cold it will go over about 7 bar, you could test the cooler to about 10 bar with a hydro tester, you will also have to check the block for cracks around the cooler mount as this will give you the same smyptoms.

ok thanks, ill have a look, will still test old one tho just incase somewhere in the future i need a spare . was it in the latest issue of the mag?

yea the tester i have made is hydrolic. :P thinking i might make a cover to go over it all now, you know just incase its hard to find anywhere that sells new type 3 coolers, only doghouse beetle ones, if i use one of them where do i put the pressure sensor instead???? :S

Yes
I thought about that...
as My oil cooler is a type 3 type...
with the oil pressure sender in it...

You may need to find a good clean used one??

the cooler needs to be perfectly clean so you can see thru the fins... as that is where the cooling air goes...

Lee

also i fould out there are two types of type 3 coolers aswell, the inlet ports in older coolers are 8 mm and newer ones are 10mm, my case has the 10 mm ports. i have a manual that says u can get adaptor seals but there is none in the full seal/gasket set i got. just wondering if anyone else has had any problems with the sizing?

Hi
Yours would have the 10mm oil holes ..
and Your oil cooler is identical to the doghouse oil cooler in twin port beetles [plus the sender hole]

the early oil coolers with the small holes... are made differently...
as very old oil coolers were made..
the later ones are made more modern ...

the seals are 8mm on one side and 10mm on the other side..
I use them on My engine with 8mm oil galleries..
and 10mm oil cooler adaptor plate or doghouse oil cooler...

every VW shop would have them.. I would think...

I would only put 60-70 PSI into the oil cooler to test it...
it shouldn't ever get anywhere like that pressure...

cheers

LEE

PS: the oil cooler seals tend to leak after a long while...
as they are hard ...

thanks ill test it tomorow, just need to weld a bit of a guard around where the cooler sits then ill give it a go.

i tested it it was fine, it must of just been the seals, i tested it at 95 psi and tested it for an hour and it didnt drop any pressure

You will need to check the block around the cooler mount for cracks.

I have seen the block crack behind the fly wheel and travel up to the cooler mount, usually if you have machined the case for larger cylinders and there is no radius were the spigot has been machined.