[VintageLambo] Re: burst oil cooler pipe

I"m glad you got a good outcome on this one Jack! The digital camera is a great idea, I will get one :-)) Clive --- In VintageLambo@yahoogroups.com, Jack Riddell wrote: > Hi Clive, > > When I had my most recent "experience" with a ruptured oil cooler, it > was the result of poor planning by our local utility, San Diego Gas and > Electric. They had dug a large opening in a street near my home to gain > access to an in-ground electrical box. They then capped the hole with a > steel plate that was about five feet square by one inch thick Normally, > when they used the steel plate covers, they build an asphalt ramp around > the edges to avoid the abrupt lip of the plate, but in this case, they > did not. The plate was located only inches from a "dip" in the street > caused by a small drainage culvert. Anyhow, the combination of the dip > and the 1" steel lip was catastophic to my poor oil cooler.I limped > about 30 feet to the side of the road and killed the engine. I checked > the level on the oil dipstick to assess the amount of oil loss and found > that I could still measure oil but well down the stick. I decided to > chance it and drove the car the remaining one block to my home. There > was no damage to the engine as a result. I think like Fred pointed out, > these engines are pretty tough. I wouldn"t drive more than a city block > in these conditions, however. Better to get the tow truck. > > By the way - the utility company paid for the replacement oil cooler, > although it took some good luck for that to happen. Seems they wanted to > stiff me initially until I found a pair of witnesses who saw the workmen > the following day, removing the plate and filling the offending hole and > bragging about how there would not be any evidence of a damaging plate > to complain about. When I confronted the utility representative with the > witnesses, she immediately changed her tune and offered to pay the > costs. Without the witnesses, I would have been screwed. > > Lesson learned - I now carry a disposable camera in my cars just in case > I have any future problems as a means of capturing visual evidence. I > highly recommend them for anybody. > > Best Regards, > > Jack > > badsaddle wrote: > > > > > Hi Jack > > > > Glad I"m not the only one.... > > > > Yes my car has (had) the braided metal coated hose - and it > > does not look that old either. God only knows the force the oil > > must have come out at as the hole is tiny, the chaffed area > > similarly small with a few loose threads only. I guess once the > > protective skin is disturbed only the slightest nudge will burst the > > pipe. The really surprising thing is the hot oil did not ignite when > > it sprayed the manifolds - they were covered! > > > > I"m hoping Fred"s theory is right and the engine is OK - that"s my > > real worry of course.... > > > > Best > > > > Clive > > > > > > > > --- In VintageLambo@yahoogroups.com, Jack Riddell > > wrote: > > > Hi Clive, > > > > > > I had an incident similar to yours once where the oil cooler got > > > punctured and dumped a case of 20W-50 in a matter of > > seconds. > > > Fortunately, I was moving very slowly at the time so I didn"t get > > the > > > adrenaline rush you must have experienced. And most of the > > oil ended up > > > on the side of the road and not on the car. One question - are > > your > > > hoses the type with the braided metal jacket? I would think that > > the > > > chafing would be a non-issue with that protection. But I fully > > agree, > > > anyone who has that oil cooler must take the time to > > periodically check > > > hoses, mounting, signs of damage to the cooler, etc. or face > > the > > > possibility of experiencing some real unpleasantness. I am on > > my third > > > oi