Vectra c Oil cooler change

**iammike1982** · 23rd December 2020, 22:41

Hi my oil cooler needs changing as its leaking, im just wondering if anyone has changed it without draining the oil?

Plan is leave it over night and let the oil settle in the sump and then drain the coolant and take it off and replace it, i know i`ll lose some oil when i remove it but im hoping it not to much and i can just top it up after the job is done as iv not long done an oil change.

Cheers

mike

**justin32** · 23rd December 2020, 23:41

what engine is it?

**iammike1982** · 24th December 2020, 18:04

1.8 vvt petrol

**iammike1982** · 7th January 2021, 20:45

Any info or advice on this would be much appreciated

**Dog_Book** · 7th January 2021, 23:10

Look in the correct troubleshooting section loads have gone on about this for a few years now.

**JagRigger** · 8th January 2021, 08:32

Did mine without draining- as you say just be ready for some leakage of both oil and water

**iammike1982** · 8th January 2021, 14:43

Yeah no way i can be bothered doing a full drain of oil i`ll just let it sit overnight and just wip it off and top it up. How much trouble was it getting the exhaust manifold off? Did u replace the whole oil cooler or just the gaskets?

**JagRigger** · 8th January 2021, 15:20

I just did the gaskets - that was at about 110k I think, and she's now on more than 240. I did snap one stud, but I was ready with spares and extractors as I kind of expected it

**iammike1982** · 8th January 2021, 17:29

ok m8 i`ll price up the gaskets and hope i dont break anything do it lol, Any tips before i start?

**northpole** · 10th January 2021, 12:09

yeah make sure you clean it properly and check both mating surfaces to be straight if one side is warped it'll need replacing, as it'll leak regardless of the new gasket....

if you only have a few drops or it sweats, you might be better of just using a stop leak product, like millers stop oil leak... you just add it to the oil already in the car and after about 200 miles it should stop leaking completely.. if it doesn't than you really need to replace the gasket and the oilcooler as it means the surface is warped.

the millers product, unlike most others, just rejuvenates the gasket and makes it swell up a bit meaning that if it has a large crack it needs replacing and usually if it has a large crack it means the oilcooler has somehow warped.