I have just spent 14+ hours under my SAAB removing and replacing two oil cooler hoses, one tap of a hammer on a punch on a hose pipe flange at a time. That doesn't count all the research time prior nor the ordering time, nor the time spent trying to find out where was the part I paid "Urgent Shipping" for.
I finally got the rear of the hoses in after being stonewalled on Friday. Dremel tools are handy. (Beveled the leading edges and trimmed the OD . . .) I got the front parts in as well, turned on the car and leaks. I pulled them back out and put a different O-ring on - Genuine Saab (yellow) - which was a tad thinker, and reinstalled. Drips. I tapped the pipe in a bit more and tightened the nut, turned on the car and now a steady stream !
Some of you pros love working on cars. It is becoming apparent the Universe doesn't want me to work on cars anymore . . . Probably never did.
By then it was dark. I came up with three possibilities: 1. Get a new oil cooler. I looked that up and they are rare and pricey; B. Put two O-rings on and re-install with fingers crossed; III. Use some Permatex Red Gasket Maker, coat the O-ring and some pipe then reinstall and allow to cure.
Why Red ? That's what I have. After reading the excellent answers about the differences and preferred uses of the various gasket makers I would like a recommendation from those in the know which "flavor" gasket maker would be best for this alloy steel into aluminum application. The steel into engine block was impossible until I took "a little off the top" of the OD of the pipe. Now that was a snug fit needing a thousand taps... The female part of the oil cooler could be nylon or just aluminum and I may have created a crack in this 2000 9-5 wagon 2.3 T oil cooler when spending 4 hours just getting these "17 years in NH" oil pipes out. The fittings had "grown" together.
I may remove the oil cooler, two screws, one frozen, to inspect that for cracks near the inlet and outlet. The frozen screw started stripping so I let it lie. No room to get a socket on it.
Temps will be in the 20's at4 night, hopefully 40 mid-week.
Thanks, FotN Almost There . . .
