If you buy a new cooler, it comes with the lines.

Guess how I know this...

 

Yeah don't you love when they leave out critical info like that?

Are the coolers themselves known to leak? I thought the oil cooler was integrated into the radiator?

 

Maybe he means the PS cooler. The oil cooler is in fact in the radiator

 

No I meant the PS cooler; the same thing the OP was talking about, believe it or don't. It's its own little thing, in front of the DS of the radiator. Maybe 15" tall 4" wide and 1" thick. A brief search on www.rockauto.com might be in order. Has its own little sorta molded rubber lines, that when you buy a new cooler, they give you the lines.

Mine, the cooler rusted through, and SPEWED PS fluid ALL OVER the battery, alt, radiator, core support, etc. etc. etc. Made ONEHELLUVAMESS out of the whole front of the engine. I was expecting to have to re-use the lines or make new; I was kinda surprised that I didn't have to.

 

Every time I work on it I spill power steering fluid, ATF, motor oil, or gear oil everywhere all over the place 🤦‍♂️ No matter how careful I am I end up screwing up and spilling things everywhere, usually I get so frustrated that I don't care anymore and just open things up and let it drain on out my garage floor haha, Ill get some rags and clean it up later haha

However, everything seems to clean up ok after spraying some Gunk or generic engine degreaser (get the nasty stuff not the weak stuff) and a pressure washer. However, the smell of the degreaser will linger a few days but its nothing bad.

 

Yup that's what I do too. IMO the cleanliness is worth the temporary aroma.

 

$2 funnels are real life savers man lol.

I had to make myself start using them. I always got in a hurry and ended up spilling. I got sick of cleaning up **** and getting pissed off from spilling **** on clean engines so I finally got a collection of different funnels and keep them near by. They're surprisingly cheap, and the trans funnel with the long flexible tube on it can be a real life saver in some cases.

 

My cam sensor was leaking and dripping oil on both starter and oil filter sides were bellhousing bolted to motor. I added a 8 oz bottle blue devil rear main sealer to motor and one week later had no more leaks its been now 1 year almost and still no leaks . This gave me time to save some money to replace rear main seal and plate gaskets and fix leak the right way. I don't know how much longer the sealer might last so i'm doing the work the right way. hope this helps someone....

 

I was thinking about trying a plasticer, not sure how good they are in oil though since it gets changed, or if they absorb into the seals good. I could never really prove a leak or prove no leak from my cam sensor, it sure dosen't seem like its coming from it or the oil pressure sensor.

I climbed back under today to look, the leak has apparently made it all the way down to where there is wetness on the bottom of the transfer case and transmission pan:









While looking at another thread, I saw someone say "90% of leaks on the trucks is the oil cooler lines", and from looking up under I think they might be right. Even on the ends of the power steering lines and other places where engine oil shouldn't be, like around the transmission, there is engine oil. Maybe I should try to invest in some new oil cooler lines. I do believe up front the oil on the steering bar linkage is power steering fluid from the steering box, its still hard to put your finger on it and smell it or tell if its engine oil or power steering fluid or transmission fluid.

 

Well you will read all over about the crimp fittings on the coolant/power steering/transmission lines being garbage and leaking. They all use that same style crimp connector to hard pipe, and notorious for leaking at those connections.