oil cooler coolant leak and loose "nipple"

doing my oil change for 20th time (or whatever) and it was unusually hard to get off. Not sure if it's because it really got stuck on there with the heat from track driving or because I did it with the car cold*. While initially getting it to move I noticed the entire "face" (in blue) was rotating with the filter, which I've never noticed before. Go to put the new filter on and once I get it (hand)tight I notice small amounts of coolant coming through between that face in blue and the housing. Unscrew the filter and it stops. I then notice that the "nipple" (in red) is completely loose and have read it can be tightened with a 1/2" hex.

How tight should one make the nipple (in red) and is its looseness likely to help with the coolant I noticed? I'm a bit miffed why screwing the filter tight is causing it to leak but it doesn't leak with nothing on it.

edit: looks like it's 41-53 lb-ft, a lot higher than I expected. I'll try that and hope the coolant leaking goes away.


*which I don't think I've ever done before but the car was already on stand and it was pouring rain out


goes aw

I use the German gut-and-tight method.

Medium breaker bar with one-two fingers on the end.
Short breaker bar with two-three fingers on the end.

Warning: I am Philistine; however, I own an 2002 Audi A4 Quattro (B6) 3.slow MT6 with over 250k miles..

Also, if it doesn't stop leaking, just replace it with a 1996-2004 GT oil cooler manifold from Ebay.
Todd Warren says the DOHC OIL Cooler is not needed, especially for a daily driver.

I rebuilt my oil cooler, but still plan replace it with a GT manifold, when I replace my motor mounts..yet again.

shurur said:

I use the German gut-and-tight method.

Medium breaker bar with one-two fingers on the end.
Short breaker bar with two-three fingers on the end.

Warning: I am Philistine; however, I own an 2002 Audi A4 Quattro (B6) 3.slow MT6 with over 250k miles..

Also, if it doesn't stop leaking, just replace it with a 1996-2004 GT oil cooler manifold from Ebay.
Todd Warren says the DOHC OIL Cooler is not needed, especially for a daily driver.

I rebuilt my oil cooler, but still plan replace it with a GT manifold, when I replace my motor mounts..yet again.

Click to expand...

thanks. I'm hoping it stops leaking now that I've tightened it but will let it sit a while before feeling comfortable. the other thing I don't know is if I've caused a problem by having the cooler itself rotate with the filter when it was first coming out.

I usually aim for the middle and go with 45ft-lbs. Chances are that's what was causing your coolant leak.

01yellercobra said:

I usually aim for the middle and go with 45ft-lbs. Chances are that's what was causing your coolant leak.

Click to expand...

Looks like no dice. Curiously it's like when I tried tightening the filter. Didn't seem to leak when the stud is hand tight but when i get it up to spec it starts to leak coolant, though very slowly. I'm wondering if the outer o-ring was damaged when the cooler rotated in the housing. either that or it just got a little squeejawed with the rotation.

It could be. If Speed Concepts is still around they make a rebuild kit for it.

01yellercobra said:

It could be. If Speed Concepts is still around they make a rebuild kit for it.

Click to expand...

Looks like they are. LMR also has a kit for significantly cheaper. Doesn't come with the hex socket, but I don't need that. Not sure if there's another reason to do Speed Concepts.

Still don't get why it doesn't leak until the stud is tightened.

YELOSNK said:

Looks like they are. LMR also has a kit for significantly cheaper. Doesn't come with the hex socket, but I don't need that. Not sure if there's another reason to do Speed Concepts.

Still don't get why it doesn't leak until the stud is tightened.

Click to expand...

There is-was also a guy selling on ebay.eBay.

Also iirc there was an oring in the middle length of that stud....imo that design is too clever to keep on the car.

shurur said:

There is-was also a guy selling on ebay.eBay.

Also iirc there was an oring in the middle length of that stud....imo that design is too clever to keep on the car.

Click to expand...

I'm almost positive its the large oring on the cooler closest to the face, given its leaking coolant from the front. I believe the stud O-rings are on oil and would be leaking towards the middle.

Anyways, liquid cooling is a PITA, but I unfortunately need a cooler as I do open tracking. An external cooler would be best, but not sure I want to drop ~$900 on a kit just yet.

Just get rid of it with the 99-04 gt adapter. It’s a waste of weight and space.

Badaz01 said:

Just get rid of it with the 99-04 gt adapter. It’s a waste of weight and space.

Click to expand...

Because I do open track with this car I can't donthat without putting in a proper oil cooler. That would be superior, but not sure I want to drop ~$900 on the RoadRace 1 kit.

Oof, I have the coolant drained and the stud out but I can not find a way to get it off/over the O-ring for where the coolant comes through the adapter. Anyone done this before and have any tips? I've only seen stuff on the terms, but they seem to have more room to get a small pry bar up there, as the other coolant outlet is at the bottom instead of the top.

Edit: got it! I ended up having to run a rope around the part where the coolant goes out to the thermostat, run it out of the car through the sway bar bracket it, wrap it around the end of a hammer, and yank as hard as a could a good number of times.