Oil cooler pipework (was "Removing Oil Filter")

[CJH]

I'm sure this question was asked recently, but I can't remember (or find) the answer.

Can I remove the oil filter without draining the oil first?

I changed the oil and filter at the weekend, but forgot to do a trial fit of my Mocal sandwich plate and unions. Assuming I can get the filter off without damaging it, will I lose any oil apart from what's in the filter?

*E D I T: 1.9 WBX by the way, but of course you saw that in my signature.

[silverbullet]

Yes of course. Sump level is far below the filter.

[CJH]

Excellent, thank you. I'm pretty sure it was you who answered this the last time!

I've scrutinised your oil cooler thread to see how you routed the pipework. But your route is different from mine, as I need to double back to get the pipes to a front mounted cooler. It's really rather tight in there, with the engine mounting bar, water pump, oil filter, exhaust etc etc. I picked up some 90 degree unions from a local hydraulic place today, so I'm all set to do some trial fitting. Even trial fitting with the engine I've got on my bench isn't sufficient, as I don't have a spare engine mounting bar.

As an aside, the hydraulic place was giving me a good discount on their stainless-braided PTFE hose, but it has a limited bend radius. They suggested the convoluted version, which can turn much tighter bends, but I rejected it as I felt it would have greater pipe losses - it would have greater flow resistance and would drop the oil pressure too much. Was I right?

Chris

[CJH]

Changing the thread subject a little bit:

I reckon there are two possible ways to route the pipes from the sandwich plate.

1) Down then along the underside of the pushrod protection plate. Two problems - clearance to the engine mounting bar will be very tight, and those 90 degree bends will become the lowest point on the underside of the engine, so possibly vulnerable.



2) Up, then double back. The hoses will have a gentle curve to get them to run around the filter and along the underside of the pushrod protection plate, but one of the unions will be close to the fan belt. If it snapped I think the union might get damaged.



These are the standard unions that the local hydraulic pipe place offered. Some more compact ones, like the ones in Silverbullet's Oil Cooler thread, might help, but I don't think they have them.

[clift_d]

Yes of course. Sump level is far below the filter.

Thats interesting - I never thought of that. Presumably that works for all T25 engines?

[silverbullet]

Chris. Thats why I put 45* bends on the sandwich plate. Doing a 180* with two fittings is real last resort stuff, every bend means a pressure drop and should be avoided if at all possible.
Think Automotive can supply everything you need.

[CJH]

Yes I noticed your shallower bends in this image:



But that doesn't get me where I'd like to go, namely back along the pushrod protection plate. I'd still have to achieve that turn with the hose. Maybe I should look at a wider turn then, around the outside of the engine bay - more like the first bit of your setup.

Are those Think Automotive fittings intended for DIY use, or do you have a tool for swaging them on. In your photos it looks like your hoses are pushed onto the fittings, but I don't know if those are maybe mockup photos. Do they require a swaged sleeve or a hose clip? I was aiming to measure the hose lengths accurately and then have the hydraulic place make them up for me with swaged fittings.

[clift_d]

Some of the pipe and fitting combinations are push fit and don't require a collar. Speedflow have a good guide to the different types of pipe fittings and how you install them here:
http://anfittingguide.com/

[CJH]

Thank you - that looks like a useful reference.

[CJH]

I did a trial fit to my in-situ engine this evening. The sandwich plate won't work with the unions facing downwards, as the engine support is too close and the pressure relief screw gets in the way. So I think I've ended up in the same place as you Ian - a couple of 135 degree bends pointing up just below the water pump pulley seem to be the only way out. From there I think the route would be around the engine bay below the water pipes (early system as you can see in the third photo), under the bulkhead to the left of the gearbox, and up over the fuel tank to the radiator at the front.

A couple of views from below.....

.....and a couple from above


.....and one on my bench top engine to show how close it all gets to the alternator belt.