Does this look like an oil cooler gasket leak?

[OR VietVet]

Does this plate's o-ring take the place of the original gasket?

You can use the o-ring like @ScottyBoy found and I did and it was leak free till I sold it. You can also use the gasket instead of the o-ring if you want but I would use the o-ring.

 

[OR VietVet]

I didn't know they can warp, perhaps that's why mine was still leaking even after I replaced that gasket. I ended up using Ultra Gray RTV Gasket Maker on it, and it's been leak free ever since. I think that was over 2-3 years ago. I do however, have leaks elsewhere. It looks like the valley cover under the intake is leaking.

Yea, they warp. It's basically a pot metal plate there. That is why I found that billet kit. Quick and easy.

 

[Fless]

Does this plate's o-ring take the place of the original gasket?

Yes.

I took a small piece of emery cloth and laid it rough side up on my table saw, and used a circular motion with the OE blockoff plate face-down to smooth it out and make sure it was flat. The whole surface of the blockoff plate was abraded so I knew mine was flat. I like having the hex head bolts to tighten up (84 lb-INCHES, I think it was) as opposed to those allen key screws on the billet.

 

[Fless]

I didn't know they can warp, perhaps that's why mine was still leaking even after I replaced that gasket. I ended up using Ultra Gray RTV Gasket Maker on it, and it's been leak free ever since. I think that was over 2-3 years ago. I do however, have leaks elsewhere. It looks like the valley cover under the intake is leaking.

I also used a small bead of Permatex Ultra Black on mine, both sides of the gasket, maybe 1/16" bead or a little more. Barely enough to squeeze out only a teeny bit after tightening down the bolts. Didn't want any to get inside the oval where the oil flows.

 

[Sam Harris]

Good stuff y’all. Mine is leaking a bit from here as well. (Hopefully just there…) so I was just getting ready to take care of it, and saw this thread… perfect! This forum is the freaking best..!

 

[NoReverseYukon]

Well, that job is done - or not.
I must say that the replacement gasket is a joke. The original is metal with silicone around the opening, about 1/16" thick. The replacement is stamped sheet metal with no added material. I bought Mahle B31867, but FelPro 72435 was the same. EDIT : I do see that some places sell a part that looks like the original

For anyone contemplating this, I would suggest doing it when you're doing an oil change. I waited a good hour for the oil to stop dripping and grew impatient. But as oil leaked out onto the mating surfaces while I was tightening the bolts, I expect it to leak again.
I would also suggest re-using the original metal gasket and add a coating of RTV to the silicone. If/when it leaks again, that is what I will do.

 

[Fless]

Well, that job is done - or not.
I must say that the replacement gasket is a joke. The original is metal with silicone around the opening, about 1/16" thick. The replacement is stamped sheet metal with no added material. I bought Mahle B31867, but FelPro 72435 was the same. EDIT : I do see that some places sell a part that looks like the original

For anyone contemplating this, I would suggest doing it when you're doing an oil change. I waited a good hour for the oil to stop dripping and grew impatient. But as oil leaked out onto the mating surfaces while I was tightening the bolts, I expect it to leak again.
I would also suggest re-using the original metal gasket and add a coating of RTV to the silicone. If/when it leaks again, that is what I will do.

Agree on doing this during an oil change. I didn't, and waited three days for it to stop dripping or even showing up in the holes, and rolled up small pieces of paper towel to absorb the oil. It finally stopped long enough to not ooze onto the mating surfaces.

 

[JonnyTahoe]

I just ordered a Block-off plate on ebay. Billet Aluminum with a thick oval rubber sealing ring. No more sealer and gaskets. Installed last night took all of 10 min. Great design.