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12-05-2012 | #1 |
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: dayton,ohio
Posts: 425
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Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Does anybody know if the oil cooler tubes are copper?
I hope they are......my oil analysis copper went from 3 or 4 ppm to 41. The 3 to 4 was street miles. 41 was analysis with mostly track miles. A quick search shows if the other metals are normal, then it is probably the oil cooler. It would make sense, cause from posts on here I've seen the oil cooler thermostat opens at 220 or 230 and I've been tracking the car so most of the oil on this analysis saw temps of 230 to 250 consistantly, so the cooler is actually getting used now and the search also said higher temps will cause copper to leach more. Please let the tubes be copper
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=red]"I wanna go fast!!"[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#ff0000]-- Ricky Bobby[/COLOR][/FONT] |
12-05-2012 | #2 |
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Arcadia,OK
Posts: 3,393
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Re: Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Oil cooler is all aluminum.
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Jerry Downey JERRYS LT5 GASKETS & PARTS http://www.jerrysgaskets.com 1994 ZR-1, Black/Black, Lingenfelter Aerobody, 416cu in, 3.91 gears, coil-over susp, Brembo brakes, etc. 2016 Black-Red, 3LT-Z51 Auto 8-speed. |
12-05-2012 | #3 |
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: dayton,ohio
Posts: 425
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Re: Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Thanks for the reply A26.......
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=red]"I wanna go fast!!"[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#ff0000]-- Ricky Bobby[/COLOR][/FONT] |
12-06-2012 | #4 |
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Jacksonville, FL USA
Posts: 4,645
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Re: Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Sorry to inject myself in your thread....but I want to learn new stuff. This looks like I can learn new info here...is it true that copper is also a component used in a motors cam, rod and main bearings???? Copper in the oil analysis would point to a possible problem with those bearings?
Again, I apologize for jumping in here. TIA! Tom
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1990 ZR-1, Black/grey, #2233, stock. ZR-1 Net Reg Founding Member #316 & NCM member |
12-06-2012 | #5 |
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Sudbury, Ontario. Canada
Posts: 1,538
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Re: Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Most bearings are copper-lead-tin composition. A much more likely source of copper than leaching from pipes to my mind.
Dave
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1991 #1516 Black/Black davidmkelly.com "Speed is often confused with insight." - Johan Cruijff |
12-06-2012 | #6 |
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Sudbury, Ontario. Canada
Posts: 1,538
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Re: Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Just to follow on. If you're tracking the car you're going to be pushing the engine harder and probably to higher RPM than just cruising, as a result the bearings will take more of a beating and will suffer more wear depositing more copper in the oil. This is the intended function of the bearings in a sense, they're a sacrificial part to prevent damage to more important parts (rods etc.).
So you would expect to see more copper in the oil after tracking the car, though this doesn't necessarily indicate a problem in itself. I'm not sure what levels would be considered too high though. Perhaps someone else would. Thanks Dave
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1991 #1516 Black/Black davidmkelly.com "Speed is often confused with insight." - Johan Cruijff |
12-06-2012 | #7 | |
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: dayton,ohio
Posts: 425
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Re: Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Quote:
The cams ride on aluminum journals so I don't think there would be any copper with the cams. I was in denial that it could be the crank bearings.....but it's about the only thing left, I think. Unless valve guides have any copper in them. The lab stated the higher copper readings were "unusual" because nothing else was higher like tin, lead, if the crank bearings are the problem. But they said the copper wasn't too high to be a problem yet and said overall everything looked good.
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=red]"I wanna go fast!!"[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#ff0000]-- Ricky Bobby[/COLOR][/FONT] |
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12-08-2012 | #8 |
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 1,742
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Re: Oil Cooler Tubes Copper??
Did you take another sample just incase?
When I get samples that are iregular I always do another one. but thats with aircraft engines I don't bother to do oil samples on my cars.
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JOHNNY P Currently own 90 ZR-1 #845 DRM 500 engine package 90 #226 Parts car Hit me up if you need anything. |
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