FIXED-CX Racing sandwich plate literally pouring out oil

[wbradley]

Recently installed a CX Racing 19 row oil cooler. Today while I have my blower removed and pulleys back to stock I installed the sandwich plate/spacer and connected the oil lines.

Just at idle oil started leaking out at at alarming rate, pooling in the engine cover.

I then retorqued everything super tight and same result.

I am astounded and wondering if the gaskets could be that bad or the machining of the parts that off. The plate/spacer look OK but they stack without the interlock on the Mocal type.

At this point I'd like to get feedback on the Mocal. Maybe I can leave the radiator/lines/fittings and Just buy a Mocal.

If this matters, I'm running Mobil 1 0W40 and the crankcase breather is temporarily disconnected until I get a new blower.

Advise requested please!!
Edit: A lot of Teflon tape applied to every threaded part seemed to do the trick. PTFE paste was useless. The instructions for the product amount to step by step pictures on the vendors website showing install but nothing regarding Teflon tape to all the threaded parts. And the gaskets for the sensor plugs were to thin and useless. Also one gasket was missing. It seems like 28 lbs torque secures the sandwich/spacer.f you follow my advice you should be able to get their cooler package up and running at a very competitive cost.

[D_Thissen]

Geez, you can't catch a break can you?!

[CSG Mike]

Get the Mocal.

CX Racing is the company that sells a $1995 turbo kit for the FRS on Craigslist.

[wbradley]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Get the Mocal.

CX Racing is the company that sells a $1995 turbo kit for the FRS on Craigslist.

I don't care about that, if the sandwich plate is useless I need to fix it. They also sell radiators, headers and exhaust components that many people seem satisfied with. I bought their unit as they also had a small radiator with slip on fittings I needed for my supercharger.

Also their mounting bracket design worked for me as my large intercooler necessitated removal of the front plastic under cover which many vendors products attach to. I mounted the cooler between the intercooler and rad, and its a good size. The hoses and fittings look pretty decent. They didn't have a lot of bad reviews on eBay BTW.

Initially they sent me the wrong sandwich plate and short one hold down bolt but got the right stuff here quickly. I am going to ask if they'd credit me a proportionate amount and Ill just buy the Mocal as its not practical at this point to remove and return the entire unit.

[Poodles]

CX Racing = cheap Chinese knockoff junk...

[Streetthrowback]

sorry to hear man, it's one of those things, you get what u pay for

[d1ck]

If they can't make a sandwich plate that doesn't leak, do you really want to keep their lines and heat exchanger on your car? I'd throw it all in the trash and buy a kit that's not garbage.

[Streetthrowback]

Originally Posted by d1ck

If they can't make a sandwich plate that doesn't leak, do you really want to keep their lines and heat exchanger on your car? I'd throw it all in the trash and buy a kit that's not garbage.

amen

[wbradley]

I don't know, I have a lot of things to pay for right now, I really bought the unit because the heat exchanger mount fit my setup. I'm no mechanic, but it looked like I could tackle it. So you'd toss just about $550 in the garbage? As it is I am facing in the area of $3000+ to replace my damaged blower plus paying $240 to a rebuilder who couldn't fix it to return my unit disassembled because I need the stock pulley. I need to find a way to stop the bleeding, cant sacrifice everything for a car.

Again, people on NASIOC have bought their radiators without issue and they appear to be good vendors on EBay as well. Clearly the sandwich plate/adaptor are faulty if they pour out oil while the car is at idle. I will speak with them next week. Don't really want to remove the entire oil filled radiator out. It's a lot less complicated to switch what's installed on the top side of the engine.

Apparently a lot of reputable vendors 11/to 13 row coolers don lower temps sufficiently.

I probably lost 1/2 litre of oil in 3 90 second test runs at idle!

[d1ck]

Originally Posted by wbradley

I don't know, I have a lot of things to pay for right now, I really bought the unit because the heat exchanger mount fit my setup. I'm no mechanic, but it looked like I could tackle it. So you'd toss just about $550 in the garbage? As it is I am facing in the area of $3000+ to replace my damaged blower plus paying $240 to a rebuilder who couldn't fix it to return my unit disassembled because I need the stock pulley. I need to find a way to stop the bleeding, cant sacrifice everything for a car.

Again, people on NASIOC have bought their radiators without issue and they appear to be good vendors on EBay as well. Clearly the sandwich plate/adaptor are faulty if they pour out oil while the car is at idle. I will speak with them next week. Don't really want to remove the entire oil filled radiator out. It's a lot less complicated to switch what's installed on the top side of the engine.

Apparently a lot of reputable vendors 11/to 13 row coolers don lower temps sufficiently.

I probably lost 1/2 litre of oil in 3 90 second test runs at idle!

I've been there man, and it's tough. If there's one thing I've learned is that when you buy discount parts you're rolling the dice. Sometimes it's fine, and sometimes you wish you just would have bought the right shit in the first place. If you can't afford to replace it, might I suggest removing the oil cooler all together and pick up a kit from a reputable brand when your finances allow?

[wbradley]

Originally Posted by d1ck

I've been there man, and it's tough. If there's one thing I've learned is that when you buy discount parts you're rolling the dice. Sometimes it's fine, and sometimes you wish you just would have bought the right shit in the first place. If you can't afford to replace it, might I suggest removing the oil cooler all together and pick up a kit from a reputable brand when your finances allow?

Or try a better sandwich plate if they can't/won't rectify the issue. I don't think the problem stems from the lines, fittings or heat exchanger. Even if I pull the bumper and return the whole oily unit I'm out duties taxes and shipping plus a lot of time.

[wbradley]

Update: They never even responded to my email today. Either way I'm ordering a Mocal.

[Lonewolf]

I will never get why people get a new 30K machine and replace/install items that affect vital factory components with cheap junk.

Aesthetic mods aren't a big deal, but oil coolers, turbo kits are...

[wbradley]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

I will never get why people get a new 30K machine and replace/install items that affect vital factory components with cheap junk.

Aesthetic mods aren't a big deal, but oil coolers, turbo kits are...

Two reasons:
No experience with oil coolers. Didn't even consider the possibility the sandwich plate could be so lame. Now I have experience with it, unfortunately. LOL.
Secondly, with the Canadian dollar losing so much value in the past 2 years its tempting to look for cost savings. Heres a breakdown of my cost vs yours on a brand name oil cooler: $550 US + (no free shipping to Canada), so say $50 shipping. The $600 turns to $780 plus 13% tax + duties/inspection totals $882 landed for a cooler you pay $550 for. The CX unit at $369 US totals $585 landed, same as your cost roughly for the name brand unit.

Luckily I received my car in May 2012 so the bulk of my aftermarket purchases cost me based on the dollar at close to par plus taxes 13% + shipping, duties. When our dollar drops more than 20% it is tempting to make a calculated risk on my final purchases. I did ask around on forums about CX before buying and the feedback is that many people on NASIOC were happy with their radiators.
When the dollar exchange drops, we don't get income raises to adjust for US dollars. We simply lose buying power on imported products. That is why Canada is traditionally a country with an export market and trade surplus, whereas the US for many years has a trade deficit. It is only after the sub prime lending fiasco that high value manufacturing facilities moved from Canada to the US. Except for certain things, which in larger numbers go to Mexico or China.
Many if not most Americans live in a bubble when it comes to knowing about these things.
Incidentally retail tax in Ontario is closest if not higher than that in California.
Gas, as an example: 91 octane is approx $1.38/ litre. approx 3.5 litres per US gallon = $4.83 CD per gallon of converted $3.86 US. From each litre roughly a third goes to taxes.
On the other hand, aside front invest markets dropping rapidly, our real estate market stayed stable when the US one tanked. Good for property owners such as myself, maybe not so good for first time buyers. My house in 2010 for example was worth roughly double what I have spent on it since taking possession in Aug 2002.
We might be major trade partners and close neighbours, but we are 2 different countries.
Given the choice, aside from climate in some areas, most Canadians would not prefer to live in the US.
As an aside, my company does retail export business with the US. Right now our US sales division is WAY up year over year.