A little trick for getting a stuck 6.0 Powerstroke oil cooler out

Had a 2005 F-250 in the bay with a cooler that just would not budge, even after soaking it. Instead of going straight for the big pry bar, I took a 3/8 inch air hammer with a blunt tip and gave the cooler housing a few light taps around the perimeter while pulling. It popped right out without a fight, saved me probably an hour of wrestling. Anyone else have a go-to method for those stubborn ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_scott442mo ago

An air hammer on an oil cooler housing sounds absolutely terrifying! You must have nerves of steel to try that on a delicate part. I would have been so scared of cracking the whole thing. That's a wild trick, but I'm glad it worked for you without any damage.

ivan_perez2mo ago

Wait, what makes you think an oil cooler housing is delicate? Those things are built like tanks, they have to handle engine heat and vibration for years. The trick is using the air hammer on the bolt head itself, not whacking the housing. You just give it a few short bursts to shock the rust loose. I've done it a bunch of times when a bolt is really stuck, and I've never cracked one. It sounds scary but it's a solid method if you're careful.

ruby_grant27d ago

Gotta say @ivan_perez, your confidence blows my mind a little. I've cracked a thermostat housing just by looking at it wrong, so the idea of putting an air hammer anywhere near an oil cooler housing makes me wince. Did you have a spare housing handy just in case, or were you really that sure it would hold? My luck would have the bolt break off and then I'd be drilling out a stuck stud in that thin casting. I guess your method works for you, but man, that's a level of trust I don't have in those parts.

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