Murphy's Law - oil cooler seal blew up!

["RoccoPhil" <roccophil@mindspring.com>]

Last night I mentioned to a friend how reliable my 250k+ rocco has been.  I
then mention that I shouldn't have said that, which now I know I shouldn't
have....

She blew the oil cooler seal this AM in a supermarket parking lot a mile
from my house.  Could be much worse, I know.  At least that's what I believe
happened.  Check out the replay and verify or correct:

1) Start up, go to gas station.
2) Start up, go to supermarket.
3) Start up, smell oil (thinking it's some clod next to me who doesn't take
care of his vehicle - LOL!)
4) See the oil pressure light blink off/on a few times out of the corner of
my eye.
5) Turn it off, check underneath, and there is 1/3 of my oil (estimated) in
a puddle.

Now...

A) It's somewhat frothy and discolored, which I believe is due to a
developing headgasket leak (I do eat coolant these days)
B) Hard to diagnosis in 30 degree weather on cold asphalt when you are
looking at a grimy engine that should have been degreased for just such
occasions.  But it did look centralized under the filter.

Finally...

As I am looking around the parking lot, I notice a trail of oil (not light,
but not heavy) that I produced coming into the parking lot.  After walking a
mile or so home and coming to the street I live on, I notice this trail of
oil that I produced right when I left this AM.  So it was leaking then, and
blew up in the supermarket parking lot on the 3rd startup of the AM.  This
is what I believe happened.  Could just have continued leaking while I was
in the supermarket, though.

I am trying to get a consensus on this as I want/need to get it fixed (work
vehicle) this weekend, especially since it's supposed to be nice (well, in
the 40's, which is apparently nice this winter).  I understand these oil
cooler seals blow from time to time?  This is original with 250k+ on it.

I figure if it was a sudden burst, I can only see it as being that cooler
seal.  The rear main wouldn't produce such a large puddle that quickly as it
would have to slowly leak out of the tranny, and my clutching was/is fine.
The oil pan gasket has been replaced before and it didn't look as if it came
from that area.  The oil filter itself was not completely covered in oil,
which I think would probably happen if the oil filter seal went out.  It
does look as if the block itself took a bit of a wash behind the oil cooler.
Anyone have any probable thoughts that run counter to this line of
diagnosis?

Bored at home,
-PK



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