D2 Oil Cooler

Took the oil cooler in (5F-2142) for repairs. The radiator shop tells me that it's totally shot and it's going to cost me $700 for a new one. No problem...I'll call the used Cat store in Sacramento and see if they have one. Turns out they have 2 of them and are willing to sell one for $600. When I asked why the high price, the reasoning was that they are discontinued and you can't find them. Supply and demand hits the D2s also.

Spoke to another person over the phone with the same problem and he is going to by-pass the oil cooler all together due to the high cost in replacing it. He mentioned that today's oils are much better, less friction, less heat and the cooler is not necessary.

Any opinions on this? Any leads to a less expensive solution? I can't believe someone is not making the core and selling them for $300. Based on what I'm seeing this could be a common problem.

Thanks,

Larry

Irolla, it's quite common to find the oil cooler by-passed on a D2 in the UK,
i've been lucky to find a few nos coolers in the past but they are like hens
teeth now.

shovel man.

On the J-series, the lines are rotted out that run up by the radiator, which I have been lucky to find a good replacement, plus the lines running along side the engine are rotted out usually, which I was lucky to have material to make them. But then the cooler sprung a leak, I gave up and bypassed mine back. I may find a good replacement cooler someday.

Most D2s and D4s have had the oil coolers bypassed because Caterpillar determined that they were not needed. Once they sprung a leak, they were disconnected and the machines suffered no ill effects. Late models don't even have the cooler.

Great information as usual. Thanks all for the confidence in by-passing the oil cooler. Would have been nice to have it hooked up but not $700 nice. I can always go back and hook it up again if I find one at a reasonable price.