Oil cooler leak (hydraulic) Max 25HST

[Browneyesvictim]

I have owned ol Max for 5 years now this month. While doing my preop before a mowing job I find this little surprise:


Now it went against my better judgement, but I contacted my local dealer. Who knows if there would be any warranty, but wanted availability and warranty consideration on the hydraulic oil cooler. No need for hauling it in for them to replace it It should only a 5 minute fix and no way I would let them touch my tractor again base on my past experience. So the Service Manager says he will contact the Mahindra rep and get back to me. Either way I said to get it coming!

After three days, I still hadn稚 heard so I call them back. Im told it is not covered under the powertrain warranty and would be $734 for the cooler. He did not order it because of how much it cost and wanted to double check with me. Furthermore he tried telling me the oil cooler is integrated 1-piece with the radiator. I called BS with him that it is not an intercooler type of radiator! He needed to keep looking at the parts books, because that did not sound right! It may be under the mower, loader, or Backhoe package. Finally, begrudgingly, he went back and looked again found it under the hydraulic section, and conceded to what I was arguing! <UUUUUG!!!>

and the price over $400! So he then asked if I still wanted it, and shed my disappointment with them that it was not already ordered as I had asked as I was hoping to use the tractor this weekend, however I am glad now that he didn稚 order it earlier, or he would have ordered the wrong part! So then tells me their parts guy is out the rest of the day and would order it tomorrow, and would be in Monday at the earliest. (I still question being that it will be a holiday weekend!)

So 2 bolts and 2 banjo fittings and the cooler is off. I clean it, drain it and put a plug in one end and an air fitting in the other to pressurize it with air to find the leak in a bucket of water. Bingo! I hit it with a tiny carbide bur on a dremel tool to get to bare metal and lean the surface well with solvent. A dab of high temp JB Weld to the rescue. Bobs your Uncle! We shall see




Now I知 not the smartest guy, but c知on $400+ for an oil cooler?!?!? I couldn稚 cross the Denso part number printed on it to anything else, but found several that should be suitable replacements if not better. There are tons of them out there OEM and aftermarket.

 

[dickfoster]

It seems to me you could use an oil cooler from almost anything that will physically fit as a core and do what you have to do to get it bolted down. Just as long as it's big enough to cool the fluid sufficiently.

 

[clevalley]

I would call Denso North America and see if they can get you the part based off of the 024100-8781 number. I was curious and Googled it but could not find it... If you have a really good NAPA store they might be able to get it from a supplier.

DENSO International America
Regional Headquarters, North America

24777 Denso Drive
Southfield, MI 48033

(248) 350-7500

 

[Browneyesvictim]

I would call Denso North America and see if they can get you the part based off of the 024100-8781 number. I was curious and Googled it but could not find it... If you have a really good NAPA store they might be able to get it from a supplier.

DENSO International America
Regional Headquarters, North America

24777 Denso Drive
Southfield, MI 48033

(248) 350-7500

Already tried Napa. They were no good with their crossing of it or finding it in their Denso database. But I'm not done searching either. Its not easy finding a universal cooler with M16 ports. But I did find out its EXACTLY the same part number for the cooler for a 7000 series Cub Cadet: MA-19632556000. Its around $240. Much better!
And thanks for the Denso contact

 

[clevalley]

Already tried Napa. They were no good with their crossing of it or finding it in their Denso database. But I'm not done searching either. Its not easy finding a universal cooler with M16 ports. But I did find out its EXACTLY the same part number for the cooler for a 7000 series Cub Cadet: MA-19632556000. Its around $240. Much better!
And thanks for the Denso contact

WOW! $240 is a FAR cry from +$400! It's amazing the prices of tractor parts, kind of like horse stuff; as soon as the product is labeled "horse" the price jumps 2x LOL

 

[Browneyesvictim]

Right?!?!?! How can they upcharge such a premium? The funny thing is if I had good experiences with this dealer that EARNED my business I would buy through them; even happily pay inflated charges if they went above and beyond. But they have failed me 100% of the time when I needed parts and service, and this time is no different. I still don't have a new part in my hand from them even paying their inflated 437$ price. Its not just the price I cry over, its the service and support- Simply INCOMPETENT! This is why I have to be self sufficient and not be a victim. Otherwise the tractor would still be down and projects further behind and no closer to getting a part. In fact that's why I started this thread. I knew what was going to happen, and I find I get more guidance, help and support out of this forum.

So...the question for those dealer/perfessional types on here: Is what I was told correct about the hydraulic and oil system not being covered under the powertrain warranty? Especially since it is an HST? I was told only the rotating assembly as in "if it spins" is what their powertrain definition is.

 

[DGMH]

I found this post while looking for cross refs for this same oil cooler on a Max 25 HST.
I couldn't find any alternates either. $300 and a couple of weeks wait.
It's kind of crazy, since these type of heat exchangers can be had for $60-100, but those have different fittings or were slightly different in size.

I find it interesting that your oil cooler failed in the same spot that ours did. I wonder how common this is in these stamped-tube oil coolers.


I didn't expect the cooler to be repairable, but after replacement, I was free to at least look for a cause of failure. I cut a section of the bottom bracket away and filed down the fin remnants so I could get a good look at it. With the bracket cut, I was able to actually get a 10x magnifier on the area to find the leak. I wish I had taken pictures of it when I had it cleaned up and marked out, but I didn't think of it until afterward. A illustration might help:


There was a hairline crack along the base of a depressed feature in the tube structure (yellow). Given the location, I find it hard to believe that the crack was the result of vibration fatigue (I'd expect cracks near the top instead). My guess is that it may be the result of thermal cycling and/or localized stresses remaining from the manufacturing process. It leaves me worried that the replacement might be susceptible to the same failure. Only time will tell.

Given that the defect was so small, I figured a repair was at least good enough for a spare. I simply used JB Weld and an aluminum patch to seal the defect, and I patched the bracket just to keep it from flexing under vibration and cracking fins out if it went back into service.

If the replacement ends up failing in a similar manner, I'm inclined to modify the hardlines and bracket and replace it with something else.

 

[Browneyesvictim]

Hmmm... That is suspicious. Clearly there is flaw if 2 makes a trend. That's exactly the same spot mine failed. I am with you on switching out to something else if this one fails. Did you get your new one through Cub Cadet or was that through Mahindra?

As a follow up, The Cub Cadet Dealer called me and their cooler was going to be a long lead time- Months out. I ended up cancelling and taking it in the shorts and buying a new one through Mahindra at the inflated price. I'm keeping a close eye on it, but so-far-so good.

 

[DGMH]

I had a bunch of other OEM things that I needed (filters, belt), so I called the Mahindra dealer first just to check prices. $300 was close enough to the $290 that I could get it for from CC.

Like I said, it's kind of crazy to pay $300-400 for a part that's really only unique because of the fittings. There's a world of options if a person is willing to fab lines and a bracket. It kind of bugs me because I have a few unused spare oil coolers for equipment that no longer exists, but they're all way too big to even fit -- and even those were cheaper than $400