# Emergency repair substitute for oil cooler gasket seal leak 038117070A 038117070



## GenteCoche (Nov 13, 2007)

There are plenty of excellent write ups on oil cooler gasket seal replacements on this and other forums, so I just want to share some unique information.
This applies to gasket part numbers 038117070A 038117070B and 038117070. They are used in many, many different cars. These gaskets are prone to failure after about 10 years. If yours has not failed yet, it will, followed by compete loss of oil and oil pressure in a very short time. Replace it now or be stranded and maybe even toast the engine. It really should be done as a PM on all of these cars..that's how prone to failure they are.
What it comes down it, you can substitute the above gasket if you absolutely must drive the car ASAP with something else, available at any autostore. As always, Your Mileage May Vary! I would of course rather use the original OEM gasket, had one been available to me.
The car I was driving (1997 Jetta 2.0 ABA) all of a sudden started leaking oil all over the place. I traced it down to the darned gasket. The car is not drivable since it lost oil at a gushing rate. It is now Sunday night. The nearest dealer is 30 miles away or more and closed. This gasket is a dealer/specialty item only. So it looked like my only options were to order online or drive another car to the dealership. Either way, days of waiting, right?
The problem was, I absolutely needed the car on Monday! I thought I was screwed.. no way, no how can I get this gasket, on a Sunday night to boot. Screwed.
Then, after I took the car apart, and looked at the gasket and some pictures online, I noticed something. The size of the oil cooler flange appeared to be the same both on the engine and the oil filter side!
Could it be.. I took the oil filter, and looked at the gasket on the oil filter. It was exactly the size of the gasket on the other side of the oil cooler in diameter. So I carefully pried off the gasket from the oil filter. The one I used was Purolator 20252 but I don't see why any other would be any different. The gasket was pushed in place on the oil filter and not glued, so it came off clean, easy and with no damage.
It was probably not a perfect match in thickness (the oil filter gasket was probably thicker than the original o-ring), but it was as perfect in diameter to the old failed VW gasket as one can tell. So I decided to go with it. Put everything together, Started the car. No leak. Drove it, no leak. 100 miles later, no leak. 
Since there are quite a few topics out there covering the replacement procedure itself, I'll briefly some up only some helpful tips:
1) You will need either a 27mm or 1 1/16 inch socket for the nut holding the oil filter mount
2) The easiest way to remove the old gasket and install the new one is to unscrew the hollow mounting bolt/tube that the filter itself screws on. What worked great was a large stud remover, designed to remove broken studs. It went straight into the hole and the mount came off in seconds. There are other methods listed in other topics.
3) If you remove the mount, you do not have to disconnect and remove the oil cooler at all, which is very difficult.
3) Make sure you torque everything to the proper torque settings!
4) Hurray for human ingenuity!


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## Taka 2.0 (Oct 27, 2008)

*Re: Emergency repair substitute for oil cooler gasket seal leak 038117070A 038117070 (GenteCoche)*

Yes it does work. I had the same issue and got an gasket from an oil filter (fram brand). I replaced mine 2 years ago and no problem ever since. 
I good to have good thinking people around..Good write up.. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Anony00GT (Mar 6, 2002)

That gasket is not a dealer only item. It is available aftermarket, but maybe not from AutoZone. There are a few aftermarket suppliers in my area that stock them, and they only cost a couple bucks. 

Also, it is worth noting that while the filter gasket will work in a pinch (as you've learned), it is not an advisable fix...the proper O-ring should be used if at all possible. Compare a new filter gasket to a new cooler O-ring, and you will see that the new O-ring is much harder and heavier-duty (although not necessarily thicker) than the filter gasket. Keep an eye on it, you may end up having to replace it again sooner than later.


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## getinlost (Oct 7, 2010)

*Thank you op!*

I awoke this morning (a Sunday) to find that I too had this issue. Upon doing a search for the part number found with ETKA up pops this wonderful idea. With a solution that I had the items on hand!

Again I thank you.


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## chdavi41x63 (Oct 19, 2011)

Wow thanks for this post! Went outside thismorning after it being -5 and started it up and figured I would check to make sure that I didn't pop and radiator freeze plugs cuzz I have a summer mixture of antifreeze and I notice the oil cooier was leaking, napa was closed and no on knew at vip what an oil cooler was so I was screwed because I'm 100 miles from a vw dealer so I found your post! I had to trim the corners down on the oil filter gasket because it was a square gasket but it works!!! Saved me! Thanks again!


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## pulse8 (Nov 26, 2009)

*Great Money Saver!!!*

This is the best thing thats come along information wise in a while!!!!Again thanks works greaaat!!!!


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## rmetanes1 (Sep 21, 2008)

*Old or new style gti vr6 filer*

Thanks for the great idea as I had to drive all the way to the dealer and but the O ring, pitty I didn't read this email before.
Any how I know there are 2 types of Oil filters for gti vr6, the 94-95 and the newer model 96-98 (open filter, looks like an air filter but smaller), which are you refering to?
Also, on the cooler OEM oring, there are two holes which helps to hold the o-ring in place (on the oil cooler), how can this be done with the oil filter o-ring?


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## tboss619 (May 19, 2006)

GenteCoche said:


> There are plenty of excellent write ups on oil cooler gasket seal replacements on this and other forums, so I just want to share some unique information.
> This applies to gasket part numbers 038117070A 038117070B and 038117070. They are used in many, many different cars. These gaskets are prone to failure after about 10 years. If yours has not failed yet, it will, followed by compete loss of oil and oil pressure in a very short time. Replace it now or be stranded and maybe even toast the engine. It really should be done as a PM on all of these cars..that's how prone to failure they are.
> What it comes down it, you can substitute the above gasket if you absolutely must drive the car ASAP with something else, available at any autostore. As always, Your Mileage May Vary! I would of course rather use the original OEM gasket, had one been available to me.
> The car I was driving (1997 Jetta 2.0 ABA) all of a sudden started leaking oil all over the place. I traced it down to the darned gasket. The car is not drivable since it lost oil at a gushing rate. It is now Sunday night. The nearest dealer is 30 miles away or more and closed. This gasket is a dealer/specialty item only. So it looked like my only options were to order online or drive another car to the dealership. Either way, days of waiting, right?
> ...


Do I have this rubber gasket on my oil cooler on my 1986 1.8 cabby ? 
If so I will start making preparations to change it since I have had the car since 1996 and it has never been changed,,,I bet it's due a change.. tks Terry:laugh:


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