The Blocked Oil Cooler Mystery

(3 of 4)

Tax Day, 1999...

...the drawn & quartered Oil Cooler, sectioned into Five Easy Pieces was laid out on the Autopsy table, before the Porsche gods and everybody, for all to see.

And what did they all see?

Some things most interesting. The Oil Cooler "Blades" that take the oil through the cooler are internally baffled--in staggered rows to provide both mixing of the oil (to prevent stratification) and and even flow distribution throughout the "blade". Very clever design! Many Kudos from the Maestro.

The cross sections of the Cooler looked like a big block of Silver- or a Hamburg apartment building, with Sunshades and Balconies.

There was the "lattice work" the Accordion- shaped convoluted sheet metal between the blades for the air flow--the Sunshades.

Then there were the actual oil passageways--the "blades" with the
internal baffles that looked like "Balconies".

And the first three Sections of the Oil Cooler--from the Base up
were "clean"--with no defects and fully open passageways.

Ah, but the fourth section of the Cooler--up near the top where it would
be if installed on an engine--she weigh like-a- pig!

And when the Maestro eyeballed the oil passageways he saw solder entirely filling the "Top" few centimeters of the Fourth Section of Cooler.

And the Fifth Section- where the oil flow turns at the "Top" and goes out and down the other three blades-- the "Outlet Plenum" if you prefer--was completely filled with Solder!

Hence, COMPLETELY blocking off ALL oil flow through the Cooler!

And there ain't nooooooo way that even 135+ psi air pressure is a-gonna blast through a half-inch of Solid Solder!

The Fifth Section at least had a Use- it could still be used for Deep Sea Fishing- for it was nearly a solid lead weight! And great for ocean-fishing!

In fact, all this Lead Weight made this Oil Cooler weigh much more than a "Regular oil Cooler:

Oh, and How much do "Regular" Oil Coolers weigh, I hear you ask?

That's the next part of the Quiz.

Read on, for the conclusion of the Oil Cooler Mystery!