308 oil cooler leak and running without one

'77 308

I drove 250 miles to san francisco, then 350 to santa barbara, next morning got up and drove 4 blocks to do breakfast with my dad and found a trail of oil running up to the puddle under the car.

One of the oil cooler "tubes" was leaking. I did not experience high pressures when cold, 110-120. The pressure relief seemed to be working, no high rpms cold. I just got through replacing the sending unit before the trip, so my guess is that it is acurate.

AS i was due to leave the next day to pick up my wife in san francisco, i was in a bit of a panic to find a welder to fix it or a new cooler or a good used one. The most highly recommended aluminum welder, in santa barbara, finally looked at it and pronounced it unrepairable. No one in santabarbara, or even woodland hills had a new/used cooler, so ui was pondering getting one shipped from sanfrancisco, (if i could find someone with a coler) when a local welder called me back and said he might be able to help me out with a bypass.

So i went to this hole in the wall palce and the guy looked at my cooler and said no he couldnt fix it either but we could probably take a couple of porsche 928 radiator fittings and make a bypass pipe to get me on the road. He wanted $40 to do the pipe.

I took one of the male fittings home, (borrowed my dad's 74 euro 911 to run parts) and found the fit to be good - caled him and let him know, said the part would be ready in an hour and stuck on the fence outside his shop.

I picked it up the next morning, put it in and drove to SF WITHOUT a cooler, only the bypass pipe. Oil temps stayed under 210 degrees farenheight, even though i went through the valley with the air on and maintained 70-75 mph, the day was fairly cool. Eagle eye on the gauge.

Today i drove from sf up through the mountains and 80-85 degree heat with the ac on and only experienced 220-245 oil temps max.

When i find my digital camera, i will shoot a photo of the $40 bypass pipe.

If you get caught in a leaky pinch, i thought this reference info might help.

Now, I am looking for a good oil cooler for the 308. The only price i could get was $655 from back east somewhere. Any help out there??

cool,
chris