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[WGoins88]

Ok, After nearly a year of my Catera sitting, it's ready to go back together. I decided to completely bypass the oil cooler under the intake and seal it off, and run a external heavy duty oil cooler with stainless steel braided hoses with AN fittings.

However.... upon removing everything to get to the cooler, the coolant bridge seals disintegrated in my hands and now I have nothing. The coolant bridge itself and the banjo bolts are in excellent condition, but the seals fell apart. I tried going to the dealer to get them, but all they have is a replacement bridge with seals for $275.00 USD. I heartily chuckled and said "Shove your $275.00 chunk of aluminum up your butt." and walked out.

Saying that, does anyone know where I can get just the washers? They seem to be these oddball metal washers with an o-ring integrated in them, and I can't find them anywhere. I was going to post in the wanted section to see if anyone in the UK would have shipped a set of 4 here, but I don't have enough posts....

[Lazydocker]

PM andyc... He works at a dealer and may post to you

[Brucie1946]

Hi mate,

not sure if they have what are called dowty seals in the USA, they are hydraulic fitting seals, its basically a metal ring with rubber insert, they run at crazy pressures for hydraulic systems.  They are very robust, size you need is 3/8" bsp.  We have them by the bucketload at work here.  They'll never leak again!

Hope this helps

Dean

[Elite Pete]

I'm off to my dealers tomorrow, he has 4 instock at £7.74 inclusive so i'm guessing airmail postage wouldn't be that much, let me know if you want me to pick them up

[Liam]

Not that oddball - bonded seals, or Dowty washers as they are often known (old british company) are common in engineering. You should be able to pick them up from any good fasteners/hardware/hydrualics supplier. Just take along your disintegrated GM ones to match size - will probably be metric. Alternatively it should cost very little for a UK owner to get some from Autovaux or the main dealer and stick them in an envelope. If you can wait a few days, i'm putting in an order with Autovaux so could get some. In fact go on, if you're in a hurry I could send you the 4 I've already bought and replace them when I put in that order.

[WGoins88]

Ok, excellent. I've been to every place under the sun in a 25 mile radius, and no one has them here.

Whoever can get them to me the cheapest, PM me...... and I am legit, my ebay account is BuckeyeBill88 and I have 100% feedback.

[Brucie1946]

Dowty/bonded seals are very good, guy at vauxhall (ellesmere port) where they built the V6, mentioned the vauxhall apprentice college came up with the idea of using bonded seals because of the recalls on the V6 for their seals, never got changed in production though, or changed for parts!

I used them on my 3.0 V6 last month, work a treat, as the rubber is encapsulated in a metal ring.  I work at Dowty in Gloucester!

Could have a word how much they go for, and supply them to OOF and VVOC members for trade rates.

Cheers

Dean