89 mid cabin oil coolers

[mrrudely]

An opinion(s) would be much appreciated
we have about 1500 hours on the engines (454's, we have put on around 50 hours)
boat was not serviced for many years before we bought it
engines are not overheating
minor evidence of discharge in the water when first starting (slight sheen. slight sootlike)
no water in the crankcase oil
the question is, do the oil coolers need to be replaced?
and is that done at regular intervals?
thx to all

[prowlersfish]

Do you know its oil or trans fluid ? Could be fuel .

[RWS]

also check trans for water

could be a lil oil getting past rings or valve stem seals as the engine wears

RWS

[mrrudely]

There is no water in the oil
I will check the trans fluid for traces of water
My main question is when do I change the oil coolers?
Regularly at certain intervals or only after there is a sign of failure?
thx
rr

[BobCT]

I would definitely change them proactively. Mine were original when I bought my boat at 20 years old and WAY past their prime. They might not give you any warning and if saltwater starts mixing with oil, you’re done.

Could you squeeze more time out of them? Maybe, but how do you know? I like to stay ahead of mechanical parts on MY schedule. Trust me, stuff doesn’t fail at idle, in the slip on a weekend when you have no plans

[mrrudely]

thanks for the advice
no telling how old they are
I ordered 2 new ones, will change them out as soon as they arrive