Freelander 1 Oil Cooler

Hi All,

I have a 98 Freelander 1 - and I have discovered that the oil cooler is stuffed. There are holes between the water jacket/oil passage.

The part number is PBC101260

This part is NLA - I have searched world wide, and this part is impossible to find.. I have inspected my cooler and believe that due to corrosion, it's not repairable. I have spoken to all of the wreckers in Australia (including "the worlds largest land rover wrecker") - and I keep getting the same answer. It's a common fault, not repairable, and no longer available...

Can I - run a bypass line for the water circuit and then install a small oil cooler separately?

What have others done? I can't be the only person to have this sad state of affairs!

My mechanic is nervous about installing a separate oil cooler - he said that on modern engines (especially BMW) that the ECU monitors the pressure / temp between water & oil, and if it detects an issue it puts the car into limp mode...

I am very much hoping that a '98 Freelander 1 - doesn't have an ECU that's smart enough to do this?

Can I either (a) run bypass hoses for the oil & water (and not bother about a separate cooler) ?
Or (b) run bypass hoses for the water, and install separate lines and a separate cooler?
Or (c) any other ideas please?

I am desperate for an answer - I've gone through the rest of the entire car, and I believe that this is the last of the puzzle... (New radiator, hoses, drift shafts, VCU, rear drive shafts, wheels, tyres, ball joints, head lining, cam belt, water pump, wiper blades, battery, repaired the rear door, etc, etc).

Thanks in advance - Tom from down under..

There's nothing to stop you fitting am aftermarket water water to oil cooler or an air to oil cooler. There's nothing modern, so oil temperature monitoring on a 98 Freelander, of which I assume has an L series diesel engine fitted.

Thanks very much Nodge68 - I thought that would be the case, but I didn't want to set-up a special oil cooler, only to find issues with the ECU..

Thanks again.

I presume the oil cooler on the Freelander is the same as used on L Series powered Rover cars - which is still available - depends on how much you want to spend though.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-MG...bly-engine-PBC101110-Genuine-MG-/123544046293

Might be 2nd hand ones on there, or on Rover cars in breakers around Aus.

Rimmers want a small fortune...

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID999641

DMGRS do the oil cooler pipes, which are prone to corrosion, but don't list the actual cooler. It might be worth contacting them though as they (he) are enthusiasts who like to help. He'd probably be able to tell you if the Rover one can be used on Freelander.

https://www.dmgrs.co.uk/collections...-for-rover-25-45-zr-zs-diesel-models-l-series

There seems to be to different types these are what I found on a search on GB ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-MG...m443bd4c676:g:avIAAOSwD89bpNdI&frcectupt=true

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-MG...m33f4810144:g:cIkAAOSw~V9Z107B&frcectupt=true

grey_ghost said:

Thanks very much Nodge68 - I thought that would be the case, but I didn't want to set-up a special oil cooler, only to find issues with the ECU..

Thanks again.

Click to expand...

There's no complex ECU as such (it's actually a very simple EDC). So there's no oil monitoring at all, other than for the in dash oil light.

So you can use a sandwich water cooler or a remote air cooler.

remember oil cooler houses coolant termostat so better keep original unit

baptista said:

remember oil cooler houses coolant termostat so better keep original unit

Click to expand...

Not the coolant thermostat. The oil cooler contains an oil temperature thermostat and can be linked out without a problem. The coolant thermostat is a PRT stat in the coolant pipe.