New Dorman oil filter housing/oil cooler installed on 2014 Durango

wwillson

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For context, this is the thread I posted earlier about the leaking oil cooler.


I changed the filter housing/oil cooler this morning. The job from start to finish took about 4 hours and 15 minutes. The most difficult part of the job is the two nuts and a stud that holds the upper intake bracket to the block and the two nuts that hold the bracket to the intake. It took about 20 minutes and some colorful language to get them off. Ironically, it took about three minutes to get them back on. This is not a difficult job, it just requires some patience and mechanical understanding. Cleaning the intake ports on the heads and the gasket surfaces on the lower intake, fastening the cooler to the filter body, and swapping the sensors probably takes as much time as the rest of the job. I did change the plugs, coils, and fuel injectors, so that was probably 30 minutes of the total time. If you were only changing the filter housing/oil cooler, this job could be done in three and a half hours.

Total miles is 168,000 and this cooler had 106,000 miles before cracking.

Cost:
Bosch coil packs (part #0221504032) $183.58
Bosch fuel injectors (part #62410 / 0280158233) $270.84
NGK LKR7DIX-11S Iridium IX Spark Plugs (93175 Iridium Ix) $49.43
Dorman 926-959 Patented Upgraded Aluminum Engine Oil Filter Housing with Oil Cooler and Filter $215.75

Total cost $719.60

My guess the dealer cost for all of this would be about $2000. I could have used the old injectors and coil packs, but if one goes bad, the whole upper intake has to come off again. It's probably a two hour job to remove and reinstall, so I just replaced everything. Plus, with 168k miles, at least one of those twelve parts was on borrowed time.

I cycled the key to run three times and listened for the fuel pump to stop running. The fourth time, I attempted to start it and it started right up as usual. I'm not sure how the system gets the air out of the fuel rails...

It runs great and idles sooo smoothly.

I got some inside the cylinder pictures with my bore scope, through the spark plug holes.

The entire photo album with descriptions can be found here:

Start of job:
full


Upper intake removed:
full


Lower intake removed:
full


Lower intake new gaskets and new injectors
full


New cooler with sensors installed:
full


Cleaned and ready for new filter/cooler:
full


New filter/cooler installed and torqued:
full


Lower intake and fuel injector rails installed, new spark plugs, new coils, and wiring harnesses back in place.
full


Upper intake installed:
full


Job completed:
full


Good cross hatching in cylinders:
full


Typical plug:
full


Old vs. new injector:
full
 
Last edited:
Nice work and thanks for documenting it.

Regarding the upper intake brackets, I didn’t have to remove the bracket from the engine block. I just removed the nuts that hold the intake to the brackets. I was then able to angle the upper intake out of the brackets.
Granted the Grand Caravan has the engine is sideways, but I think this would also work in your case.
 
Regarding the upper intake brackets, I didn’t have to remove the bracket from the engine block. I just removed the nuts that hold the intake to the brackets. I was then able to angle the upper intake out of the brackets.
The stud that holds the bracket to the block needs to be loosened or you can't get the top two bolts to clear the bracket. I removed the lower stud, because I loosened it too much :) Taking them out was a pain, but putting them back was much easier, as I knew the tricks from taking them out.
 
The stud that holds the bracket to the block needs to be loosened or you can't get the top two bolts to clear the bracket. I removed the lower stud, because I loosened it too much :) Taking them out was a pain, but putting them back was much easier, as I knew the tricks from taking them out.
Yeah, once you know the tricks it’s not too bad. I did mine three times when doing the rockers due to the part screwup, so I can probably get it out in 30 minute now on my van.
 
I did the the cooler replacement a few years ago, before the new aluminum replacement was available. I used an OE Mopar part hoping it would last longer than the much cheaper chinese knock-offs. I see there are many differing aluminum cooler assemblies now for far cheaper then the original Dorman. I actually spent more time cleaning up the mess than the replacing of the part. On the van I went ahead and changed the plugs on the back of the engine. EZ job that most folks can do and save big $$$$ over the dealer.
 
I did the the cooler replacement a few years ago, before the new aluminum replacement was available. I used an OE Mopar part hoping it would last longer than the much cheaper chinese knock-offs. I see there are many differing aluminum cooler assemblies now for far cheaper then the original Dorman. I actually spent more time cleaning up the mess than the replacing of the part. On the van I went ahead and changed the plugs on the back of the engine. EZ job that most folks can do and save big $$$$ over the dealer.
If the Dorman one continues to be made in the USA, I would stick with that over all the cheaper Chinese junk. I think when I do mine, I will remove the Dorman sensors and replace them with OEM, I hear the Dorman sensors are not very long lasting.
 
It still surprises me that Stilantus doesn't make an aluminum replacement. Seems like easy money upselling that. And obviously putting it on their new Pentastars, but we all know why that doesn't happen.

Does the Dorman come with that orange cap? Is it all an exact replica of the OE plastic unit? Same updated filter I assume?

Great work, I know my ProMaster will need one soon enough. I'm at 65k miles. Kind of thinking I should get all the parts and have ready when a leak appears.

Could you see where the leak originated from? I've heard some people say it's just the O rings which fail, but I'd not take that chance not replacing everything.
 
One thing to note is that there was a transition period for the oil filter and I believe 2014 was the year the new style filter was introduced.
The Dorman unit is only compatible with the new style filter, so if your Pentastar used the old style, be careful with the quick lube places, they may install the old one despite the orange cap and a warning label.
 
One thing to note is that there was a transition period for the oil filter and I believe 2014 was the year the new style filter was introduced.
The Dorman unit is only compatible with the new style filter, so if your Pentastar used the old style, be careful with the quick lube places, they may install the old one despite the orange cap and a warning label.
That is correct. If you replace the cooler on a pre-2014, then you must use the new style filter with the Dorman. If you put the old style filter in the new style housing, you get zero oil pressure. Ask me how I know.
 
That is correct. If you replace the cooler on a pre-2014, then you must use the new style filter with the Dorman. If you put the old style filter in the new style housing, you get zero oil pressure. Ask me how I know.
i know it’s the wrong post, but have you checked out how that endurance is doing?
 
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