Removing Oil Factory Oil Cooler

[FFRSpec72]

I'm thinking about removing the factory oil cooler, so as I understand it I will need a new shorter union for the remote oil filter which is p/n 15018AA050, also a 2007 2.5i Impreza water pump may be the best (not required) and I will need a block plug but I don't know the p/n for that any one know the p/n ?

[redfogo]

I'm thinking about removing the factory oil cooler, so as I understand it I will need a new shorter union for the remote oil filter which is p/n 15018AA050, also a 2007 2.5i Impreza water pump may be the best (not required) and I will need a block plug but I don't know the p/n for that any one know the p/n ?

Is this what your looking for? http://parts.subaru.com/p/Subaru_200...1111AA280.html

[Mountain-Metalworks]

Not sure what your engine is, but for an EJ25 that has the oil cooler, yes you can remove the cooler and replace the original oil tube adapter with the OEM part no you have(Part No: 15018AA050). And if you call the Subby dealer, there is a new part no., I think it ends in 80 instead of 50 but the same part. It's the fitting used on the 2.5i instead of the 2.5 turbo model. I'm using this part to delete the oil cooler after blowing the rod bearing in my '09 Outback Turbo. It's a $6 part, so it's not a bank buster..... To complete the process, I cut the original metal tube that goes from the water pump to the oil cooler and just bypassed the cooler with a hose. The 2.5i pump won't even have the fitting to go to the oil cooler and removes this need. Up to you, but the $6 fitting and $.40 hose is a better deal than the new pump if you ask me.

-TJ

[Sgt.Gator]

When mine got ripped off the engine when I went for an off road excursion at ORP two years ago I used the short oil filter tube and just plugged the coolant hoses with bolts and hose clamps. Worked fine.

[mikeb75]

Like St.Gator, used a vacuum nipple and hose clamp to plug both the hose barbs (water pump and block). I have the actual block off part - 11021AA121, but have not used it (yet).

[Scargo]

I will start with my usual objection to it being called a "cooler" since it is a heat exchanger and does no cooling (probably just the opposite) once the engine is hot. Now that I have semantics* out of the way I think I can help. Yes, this has been discussed a bit in some threads here, in the 818 forum.
*OK, some FSM's call it an oil cooler, but I say that is not the correct term for what it is intended to do.

The mods, if you can do them yourself, are rather simple. If you can't, then I think you want a Part Number: 11021AA020, though a Part Number: 11021AA121 is one fourth the price and the only difference is the sealer that they give you on the threads. It is the same 28mm straight-threaded plug as the ones that gives you access to the wrist pins in three places on the block. A shop may have some laying around... Then you put a very short length of hose on the water pump nipple and plug the end of that hose.

Otherwise, if you want to tackle it, take the 28mm plug with the 1/2" nipple, cut off the nipple, drill through to 7/16" ID and tap it for a 1/4" NPT pipe plug.
You can do the same (without drilling) to the water pump. Use the better #21114AA051 closed-vane water pump! You can bang out the 1/2" nipple in the water pump by coming in from the other side with a 12 mm diameter punch or shank of a 12mm bolt which can be put inside the pump, and then the nipple punched out with anything that will fit through the 5/8" hose nipple on the other side of the pump. The hole does not need a tap drill; the hole is that close to being the right ID for a 1/4' NPT tap.
Mine, modified:

water pump mod.jpg
What I'm showing here is that I've removed the 1/2" tube on the right side of the pump. I then tapped it, without any drilling, for 1/4" NPT pipe threads.
Now, leave the "cooler" or "heat exchanger" there or put the shorter shaft, oil feed pipe, #15018AA050, and you can run just an oil filter or any number of sandwich plates or adapters like the Canton remote filter block I run. It's a quality part. I have the same for my 818R. Off that Canton adapter I run a big, Royal Purple racing filter (like K&N HP-3001), like for a V-8 Ford. My STi system includes a Mocal thermostatic valve and a big Setrab filter. All of it is connected with -10 AN hoses.