This arrived today.
Included what looks like a MANN filter.
Included what looks like a MANN filter.
Aluminum Oil Filter Housing
- Thread starter d2freeman
- Start date
AverageAndy
Veteran Member
Looks nice enough from here 
. Let us know how it fits and if there are any leaks.
. Let us know how it fits and if there are any leaks.
Lightflyer1
Top Post Dawg
Must have gotten the last one. OOS and may not be available anymore. What was the cost compared to the OEM one? Didn't list a price being OOS.
x1800MODMY360x
Veteran Member
It was $69 before tax.
Lightflyer1
Top Post Dawg
A bargain for sure if it turns out good!
Last edited:
I oaid $70 with tax. Only way I found it was from a link I saw in a post on Reddit. Last week they were listed to be delivered in late October, I had one ordered and then saw they had one in the amazon warehouse and it would be delivered in 2 days to I bought it and when it arrived and looked new I cancelled the other order. Just had a damaged box but also was only $3 cheaper than the other I had ordered.
x1800MODMY360x
Veteran Member
I was curious on how fast you got that one. Make sense now.
eugene89us
Veteran Member
Lucky! Mine still shows expected in early October, has not shipped yet. If this turns out to be a success, they will likely make a lot of business selling these to us remaining CKRA owners. Especially if this becomes a permanent solution. I'd rather maintain the gaskets every 100k miles than deal with a waterfall that happened to my mom 100 miles from home. I am surprised she made it home, but had to stop every 30 miles to top off distilled water. That was a nerve-wracking ordeal for sure. If the piece is a dud, I will cancel my order.
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Please let us know how it goes.
Chances are, so long as the seals are good ones, it will be a permanent solution. Because on the plastic ones, it isn't the seals that fail. It is the inner lip of the plastic that breaks off, and then there is nothing to hold the seal in place. Same problem with the water pump housings on all the EA888 gassers. As well as countless other [stupid] plastic cooling system parts. BHW flanges on the rear of the head, the EGR cooler control valve in the V6 TDIs, etc. Almost an endless business opportunity for anyone that tools up to make stuff like this.
Chances are, so long as the seals are good ones, it will be a permanent solution. Because on the plastic ones, it isn't the seals that fail. It is the inner lip of the plastic that breaks off, and then there is nothing to hold the seal in place. Same problem with the water pump housings on all the EA888 gassers. As well as countless other [stupid] plastic cooling system parts. BHW flanges on the rear of the head, the EGR cooler control valve in the V6 TDIs, etc. Almost an endless business opportunity for anyone that tools up to make stuff like this.
x1800MODMY360x
Veteran Member
I just got mine, not totally impressed with the cooler but hope that can be swapped.
But I like the unit and will be used once the other cooler failed.
But I like the unit and will be used once the other cooler failed.
eugene89us
Veteran Member
I received mine yesterday as well from Amazon. The aluminum housing looks to be pretty good. Not all outside joints of the oil filter housing are perfectly lined up - but very similar to joints on plastic units, I will need to take the oil cooler off as well as unscrew filter out to inspect insides. I wish I kept the old oil cooler I replaced in 2021 to cross-compare and measure. But overall, appears to be reasonably well-made. If any of you have an old broken one still left, can you ship one to me? I can take the caliper measurements to ensure all the passages are properly machined. My plan is to figure out how to replace oil cooler itself with a genuine version, change out the gaskets to OEM, and preferably figure out how to swap the spring for the genuine one - possibly getting out of current cooler once it fails just to be sure that the only thing I am borrowing is the oil filter housing - everything else resorting to OEM. I will post my results here is 80k miles or is 2028 (estimation for when this oil cooler should fail).
eugene89us
Veteran Member
What is quite curious though is that after spending $50+/- of oil filter gaskets, another $50 on oil cooler gaskets, another $260 on the OEM oil cooler itself, it comes to around $370 in parts. I can order the brand new assembly for $367. I really hate to spend that kind of money "in advance", but the oil cooler will spring another leak sooner or later, so it'd be nice to have parts in stock for a quick fix. And I will have OEM plastic housing as a backup in case the aluminum turns out to be a dud.
I also have a replacement thermostat on the backburner in the toolshed, serpentine belt tensioner, as well as a spare heater core that I got for $15 OEM when they ran a sale. The only things I am missing is a spare HPFP and Turbo - but then I may as well just keep a spare CKRA in the house. Where should I stop???? And even then who is going to guarantee that the timing belt won't snap or deer won't come out of Mississippi forests to destroy the whole damn thing? Then what am I to do with all these spare parts? LOL. I feel I am starting to get to the KBB cost of the entire car with all the spare parts lying around.... I think it may be time to agree I have an old Passat and when the $1500-valued vehicle breaks beyond its value, a junkyard may be the better place to take it to.
I also have a replacement thermostat on the backburner in the toolshed, serpentine belt tensioner, as well as a spare heater core that I got for $15 OEM when they ran a sale. The only things I am missing is a spare HPFP and Turbo - but then I may as well just keep a spare CKRA in the house. Where should I stop???? And even then who is going to guarantee that the timing belt won't snap or deer won't come out of Mississippi forests to destroy the whole damn thing? Then what am I to do with all these spare parts? LOL. I feel I am starting to get to the KBB cost of the entire car with all the spare parts lying around.... I think it may be time to agree I have an old Passat and when the $1500-valued vehicle breaks beyond its value, a junkyard may be the better place to take it to.
watatrp
Veteran Member
It's the dilemma we are all in owning orphan CKRA's. Does anyone own one that hasn't had an oil cooler start leaking? I'm just past 75k miles. Time to start stocking up on parts.
AverageAndy
Veteran Member
@eugene89us Wow, you have a lot more stocked up than me, I have just a spare valve cover, injector seals, heater core and driver's window switches, plus fluids and filters for the next 40k miles. But I feel the same dilemma, I have some suspension work needing to be done, how far do I invest in it? However, I love the car, even with it's flaws, and right now, it is perfect for my commute!
@watatrp Mine hasn't yet
@watatrp Mine hasn't yet
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Kind of a double whammy with the CKRA, in that not only is the engine somewhat orphaned, but the NMS platform is as well. And what really sucks? I'd say probably 90% of all the manual CKRA NMS Passats were perfectly fine, and got crushed. That's a lot of good parts (not to mention all the waste...).
06bluebeetletdi
Veteran Member
Interesting idea, mine made it to almost 9 years and 120,000 miles. I replaced it in sept 2022, car was built in october 2013.
drew_t
Active member
No leaks here. 125,000 miles and counting.
freewayross
Well-known member
This is back in stock, just ordered one.
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
I should get one to have here. The cold snap is coming, that's usually when they blow.
x1800MODMY360x
Veteran Member
The inside of the aluminum cooler
Last edited:
watatrp
Veteran Member
It'll be cold where I live. Just ordered one.
Tom in PT
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2017
- Location
- Twilight Zone, WA State
- TDI
- 2005 Passat sedan - SOLD; 2013 Passat DSG; both purchased new
No leaks on my '13 at 67K but I will probably buy one soon for the eventuality of it going. I'm not stocking up on anything else- at the moment at least.
eugene89us
Veteran Member
The interesting difference I see visually in this version is the longest compartment - the original plastic version has 3 or 4 little walls on the exterior side. Initially, I was thinking it was designed to strengthen the wall so it does not collapse, but then I found an alternative aluminum version that is currently backordered on FCP euro - notice they also have a little dividing wall around same location. Wonder what purpose it serves, as Farleyo does not have this - it is just an open compartment. The engine block itself also has somewhat of a restrictor around same area, otherwise why would they have built it in such a way even matching similar little restriction on engine?
VW Aluminum Oil Filter Housing - Vaico 03L115389H | FCP Euro
VW Aluminum Oil Filter Housing - Vaico 03L115389H | FCP Euro
eugene89us
Veteran Member
Here is the engine block portion I was talking about, top left opening. There is a restrictor of sorts to the left of the opening - original cooler has those multiple walls there, and double priced FCP version has one single wall that I can see on that photo around same area.
watatrp
Veteran Member
Is this a good example of what the broken plastic lip looks like? Does it usually happen on that smaller passage?
https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?media/ckra-oil-cooler-png.155497/full
VW_Diesel_All_Day
Member
Just received confirmation that my order of two arrives this week
freewayross
Well-known member
Wow 2? I was reluctant on ordering 1 not knowing if it will work as intended or have other quality issues, given no one has put one of these on their cars yet.
VW_Diesel_All_Day
Member
It's Amazon, so I'll compare the variance between the two and keep which ever looks better. If both look good I have a friend who will buy the second one off me.