Oil Cooler Date Codes

[Dennis Vogel]

Does anyone know if the Behr Oil Coolers had date codes, and if so how to translate them?

The top of my Behr, it has either "6l" or "19" depending on how you orient it. I looked at The Registry date code article. Nothing specific to oil coolers or Behr mentioned. The closest would be Bosch, and if you look up "6L" you get June 1955. That would not be consistent for a late A - early B cooler, which I believe this is based on the side hole pattern.

So there must be some other code system for Behr, assuming that is what those numbers are for.

[Paul Hatfield]

When I wrote the article you are referencing, I did not include oil coolers. Reason was that the original oil coolers I had data on did not have a date code--- they had actual date stamps. Here is an photo example.
Hope this helps.

[Dick Weiss]

Dennis,

The later oil coolers have their dates on the face as shown vs several the earlier coolers having it on the top, the mounting tab,
and rarely on the side of the base.

Yours would read as '61.

Dick

[Dennis Vogel]

Yours would read as '61.

Thanks Dick. The serifs on the character looked backwards from a one to me when I looked at is as six-one, so I was trying to decipher it as an L or one-nine. Maybe that is just the style. Guess it is not original to our car then, as it was built in May 1960.

[Dennis Vogel]

A follow up. This is not a 1961 oil cooler. I was able to get some information from Germany via Mahle Behr. They are indicating it is from June 1955. If I am able to get a more complete lookup table for codes, I will share it with their permission.

I'm going to guess the 6 = June, and l = 1955.

[Norm Miller]

It could be Jan. 59
That could be OK for engine build..