Tesla LDU Rotor Coolant Delete Install (Model S)

[@dancingrick9627]

Very informative. I watch South Main Auto and Rainman Ray’s ICE repairs, and your cv removal is very similar. I wish I were younger, I like EV repair a lot. Hopefully a lot more shops starting doing this kind of service. You could teach at a tech school.

[@ericn3221]

Hopefully good & honest ICE mechanics will realize that switching to EV repair can be a very lucrative field and not nearly as messy.

[@danfalley9296]

Still messy, cars live in a gross environment.

[@jkoonce4244]

They are their called tesla techs 😔

[@slartybartfarst9737]

That is without doubt the most concise video work of subfame drop / coolant delete Ive sen to date thank you. Ive run a Model S P85 from new now 10 years old 155,000 miles. About 100,000 miles I cut a 2" 100mm hole in the plastic cover with a hole saw so I can see the coolant level just by opening the frunk. Ill do a coolant delete on mine in the summer (working outside here in UK) but in the mean time I pulled the speed sensor it was dry, ill keep an eye on the coolant level........it starts dropping start panicking!

[@ttp_007]

Great video Alex! Thanks for taking the time showing, which is a quite of a job.

[@diytesla]

Thank you for the great video! One thing I would suggest mentioning is to mark the position of the bolts on the subframe before removing it, so that when reinstalling it can be put back into exact same position. Otherwise alignment may get affected.

[@modernNeanderthal800]

Heads up! Bolts stretch when they are torqued, once stretched they don't torque again properly. $hell out for the replacement bolts

[@knutbar]

great video. Love your narration style. I hit like and subscribe.

[@TeslaTales59]

Nice work. Even though I own a 22 M3LR, It's nice to see the older models and how they are assembled.

[@boni1970]

I just cut off the original plate above the lower antifreeze hole, removed the lower part and plugged it up with welding. Then I took her back. It takes 1 hour and there is no need to remove the engine. I now have 12,000km after that with no problem.

[@diytesla]

Great idea to weld it. What do you do about the top return pipe? Do you have a video you could make explaining this process?

[@boni1970]

@diytesla Top return pipe - Just cut it and plugged it :))No I don't have video, but it is easy

[@benkanobe7500]

Nice welds on the movable table used to hold the LDU!

[@louwrentius]

Thanks for sharing your work! 👍🌷 keeping older electric cars on the road.

[@moestrei]

It's worth checking the direction of the suspension arm bolts on the subframe. Most times they are facing the battery meaning they cannot be extracted easily and reversing them while the subframe is out makes the removal of the suspenion links easier later on. Tesla actually specifies a gearbox oil quantity which ends up to be less than the 'level' plug.

[@joycesander]

You've got to be a mechanic also. Cannot believe the patience you guys have to just get to the parts!! How do you keep track of all the pins and bolts?? Years ago, when cars came out, the engines sat right there and computers weren't around to make you have to cut this out and take off that to just get to work on the parts. This guy Alex must be doing this for a long time for him to make it look so easy. And, of course, he has the garage, with all needed help.

[@javig5045]

You make it look easy, another great job....Javi G.

[@kevinlieb]

Awesome video! Very clear and well done. Thanks!!

[@peteroffpist1621]

Thanks for sharing , very impressive.

[@moestrei]

No rotor cooling can mean early bearing failure as the grease melts out. Rotor shaft gets so hot it turns blue. I added a drain pipe and swapped the seal out to a 3 lipped one. Other EV motors with no rotor cooling (permanent magnet rotors are not affected) have similar issues.

[@AlexEVRepair]

The grease in the bearings I use is rated for temperatures up to 288 deg C (550 deg F). So far, I've done many of these coolant deletes with no adverse affects on the motors. Even if the bearings do start to have issues eventually, replacing them is still cheaper than the stator or inverter being destroyed by coolant intrusion. I've seen many triple lip seals fail, sometimes quite quickly. It's not a long term fix unless you want to be checking your speed sensor every 6 months, and likely replacing your rotor seal every 2 or 3 years...

[@moestrei]

@AlexEVRepair Thank you for your detailed reply. I guess the fact that Tesla is doing the coolant delete nowdays says it all.

[@deziking]

Glad i haven't bought them pos. Bless for the heads up video.

[@dannyortega6897]

How much does something like this cost? I need the same thing done for my car I wanted to get an idea on the cost so I can start saving

[@AlexEVRepair]

For the full install, it cost's around $1200, most of which is the labor cost to remove and re-install the drive unit.

[@dttomsen971]

Removing the subframe doesn't affect the rear wheel alignment?

[@AlexEVRepair]

None of the hardware that adjusts wheel alignment is touched for this whole process.

[@diytesla]

@@AlexEVRepairwe had one customer come back as the subframe position did affect their alignment significantly

[@GermanAutomotive-k9d]

@@AlexEVRepair That's not accurate, it either shows inexperience or maybe lack of an alignment rack. That subframe is not lined up on dowels like other brands, therefore there will be an alignment change upon reinstallation. It's not only in pretty much all the instruction manuals but like other poster mentioned, the alignment can be off significantly to induce tracking issues or tire wear. Speaking from many decades of experience. Just refer the customer to an alignment shop and cover your back.

[@falsedragon33]

Good stuff Alex. Subbed.

[@davidharvey5161]

Many thanks for producing such a good quality video and well done for not adding any annoying music. Do you have any data or information about whether or not additional heat from the coolant-deleted LDU rotor triggers any alerts or power reduction?

[@AlexEVRepair]

There is no way for the car to measure the rotor temperature, so the answer to that is no. The only temperature measurements made on the LDU are for stator and inverter temperature, which are completely unaffected by this modification.

[@t.8750]

Danke für dieses gute video. Grüße aus Germany

[@HYBRIDEVMASTERSGARAGE]

Another Great VIDEO Alex : Btw What's the Total Hours from start to Final Test DRIVE Charged.

[@AlexEVRepair]

It's about 6 hours of labor.

[@sinanjordanful]

If theres no more coolant going in - will this make the motor very hot and eventually die ? Will this work a 2015 b250e?

[@AlexEVRepair]

Most of the cooling system for the motor stays intact and fully functional, the only portion that gets bypassed is just for the rotor (the part of the motor that spins). And yes, this can be installed on a Mercedes B250e (or a Toyota RAV4 EV as well).

[@sinanjordanful]

That’s cool! And since you’ve worked on these was there any issues with the rotors not being cooled? Have people drove thousands of miles with this kit without any reported problems. Also if I want to buy the kit online which one would you recommend please?

[@AlexEVRepair]

@@sinanjordanful Yes, even Tesla's newest revisions of replacement LDUs for use in the Model S/X also have the rotor coolant circuit deleted from the factory. There are a few different options for coolant delete, but I would recommend one that retains the "flyover tube". QC Charge has a billet manifold that just bolts right on, simple to install. The press in cap versions (like what I used in this video) are much cheaper and work very well, but require modifying the original manifold.

[@sinanjordanful]

@@AlexEVRepair awesome Alex thanks a lot!

[@tracymason7393]

Alex, another fantastic video, quick question, where do you get that cap to plug that coolant manifold? I wish you lived in my area because I would definitely be an intern for you!! THANKS

[@lotfyken2759]

It's 50$ on ebay , i don't know how hard is the mod

[@lotfyken2759]

It's 50$ on ebay , i don't know how hard is the mod

[@alsavage1]

@@lotfyken2759 The $50 DIY mod is a specially formed SS cup, and you have to remove (cut, break off), machine) the long aluminum tube from the manifold in order to install the cup. By contrast, QCC's manifold is a really beautiful bolt-on. If you screw up your manifold, where will you buy a replacement? Not from Tesla.

[@Nicholas-f5]

​@@alsavage1$50 vs $500 👏

[@alsavage1]

@@Nicholas-f5 The $700 part is a lot easier to install; it's a bolt-on. OTOH, I had one machined from aluminum, before the SS cups were available -- they were largely Howard's work, I wanted mine a bit sooner.

[@Kenshin_Tran]

Great stuff! Fun watch. What does a job like this cost for the model y performance model?

[@AlexEVRepair]

Model 3/Y are not affected by this issue.

[@Kenshin_Tran]

@@AlexEVRepair I was assuming the issues were across the board, but thanks for clarifying! Thanks for the cool content to watch!

[@moestrei]

​@@Kenshin_TranOnly LDU (Large Drive Unit) is affected.

[@modernNeanderthal800]

​@@AlexEVRepair Is it all S? Or just the RWD / performance models? So are all wheel drive non performance models fine?

[@AlexEVRepair]

Correct, only RWD and/or Performance versions of Model S and X. Dual Motor, non-Performance versions don't use the LDU.

[@enzop.3227]

Why not fully clean drive unit with brake clean prior to installation.

[@JeepLJ]

Do you have a video on the battery swap? How did you get a bigger battery in, any problems with Tesla/software using it?

[@AlexEVRepair]

I have a video coming out soon on a battery repair (which of course includes removal and install). Installing a larger battery is fairly simple, and can *sometimes* be done with just a simple software redeploy, though it's best to use Toolbox 3 so that the configuration can be properly updated.

[@JeepLJ]

@ thank you for your reply and the great content, I’m glad I just found your channel!

[@joycesander]

You are one incredible mechanic. This has nothing to do with Teslas. I've seen you work on Leafs. I bought a 2012, with 48,000, last June. It has 9 bars now (10 when bought) and charges to 80 miles at 100%. It goes down real fast!! My brakes seem to be very sensitive. They stop the car fine. But wondering why the brakes after full stop, jerk the car when I want to crawl up after a stop. Brake fluid is intact. I have not had the car looked at since I bought it. Could any mechanic deal with the brakes?

[@jcruzinatl]

Sorry if this was asked before what would be purpose of the coolant delete be. Not detrimental to the drive unit ?

[@AlexEVRepair]

The purpose of the rotor coolant delete is to eliminate the failure mode of coolant intrusion from a failing rotor coolant seal. I cover this failure mode (as well as other common LDU failures) in a bit more detail in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2GvdqWFbJ10jNk Most of the drive unit's cooling system is left unchanged by this modification, the ONLY part that is bypassed is the rotor itself, which even to start with had extremely minimal cooling... The only potential downside might be reduced lifespan of the rotor bearings, but they inevitably get taken out by coolant anyways when the seal fails (along with corrosion in the stator, damaged inverter electronics, loss of HV isolation, etc.). BTW, even Tesla's latest revision of the LDU (Rev-U, which has been out for about a year) also has the rotor cooling deleted from the factory.

[@modernNeanderthal800]

Can I do this in my garage?

[@AlexEVRepair]

Sure, numerous DIYers have removed their drive units at home. It's certainly not as easy as doing it with a proper lift, but with the right tools, it's totally doable.

[@modernNeanderthal800]

@AlexEVRepair thanks for the "anything is possible" love those kinds vibes. I skipped and got a model 3. Getting an EV to avoid maintenance, I have other ICE cars that I have to keep maintained. Your video on installing the coolant delete was beautiful and inspiring. I hope to make similar quality videos on repairing a Fusion soon. Any tips? I have a solid tripod and an okay phone with a huge external hard drive. The phone kinda over heats and just generally isn't great at setting to record for long lengths of time regardless of memory storage. Should I just make this work, or would investing in some proper camera be worth while? In any case at all. I hope you're well and thank you very much for your content. I was a reasonably informed consumer today.

[@DNDKK-d2e]

Great video. Thanks

[@OCEANAUTO-t8b]

very helpful thank you

[@benkanobe7500]

I take it the Fly Over Tube is replaced just to keep dirt out as no coolant passes through it anymore(?)

[@AlexEVRepair]

Coolant does indeed still pass through the flyover tube both with this modified manifold, as well as the billet ones from QC Charge.

[@allterrainrandy2587]

Awesome video! Does the car need an alignment now?

[@AlexEVRepair]

Nope, none of the hardware that affects alignment adjustment has been touched.

[@diytesla]

@@AlexEVRepairwe had a customer come back with their tires toast. Turns out we reinstalled the subframe at a slightly different angle and that was enough to throw off the alignment.

[@ineu1650]

Must be nice to have all the tools. To try doing it on blocks

[@nimbusvr6]

Great content! It's very informative. I wish you were established near me in SoCal. Do you know of a good repair shop for Model S in Southern California?

[@Alex_Bessinger]

I used to work at QC Charge in North San Diego County. The repair side of the business has been spun off as Konduit EV, and the guys there are great.

[@zooker7507]

I remember them saying buy an EV there's nothing mechanical so it wouldn't need repair. 😂

[@coffeeis4closers]

Isn't there torque settings on all of those bolts. I did not see you using a torque wrench.

[@AlexEVRepair]

Tesla does not make the torque settings available for most of this hardware, I do it all by feel....

[@GermanAutomotive-k9d]

@@AlexEVRepair You don't need Tesla specs, every bolt has a typical torque value based on it's strength rating stamped on its head. Just Google for a torque table spec sheet.

[@anilmadha]

Alex, how much does it cost?

[@AlexEVRepair]

The basic manifold (the one shown in the video) I sell for $249, and it's 5.5 hours of labor for install. All in installed cost is just under $1200. I also stock the QC Charge one piece billet aluminum manifolds, which are $499.

[@fabiendass2255]

Can you post a link for the axle seal removal tool and the seal installer tool?

[@AlexEVRepair]

For the seal removal on the gearbox seals, I just use a short pry-bar. The install tool is just a simple generic seal driver, I got mine at Harbor Freight.

[@hieyeque1]

I know absolutely nothing, so this is just my ignorance speaking. But I am puzzled why you never use a torque wrench? I'm just curious because it would seem to me on things like motor drive unit and brakes you'd want everything to be equally tight, and also neither too tight nor too loose. I defer to you as you are the expert, I'm not a car person :)

[@marccurzon]

when u tighten bolts all day for a living you get a "feel" for correct tightness.

[@nub340]

Great video, thx!

[@aussietaipan8700]

Mate, your video's could teach a monkey to do the work, absolutely awesome. I would love to see a battery removal and installation procedure on these older models. I plan to keep my 2015 model S for many years and I love to do the work myself. I wish we had dudes like you here in Melbourne Australia. 507 liked and already sub'd

[@peteroffpist1621]

For how many miles is this solution ok ? Don’t the bearing inside get over heated ?

[@AlexEVRepair]

It's possible that the rotor bearings might have a bit shorter lifespan without the rotor cooling (though the amount of cooling they got in the forst place was pretty minimal, witu coolant flow limited by a ~4mm dia hole). Usually, they get destroyed by coolant intrusion before wearing out anyways, so it's a net gain in reliability. Better to just need to replace the bearings at some point rather than have the whole drive unit get destroyed by coolant intrusion!

[@peteroffpist1621]

@@AlexEVRepair great thanks for reply. Unfortunately I live in Sweden, if I were closer I would love to be your customer.

[@peteroffpist1621]

One more question, TESX or Revolt ? TESX keeps using the Flyover tube and Revolt doesn’t ? Or same same ?

[@Nicholas-f5]

​@@AlexEVRepairis it worth checking or replacing/upgrading bearings while in there? Wondering the part cost too.

[@AlexEVRepair]

@Nicholas-f5 Sure, I do LDU rebuilds all the time, it's a lot more work to tear the motor down to do that though, and in this situation, it wasn't needed.

[@Toob41]

Masterclass!

[@ineu1650]

Cant you doit with the drive unit on the car

[@AlexEVRepair]

No, it cannot be installed with the drive unit in the car.

[@Nicholas-f5]

​@@AlexEVRepairhave you seen the drill technique for a weep hole?

[@JDA77]

How much did the customer have to pay for a job like that?

[@ALRinaldi]

They run around $1500 at most shops from what I’ve found.

[@primefreepe]

doesnt need a brain to diy that in a day for almost 0

[@robertcodoisus4464]

HI guy you are real good. Great job man I contact you privately. Congratulations from Europe

[@lotfyken2759]

Great vid, anyone here has that annoying buzzing sound when accelerating ?

[@AlexEVRepair]

Most likely that's either your rotor bearings, or primary drive gear bearings. I have another video detailing that particular failure mode (as well as a 2 part series showing the full teardown and rebuild process for the LDU).

[@alsavage1]

If only when accelerating, this could also be one of the HV contactors (inside the battery pack). I have a screenshot of Tesla Tech Note TN-13-16-002 R1, but I don't have the PDF, and I haven't been able to find it (searching on that number gets a non-R1 TN but it's about the Rapid Mate connector). I got a "reman" battery pack in 2019 that squealed on accel (the old pack didn't). It varied in pitch depending on how far you pressed the accel. The noise went away in 2022, and a contactor failed in 2024 (and the "reman" pack had the original, troublesome TE contactors, grrrr).

[@lotfyken2759]

@@alsavage1 wow thank you very much, i found it very odd zero sound what so ever when on neutral, i will dig this way more

[@alsavage1]

@@lotfyken2759 TBF, rotor/pinion bearings are a lot more common for noise, esp. if you have the original rotor bearings (and the Aegis brush ring that failed to divert stray induced rotor currents), but if your noise is more like a balloon squealing, and esp. if the _pitch_ of the squeal changes with how you place your accel foot, then a contactor can be a reasonable guess.

[@lotfyken2759]

​@@alsavage1 below 8km/hr the buzzing noise turns into a clicking noise that matches rotor (not wheel) speed. On full stop i turned max heat (6-7kw) and no sound from battery rear. You are right it's theses bearings. Now i have to see if i can find time for a trip to Alex shop for this engine overhaul. Thanks for the tip.

[@IrenESorius]

👍‍‍🌟👍‍‍

[@modernNeanderthal800]

This looks diy doable

[@serafolv2625]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJq5lHSYobysg7ssi=2yXk-_fpwU0CXKT_ Thanks for the video. Why don't you clean the metal ATF filter inside the differential-reduction gear compartment with a rinse aid? It always gets clogged with dirt residue due to worn gears, and little by little, the ATF.

[@tababobi]

In such an upgrade is the car's SC1 status affected or lost? Thanks.

[@markusstrobl1067]

SC1 is retained when swapping battery. I had a bad 85 kWh battery swapped out for a new 90 kWh and still have free supercharging.

[@AlexEVRepair]

No, even swapping battery packs doesn't affect SC01 status.

[@Nicholas-f5]

​@@AlexEVRepairthe info must be retained in the MCU, correct?

[@multicamzilla4669]

@@Nicholas-f5 It's tied to the VIN.

[@usa-ev]

Well done as always! So is it only non-performance dual motor models that don't have LDUs?

[@AlexEVRepair]

Correct, the only models that use the LDU are RWD and/or Performance versions of Model S and X from 2012-early 2021. Dual Motor non-performance versions don't use the LDU.

[@Nicholas-f5]

​@@AlexEVRepairhave you ever seen the small rear motor 60? Wondering if that would bolt up to this cradle or if it's a special one.

[@AlexEVRepair]

@Nicholas-f5 I have heard about their supposed existence, but have yet to ever see one in person, or even pictures of one. The rear subframe is the same regardless of SDU or LDU (same for RWD and Dual Motor, both Performance and Non-Performance).

[@AnatolyTraxel]

super!