Who has an oil cooler?
Who has an oil cooler? Looking for some answers hopefully find the help here. I have a factory oil cooler that started leaking coolant and I'm considering just a oil cooler block off plate since I'm limited on space making an after market a last resort if I don't want to do. Anyone out there that drags there car (street or strip) and street drives it what are you running? The more horsepower the better I'll be in the 7-750 range on e85.
My LQ4 Miata currently does not have an oil cooler. After 20 minutes of driving through so and go traffic my engine oil temps reach 250f (I have an AEM digital oil temp gauge) and my oil temp sensor is located on the oil cooler block off plate.
An oil cooler will be fitted next week.
If your car has a very good engine cooling system then most likely you won't need a cooler as the cooling system is somewhat related to cooling the oil as well. (To an extent)
My car's engine cooling system can maintain my car to 180f coolant temp and then as I'm driving it and the engine oil starts to heat up, catches up the coolant temperature, passes the coolant temperature and as soon as the engine oil reaches 200+ the cooling system on my car can no longer keep up with keeping it cool and will start running hotter and hotter until it reaches 230f coolant temp and I have to turn the car off.
I can guarantee if I install that cooler next week this help tremendously.
An oil cooler will be fitted next week.
If your car has a very good engine cooling system then most likely you won't need a cooler as the cooling system is somewhat related to cooling the oil as well. (To an extent)
My car's engine cooling system can maintain my car to 180f coolant temp and then as I'm driving it and the engine oil starts to heat up, catches up the coolant temperature, passes the coolant temperature and as soon as the engine oil reaches 200+ the cooling system on my car can no longer keep up with keeping it cool and will start running hotter and hotter until it reaches 230f coolant temp and I have to turn the car off.
I can guarantee if I install that cooler next week this help tremendously.
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From: Norn Iron
My LQ4 Miata currently does not have an oil cooler. After 20 minutes of driving through so and go traffic my engine oil temps reach 250f (I have an AEM digital oil temp gauge) and my oil temp sensor is located on the oil cooler block off plate.
An oil cooler will be fitted next week.
If your car has a very good engine cooling system then most likely you won't need a cooler as the cooling system is somewhat related to cooling the oil as well. (To an extent)
My car's engine cooling system can maintain my car to 180f coolant temp and then as I'm driving it and the engine oil starts to heat up, catches up the coolant temperature, passes the coolant temperature and as soon as the engine oil reaches 200+ the cooling system on my car can no longer keep up with keeping it cool and will start running hotter and hotter until it reaches 230f coolant temp and I have to turn the car off.
I can guarantee if I install that cooler next week this help tremendously.
An oil cooler will be fitted next week.
If your car has a very good engine cooling system then most likely you won't need a cooler as the cooling system is somewhat related to cooling the oil as well. (To an extent)
My car's engine cooling system can maintain my car to 180f coolant temp and then as I'm driving it and the engine oil starts to heat up, catches up the coolant temperature, passes the coolant temperature and as soon as the engine oil reaches 200+ the cooling system on my car can no longer keep up with keeping it cool and will start running hotter and hotter until it reaches 230f coolant temp and I have to turn the car off.
I can guarantee if I install that cooler next week this help tremendously.
The car is getting an oil cooler set up in a few days.
I lost 2 motors already due to engine Oil temperature. I now have that digital read out so I know when I relax.
I'm looking at the "dope" mount for the TA (in front of the spoiler at the front fender bottom), and placing a small cooler on each side. The ones I got are the smallest bar & plate ones, like 3x11 cores, but they have 1/2 NPT fittings so I can run AN 10 hoses.
When I ran the turbo, I had a large B&M bar & plate cooler that worked well, but it took up too much real estate in front of the radiator behind the intercooler. I use an Earl's sandwich thermo adapter, and the TA has a Be Cool radiator. I'm going to mount the temp sender in the return line from the coolers. I'll be interested in seeing how well they do compared to the C4 setup, since both are "bottom breathers" for cooling air.
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From: Norn Iron
I would put your difference down to inaccuracies between the two gauges being used.
Use exact same gauge/sensor or whatever or at least test both so you know they always match otherwise you're largely just using them for trends as opposed to accurate/comparable values.
Use exact same gauge/sensor or whatever or at least test both so you know they always match otherwise you're largely just using them for trends as opposed to accurate/comparable values.
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From: Norn Iron
Not sure how much of a difference it makes where the temperature is taken from, given the rate of oilflow through the engine/oil pan.
But as the engine/cooling system largely dictate overall temperatures, when there is no real heavy loads on the engine such as idle or light cruise, for both oil/coolant temp to mirror each other closely just makes sense
Once you start pushing the engine, more power, higher rpm's then the oil starts to get worked a lot harder and the engine can only provide a limited amount of cooling to the oil so oil temps can start to rise.
But as the engine/cooling system largely dictate overall temperatures, when there is no real heavy loads on the engine such as idle or light cruise, for both oil/coolant temp to mirror each other closely just makes sense
Once you start pushing the engine, more power, higher rpm's then the oil starts to get worked a lot harder and the engine can only provide a limited amount of cooling to the oil so oil temps can start to rise.
What I was thinking was if a cooler is used, there should be a difference pre/post cooler.
What are your thoughts on the bar & plate coolers, such as Tru-Cool (scroll to bottom of page for oil cooler specs)? They make a couple of sizes that will fit in front of the chin spoiler, all are 11" wide & 1.5" thick, the core heights are roughly 3" (B7B) or 6" (L7B). I was thinking of using two of the smaller ones or one of the larger ones. All have 1/2" NPT openings. My engine is a 383 that will be NA (area of 375-400 FWHP) but I am in Florida and see ambient temps of over 100 in the summer.
What are your thoughts on the bar & plate coolers, such as Tru-Cool (scroll to bottom of page for oil cooler specs)? They make a couple of sizes that will fit in front of the chin spoiler, all are 11" wide & 1.5" thick, the core heights are roughly 3" (B7B) or 6" (L7B). I was thinking of using two of the smaller ones or one of the larger ones. All have 1/2" NPT openings. My engine is a 383 that will be NA (area of 375-400 FWHP) but I am in Florida and see ambient temps of over 100 in the summer.
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From: Norn Iron
Absolutely, if you can monitor temps before/after the cooler you'd get a picture of how well the cooler is working.
That link is for transmission coolers ? Not sure they'd have the same flow/pressure requirements an engine oil cooler might ?
Tranny coolers are usually on the low pressure return, not a high pressure line, and I'd think they may flow less oil overall ?
Why not just buy a cooler designed for engine oil ?
That link is for transmission coolers ? Not sure they'd have the same flow/pressure requirements an engine oil cooler might ?
Tranny coolers are usually on the low pressure return, not a high pressure line, and I'd think they may flow less oil overall ?
Why not just buy a cooler designed for engine oil ?
Why not just buy a cooler designed for engine oil ?
Coolers "designed for engine oil" tend to cost way too much money IMO. I saw one for $600 that was not really all that special- an AN10 16 pass unit with some brackets & hoses. Like nearly everyone else here, I don't have that kind of money to spend, and I can make my own brackets & hoses.
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From: Norn Iron
Oil coolers should not be $600, they arent even that price here in the UK, and everything here is a rip off.
If those coolers are designed to handle the pressures involved then work away, the site doesnt mention anything though
Something like this is a half decent size, although you could go bigger if you wanted
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Earls-41900-...hVcjXh&vxp=mtr
If those coolers are designed to handle the pressures involved then work away, the site doesnt mention anything though
Something like this is a half decent size, although you could go bigger if you wanted
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Earls-41900-...hVcjXh&vxp=mtr
I ended up using the midsize Tru Cool L7B (5.75x11). I mounted it on an 8x10x4 plastic box I bought on eBay. The box comes in 2 parts, I mounted the cooler on one part and the other part mounts below the plastic panel in front of the wheel. I opened up one end of the box so it draws cold air from the front end and it flows into the engine bay. The box had to be trimmed to fit the angle where the chin spoiler mounts, and the chin spoiler modified so air goes into the lower box.
A PDF of the layout is attached. I'll try to get a pic of it installed.
A PDF of the layout is attached. I'll try to get a pic of it installed.
Last edited by V8 Supra Builder; Oct 21, 2016 at 10:39 AM.
Here are a couple of pics showing the cooler mounted. I just got the car off the stands today, and there is a cold snap so it will be a while before I can report on the effectiveness of this setup.
Update: I have my temperature sensor on the return side of this setup. Even in 90 degree Florida weather, I have yet to see it go over 120 degrees (the gauge minimum- I thought the gauge may be malfunctioning, but I got under the car and tested all of the wiring). The hottest weather is yet to come, so I'll post updates once it hits.
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Update: I have my temperature sensor on the return side of this setup. Even in 90 degree Florida weather, I have yet to see it go over 120 degrees (the gauge minimum- I thought the gauge may be malfunctioning, but I got under the car and tested all of the wiring). The hottest weather is yet to come, so I'll post updates once it hits.
Road test I got ambitious this morning and relocated my sender to the block above the oil filter (1/4 NPT). My setup includes an Earl's EAR-504 thermostatic sandwich oil cooler adapter (opens @ 160), AN-10 hoses to a small (about 5.5 x 11) cooler in the left fender bottom. It has a scoop under it to force air through while moving.
Here's what I saw in high 70 degree weather using a Prosport analog gauge (range 120-300 degrees):
It took several miles for the gauge to move from 120 (it rarely did so before). When it did, it got to around 160 fairly quickly at highway speed (60-65 MPH). I saw a peak of about 184 going down the road.
I then stopped and let it idle. The temp climbed very rapidly. Within 5 minutes I was at 238 degrees! I'll note my car has Mac mid-length headers and the rear tube is within about 3 inches of the sender, so this may influence the reading at idle.
I did not test it further due to time considerations, but I think with air going through the cooler it would have dropped back to above 180 within a couple of minutes.
My conclusion is that in warmer areas of the country an oil cooler is a good idea.
Here's what I saw in high 70 degree weather using a Prosport analog gauge (range 120-300 degrees):
It took several miles for the gauge to move from 120 (it rarely did so before). When it did, it got to around 160 fairly quickly at highway speed (60-65 MPH). I saw a peak of about 184 going down the road.
I then stopped and let it idle. The temp climbed very rapidly. Within 5 minutes I was at 238 degrees! I'll note my car has Mac mid-length headers and the rear tube is within about 3 inches of the sender, so this may influence the reading at idle.
I did not test it further due to time considerations, but I think with air going through the cooler it would have dropped back to above 180 within a couple of minutes.
My conclusion is that in warmer areas of the country an oil cooler is a good idea.