Oil cooler location

[speedracer]

After seeing my oil pressure down to 20psi at idle and block temp reach 98.3 C after my last track day i've decided i need to fit my oil cooler that i have had sitting around.

The question is, where?
I've thought of 2 locations that don't involve cutting anything:

Option 1


Option 2


Thoughts or suggestions anyone?

[Ian Wilkes]

Won't option two severely impact the performance of the radiator behind it?

[David6214]

Maybe put it at the front but drop it down a bit, a hole would be good, but I reckon you'd get enough draft down there.

[Mad Mart]

Garth - I think you do need an oil cooler for a track car, although 20 PSI at tickover ain't bad (what PSI do tyou get on track?).

If you mount it centrally infront of the rad. you're already loosing 50% of the overall area of the oil cooler. I have mine fitted behind the number plate (removed when on track) but this involves a fair bit of cutting. The best position (if you don't want to do any cutting) is probably vertically where the battery used to be with some ducting from the front grille.

[Hans ten Broeke]

The best place is indeed behind the numberplate, with the cooler opening down faced, what give the oil hoses a good routing to the take off plate.
You have to cut, but also important make a gator to protect the cooler.

We run our racing cars with a 13 row cooler and depending on the weather-temperature we run either the fake number plates BCCP-01 or the gator, using the same mounting screws.

The gator is made from some wire mesch connected to a thin frame made from 1/8 welding rod.

A tip: when using an oil cooler also bring a short lengt of cooler hose with you, if there is a leak somewhere you can simply shortcut the cooler by disconect him en only use the pice of hose to connect the 2 pipes on the take of plate.

Hans

[Hans ten Broeke]

sorry for any inconvenience, this just had to do with not understanding the system. So pics have to be webbased, you can't upload your own pics.
Rather a shame...

wineke

[speedracer]

Thanks all,

Ian, from what i have read, as long as the oil cooler rad is flush with the water rad, the performance of the water rad should not be affected (apparently)

Mart, i could look at moving it to the left, to just before the air intake that would probably only hide 25% of the rad...

I might look at behind the number plate - do you only need to chop the outer front of the valance, or the inner parts as well?

Hans, absolutely i know of someone who runs a 2.5PI race car who keeps spare oil cooler hose too for an emergency.

[Mad Mart]

You will need to cut the inner panel as well.

[SPRINTPARTS]

Hi Garth,
The oil cooler on my race car is mounted vertically alongside the radiator on the LH side of the car. The hoses are routed under the radiator and secured to the lower panel with hose clamps. It does mean that the hoses are longer but the cooler is behind the grill where stome damage is minimised and also does not transmit any heated air to the radiator.

Cheers
Philip

[Dollyboy]

i'm fitting a bowman water cooled oil cooler, added advantage of acting as an oil heater in the winter (not that the car will get used much in the winter...

no idea where im gona fit it yet though, but obviously doesnt have to go at the front!

[tinweevil]

added advantage of acting as an oil heater in the winter

Wot no oil stat

[Dollyboy]

cant really see much point in fitting a stat unless theres a big enough argument for it, or anyone has fitted water cooled cooler with no stat and had bad experience?

[Lewis]

If you intend to use your car daily, you should use a thermostat - otherwise your oil could not reach operating temperature and cause premature wear.

[Sprint36]

Is it me or are you guys missing the point here? Dollyboy is fitting a water cooled oil "cooler" (Actually a water to oil heat exchanger). The water system has a stat so it runs at a minimum temperature. If the oil is below this temperature it will heat it up in the oil "cooler". If the oil gets hot it will be cooled by the water. So why would it need a separate stat?

David

[tinweevil]

Because the correct temperature for your water system may not be the same as the correct temperature for your oil. Sprints run with a fairly cool water stat in them, this temp may prevent your oil functioning correctly in the way Lewis describes and also condensation may not get properly evaporated out.

I had a brief search for oil stat operating temps a while back without success. Good solution if it works right, less kit to carry and less to go wrong.

Tinweevil