Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

All things oily!
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biggles
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:10 am

Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by biggles »

As per the title, do I bin it or clean it up and buy a few feet of oil hose?

Cheers all (rather depressed as the weather has finally come good for THE kitcar show and I’m working :cry: )
Westfield 129
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:20 am

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by Westfield 129 »

Install it. Use push on hose and fittings. No clamps needed.
Install the fittings on the block and the oil filter housing. Get rid of the oil tube on the side of the block. This will make timing easier, and clean up the side of the engine.

You will need one extra quart of oil.

I mounted mine on an alloy plate across the frame behind the radiator.
zei220
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:48 am
Location: U.K.

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by zei220 »

Would you happen to know which fitting I need to order to replace both block and filter fittings for the push on hose?

Thanks in advance.
jonclancy
Posts: 942
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:30 pm

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by jonclancy »

Keep it. Thrash your car.

Job jobbed!
Westfield 129
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:20 am

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by Westfield 129 »

I mounted mine on an alloy plate pop riveted onto the frame behind the radiator as well.
The fittings for the block and the oil filter housing are not special, but I don't remember what they are. However, you can easily take the fittings off the oil pipe and take them over to the local hot rod shop and match them up.

Use push on hose fittings. Easy to fabricate (all you need is boiling water, and you wont need band-aids or tweezers to pull out any splinters from braided hoses...
Guilleracing
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:12 am

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by Guilleracing »

If I could offer some scientific info to add to the thread.

Oil...... Slippery stuff? or not!.


Modern engine oil must be at a temperature over 80 degrees celcius before it becomes properly slippery.

Under 80 degrees celcius, it is not protecting your engine properly and premature wear will happen to the rotating and reciprocating parts.

Over 120 degrees celcius, the chemical structure begins to weaken and the same nasty consequences begin to happen inside your engine.


So more than 80 and less than 120 is the sweet spot.You need a cooler on the oil circuit only if you have an excess of heat in the oil in using the car.

Remember, too cold is just as damaging to you engine as too hot.
Westfield 129
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:20 am

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by Westfield 129 »

Don't worry about the temperature when it is cold, worry about it when it is HOT.

All my cars have oil coolers, and I have never had a lubrication failure.

The BMC A has about 25K miles on it, and still puts out its original power (125HP), and I never have to worry about overheating.

Cooler oil means cooler engine temps. The oil gets to temperature quickly enough.

Adding to that: Some of my cars have oil coolers, no thermostats, and run modern synthetic lubricants.
My BMC A and V8 Morgan use mineral oil (Valvoline VR1 Racing), for the ZDDP and flat tappet cams.
Simon Marks
Posts: 66
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 2:05 pm

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by Simon Marks »

Hi,

I've gathered together a few bits to upgrade my cooling system. Alloy rad, oil cooler, oil thermostat, adaptors for the block and oil filter housing (off the shelf from Moss Europe) and Aeroquip Fir Tree (push on) black rubber hose and 1/2" BSP fittings.

I shall shroud in front of the radiator and mount the cooler behind (as described above). The oil thermostat will be bracketed to the side of the engine bay.

I disagree with the statement that oil gets to temperature quickly enough. I have oil temperature gauges on two of my other cars. Both take 15 miles or so for the oil to reach its full working temperature - hence my wish to include an oil stat in my installation. It is nowhere nearly as fast as watching a water temperature gauge swing into action!

I'll report back.

Simon
Morris
Posts: 109
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 12:05 pm

Re: Oil cooler, keep or ditch?

Post by Morris »

Hi Simon,

Did you manage to install your new radiator and oil cooler?

I'd be interested to see some photos if you did for when I get round to it myself... :)

Many thanks,

Morris.
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