oil coolers - options

[spiller]

i went to the track on the weekend with only a standard oil cooler and consequently my water temps went through the roof at one stage and it has been broken down to the fact that my engine oil was probably getting too hot (factory radiator is still functioning well and it was a cool day).

basically i need/want an engine oil cooler and im wondering what my options are. trust/HKS/blitz whatever are all WAY overpriced for what i believe is essentially a rather simple piece of engineering thus i dont believe them to be of great value for money. am i better off buying just a core itself and gettring hoses and fittings to suit or buying a universal kit?

justjap have this kit..cooling-pro is the brand.

http://justjap.com/store/product.php...cat=299&page=1

ive got no idea if its any good or not, the price seems good and it has a filter relocation included but i dont want to fork out and find that once i put some heat through it that its a complete POS.

so, im after recommendations or info on cores or complete kits (brands, tube/fin vs bar/plate, and where to purchase etc). something with a thermostat and ports for pressure and temp sesnors is essential i guess.

cheers!

[ian]

first i would have a look at what is making it overheat
is the airflow getting through the radiator
has the impeller on your waterpump corroded
thermostat not opening enough
air lock in your system
an oil cooler will help but it may not be the answer
ian

[spiller]

i'm fairly confident that the overheating is not related to the water-cooling system in any way. the car was fine on idle and as soon as i backed off the temps came right back down this suggests to me that its doing its job.

in any case i plan on returning to the track in the near future so an oil cooler will be needed anyway

[YLD-16L]

Seriously don't waste money on a cheap core, I tried the middle sized tube and fin core from permacool which should have been ample for my little engine, it did SFA on the track no matter where it was mounted. Then I got some cheapo bar and plate jobbie off ebay it was slightly better but still shit on the track after about 15 minutes on a warm day.

Then I did what I should have done straight up and got a decent bar and plate core from the US (K&J) and it doesn't even compare to the others, cools so much better even on 30+ degree days at the track.

I run an inline oil thermostat but I'd recommend a sandwich plate style one from somewhere like motorsport connections.

I can't comment on the JustJap unit as I've not used one.


Oh and I found a decent drop in my coolant temps and much more stability on the track when the good oil cooler setup was completed

[mr1jz]

As bad as this is going to sound, the autotechnica kits from autobahn
are fantastic. I've put them in many track driven customer cars and
have found good results. They beauty of these kits is that you can cut
down the line to suit your application because they use Earls type fittings.
The just jap setups are a poor fit, the lines can't be set to suit. The only problem
with the autotechnica kit is that core they come with is too small but you can buy the
larger core for like another $80. They look exactly like a Trust kit aswell.

[takai]

Whatever core you get, dont bother getting the Earls filter plates from the US, it just costs too much to ship. VPW or Outlaw have them in stock normally for only a poofteenth more than they cost from the US.

On the other hand getting the Earls/Speedflow fittings from the US saves you an absolute packet. The -10 straight fittings from Outlaw are almost $19 and US$5.95 from Summit.

[spiller]

what do people think about PWR coolers? they make one 280x200x37 or 280x140x37...will the 37mm thickness do me in the ass out on the track? and what is better for an oil cooler, tube and fin or bar and plate?

in regard to the fittings -10 or -12 for a supra? ive got fuck knows idea with this stuff!

Takai, are you talking about the sandwich plates from outlaw??

[takai]

Sandwich plate or full relocation? Either way they are pretty much just as cheap from Outlaw/VPW as they are from other sources.

[spiller]

yeah either or, i dont have too many dramas getting to my oil filter but if i come across a good relocation kit ill prob snap it up, i have a space where the battery was anyway so i may as well use it.


here are the PWR cores i was talking about:

both of these examples are bar/plate, the black one is "close mesh" the silver one is "high fin", ive got absolutely no idea as to which one is more efficient or suitable...

[oldeskewltoy]

If you have a space problem... and are running 2 liters or less.... Earl's has some neat curved coolers. They are originally designed for motorcycles(why under 2 liter requirement)




http://www.holley.com/types/Temp-A-C...%20Coolers.asp


Dimensions of their largest offering - 4.9" tall, 14.125" wide - to tabs - (11.6" to center of each fitting), 1.25" thick
I bought this size, the largest one, for my current 4AG project. You do need to be careful since the fittings are soldered into the cooler to help with compact sizing. I got it with -8an fittings

It fits like it was designed by Toyota... at least in an AE71 it does...

[SuperDave]

Seriously don't waste money on a cheap core, I tried the middle sized tube and fin core from permacool which should have been ample for my little engine, it did SFA on the track no matter where it was mounted.

I found the same. Wasn't a Perma-Cool cooler but was the same shitty tube and fin style. It was about the size of an A4 sheet of paper, promptly removed it and went back to the 300zx cooler that was half the size.

first i would have a look at what is making it overheat

I'm with Ian on this one. Dropping your oil temps a couple of degrees won't help much if your struggling to keep temps down as it is.

Whatever core you get, dont bother getting the Earls filter plates from the US, it just costs too much to ship. VPW or Outlaw have them in stock normally for only a poofteenth more than they cost from the US.

I've found Earl's Australia to be pretty good to deal directly with. You can also discuss sizing with them.

here are the PWR cores i was talking about:

PWR have a good reputation. Again talk with them about sizing.

I would also save money by skipping the braided hose. I've used nothing but the rubber hose and never had an issue and costs about half. With the cheap braided that is unsleeved it can file its way through anything. If using -AN fittings go for -10 or -8.

I use a 19 row Earl's on my 2zz and runs way way too cold on the road. Is prefect on the track. And yes it uses a thermostat and has been checked. I have a plastic guard I put over the core on the street and remove it for the track.

[spiller]

dave, what are the dimensions of the 19row? there are a few different widths. 200x145x50? also what sort of rubber hose do you use? that blue hi-temp stuff?

i can get an earls cooler with thermo-fan, and all fittings/lines for 400 dollars but im not sure if the size of the core is appropriate...its 290x200x50.

[SuperDave]

My receipt has 12x6x2 on it, so that'll be inches. I just get the hose that is suitable for oil hose from Pirtek, it's black. I bought that cooler based on recommendations by Earl's Australia, so you could always ask them for a suitable size based on power output and so on.

The Earl's external thermostat (501ERL) also has 3 holes for mounting sensors in it, I have two temp sensors so I can read before and after cooler temps. Put a switch in there and only need the one gauge to display both sensors.

[spiller]

thanks for that info mate. ill have to give earl's aus a call tomorrow.

people seem to recommend sandwich style thermostats for oil coolers with the sensor ports in them. i see what you mean about before/after temps, that could be some interesting info but isnt that the thermostat's job? i mean whether you know the before temp vs after or not, once the oil is swirling around through the system and the thermostat is doing its job that should be that...

[takai]

Ive always had good value from the light red coloured hose bought from that really big bearing shop chain that i cant think of at the moment but has an outlet in Regency Pk on South Rd and another on North East Rd.

Edit: CBC