Best oil cooler and placement on MKI

[Alan P.]

Has anyone tried moving the MKI (Superformance) oil cooler to the front by the radiator for better cooling as was used with 1075 ? I have read where some owners are moving the factory unit to the left rear of the engine compartment,and using some form of ducting like we did on my brothers car(Kim Petersen), but for track use what is the best location and size thats been found to be successful.

 

[Alan P.]

Does anyone know what oil coolers where used on the cars that ran in the endurance race at the Kyalami track recently ?

 

[Randy V]

I think that the plumbing to bring the lines all the way to the front of the car and back again would be too restrictive and you'd lose too much oil pressure.

I would (and plan on) running my oil cooler from one of the side inlet ports or at the rear of the car where I'll use a small 12v fan to make sure of sufficient air flow..

 

[Mike Drew]

I think that the plumbing to bring the lines all the way to the front of the car and back again would be too restrictive and you'd lose too much oil pressure.

A few factory Pantera race cars were plumbed that way, with no problem. If you use a high-pressure pump, and sufficiently large lines, it should be no big deal. Highly unnecessary on a GT40 though IMHO....

I would (and plan on) running my oil cooler from one of the side inlet ports or at the rear of the car where I'll use a small 12v fan to make sure of sufficient air flow..

I think the fan will be similarly unnecessary. The fan would only be needed if you were going so slowly that you weren't generating sufficient airflow through the port. And if that was true, then you wouldn't be putting any heat into the oil either.....

I think you'll be just fine using the factory setup, or some variation thereof.

 

[Alan P.]

I apologize; I meant that 1076 had the front mounted oil cooler. 1075 may have as well but I’m not certain. I know Porsche has successfully mounted their oils cooler up front for years and was just curious if someone had attempted this on their track driven GT40.

 

[Randy V]

A few factory Pantera race cars were plumbed that way, with no problem. If you use a high-pressure pump, and sufficiently large lines, it should be no big deal. Highly unnecessary on a GT40 though IMHO....

High Pressure / High Volume pumps on most small block Fords - particularly with Steel Roller Cams - usually ends up in a failed gear interface between the cam and distributor.

I always use -10 to -12 oil lines. I know on an RCR, there isn't enough room for the oil lines that size as well as the AC lines to fit through the spine along with the 2 - 1.5" coolant pipes.

I agree that putting the cooler up front should not be necessary..

 

[Cliff Beer]

The front mounted oil coolers on 911s are highly efficient and work very, very well. Keep in mind, for air cooled 911s, the oil is both lubrication and cooling, so this system has to work very well so as to not impede the lubrication flow and pressure, and, bring the operating temps down efficiently. On 911s between '72 and '89 there are three types of coolers - the radiator type is quite similar to the original GT40 Lycoming/Continental cooler but comes equipped with a cooling fan as well (typically). It's also significant to note that the lines running to and from the cooler provide a large amount of the cooling - they are run exposed to the air in a recessed pocket in the rocker area. These coolers are run on the low pressure/return side of the system. With lines properly run and the cooler mounted in an area of good flow, a front mounted oil cooler would be quite effective in bringing temps down in a GT40.

Another cooler that is frequently run by the porsche crowd in a front mounted under-bumper configuration is the oil cooler from a Mazda RX7 - about $100 on ebay.

 

[BruceA]

Just to add a note, my Lotus Esprit turbo has two oil coolers mounted on either side in front of the front wheels, this is from the factory for a 4-cylinder. The oil never goes over 80, even when thrashing it at track days.

 

[Tim Kay]

FWIW, engine oil cooler (lft) and trans oil cooler (rt).

At speed, my engine oil is, conservatively, 15 deg F cooler with the fan on. I personally don't believe there is much airflow where I have the coolers positioned. I could probably make a shroud that could pick up air from under the chassis which I have seen on originals at the historic races.

I think better airflow for the cooler exist through the side intake of the rear clip and a fan would not be necessary.

 

[frank beuker]

Tim what a great picture poster material
frank

 

[Chuck]

Tim: Can we get that in a 24 x 36" format? Great picture!

 

[Bill Musarra]

I, like Tim have the rear coolers. My thoughts are that it is an out of the way location, that doesn't hinder any other equipment or the view when the rear clip is open. The area is a low pressure area and almost surely would require a fan(puller) to gain any real benefit from the cooler. Mine will be set by thermostat and override switch.

Bill

 

[Ian Anderson]

I knew I had pictures somewhere
From Le Mans classic 2004
This car had this set up

Ian

 

[Bill Musarra]

Ian,
You reminded me of the 66 Road Car that I posted some time ago. The oil line that went to the front was huge. Either a 12 or 16- line. Don't remember the pump that was used.

Bill

 

[Randy V]

Remember that those cars with the coolers in front (911 included) were Dry-sump cars that use external oil pumps of unknown specification. It's a whole new game with dry-sumps...

I like Bill's setup. The fans may or may not be needed but better safe than sorry - you'll see my car plumbed similarly..

 

[Bill Musarra]

I just got through taking the oil coolers off to turn them around and have the entry and exit ports on the bottom. I realized as soon as I placed one on the car that it just was not going to work that way. The rear clip support bars are way too close to the bottom of the cooler and would require grinding notches into their structure and weakening them. Since they are already ceramic coated, they will stay that way. For those that might wonder which way is best, the answer is both. I was originally concerned with the path the oil would take with the entry/exit on the bottom. It seemed most of the oil would be in the bottom and wouldn't achieve much cooling. It winds up that with the Canton coolers and most others as well, the resistance to flow is greater in the fin area. So the fill tubes would do just that before any flow traversed the fins. On exit, it wouldn't matter. The only thing that does is the placement of the pump. It needs to be pumping into the cooler and about the level of the trans so you don't get a vapor lock. The top fill would of course fill the cooler full expelling all the air. The only saving is the length of the lines. After a while that cost begins to add up. The bottom fill arrangement has a little neater appearance as well.
A note to you all, and that is to be sure to add a vent to the trans. One racer didn't and blew the front seals out from the expansion due to heat.
Bill

 

[Frank Catt]

We did the prototype design, fabrication and install on the first RHD SPF in the UK, which has now become the standard factory oil cooler unit for these cars, Frank

 

[Frank Catt]

A couple more pics.

 

[Mike Trusty]

Here are a couple pictures of MkI oil cooler locations on original cars that I saw at LM Classis. I think they are modern adaptations rather than original.

 

[Martin]

Here's my chosen location taking air directly from the side vents. I have the ducting inside to channel it correctly into the box.
Martin