Oil coolers

I am about to add an oil cooler to my GTD. I thought to put it on the engine sill on the left hand side (my fuel pumps are down with the tanks so I have space).

I intend to angle it best to take the airflow from the rear side vent and maybe even put some ducting in to direct the flow more.

Sizing: if I use a Mocal cooler (from Think) any suggestions on the size. They come in two widths 115 or 235mm wide - I think I have to go for the latter. Also then a number of rows.

I have seen oil coolers near the gearbox but I figured that the air from the side vent might be cooler.

Any advice would be welcome.

David

 

[Brett James-McCall]

Dave,
Mocal do have some recommendations on size for size of engines. If I remember right you'll need about an 11 row minimum for a 302 (with the bigger width). However this then increses depending on how many revs you have got the engine going over normal. I do have the information somewhere at home, but I won't be there till Saturday.

On previous cars I have seen, the cooler is where you are placing it (or on the other side). Sadly, I'm not even anywhere near there on my car!

If you need the info still on Sat send me an email.

Brett

 

[Jim Glickenhaus]

If you guys go to P4 photo's there's a link to my Lola at the end of the thread showing a motorcycle fan I mounted to oil cooler which helps very much.

 

[Julian West]

Not sure if this is any use to you but may be worth considering fitting an oil to water cooler as opposed to oil to air.

In some instances the installation is more cpompact than oil/air & can benefit from shorter pipe runs.

If the cooler is fitted in the 'flow' water pipe, before the thermostat, warm-up times are reduced. Also it will help to harmonise the temperature differential between the oil and coolant.

Obviousley your rad needs to be effective for it to work properly, but it may be worth considering, as engine bay temperatures are already high on a GT40 & airflow is poor thru the engine bay.

 

[Bill Musarra]

I recently got a hipo 302 at an auction that suposedly came from a '97 Explorer. On it was a oil/water cooler, part of a towing package I believe. Don't have any part #s but here is a picture of it.
Bill

 

[Bill Musarra]

If the pic doesn't come through, email me and I'll send them.
Bill

 

[Julian West]

The oil/water cooler I have is different to the one in the picture. It's a Laminova about 200mm long, with the water connections at either end & the oil either side.

Works on the same principle, but takes up more space & oil pipes are necessary, as opposed to the one in the picture, which is a very compact solution!

 

Interesting picture, it seems small for a heat exhanger, I suppose the oil does a few revolutions in the water jacket.

If oil needs cooling above 80 degrees and water is running at 80-90 degrees most of the time it doesn't seem that there would be much temperature gradient between the two? However it must work!

David

 

[Jim Glickenhaus]

Dave
I tried an oil/water intercooler in my Lola but it didn't give me enough cooling. The one I settled on using a motorcycle fan works very well. FYI even though there's an oil cooler in the rear of my MK-IV to which I've also hidden a small fan in the duct to it, the spare MK-IV rad I have,(Which is J5's original radiator) has a 1.5 inch square oil rad mounted along the bottom edge of the water rad. J6 does not have this extra oil rad in front. My P4 has an oil rad in the nose behind the water rad.

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: MK -IV J6 ]

 

[Julian West]

Oil temperature will always be higher than water temp. The oil is in direct contact with the underside of the pistons, valve gear, etc & therefore takes a hell of a pounding!

 

[Jim Glickenhaus]

My P4 has an interesting way of cooling the oil. The main oil line is nestled inside the fuel balancing tube that connects the right and left side fuel cells. The fuel is used as a heat sink for the oil. As this car has mechanical fuel injection (120 PSI) this also brings the fuel to a higher vapor state sooner. Ferrari used this in their street cars as well. The high pressure AC line in the Testarossas runs through the gas tank warming the fuel and cooling the charged AC line.

[ March 09, 2003: Message edited by: MK -IV J6 ]

 

[Howard Jones]

All of the NASCAR guys use air to water intercoolers so as not to have to put it in the airstream thus adding drag. They must work. The problem is added water plumming and over all the oil cooling system as a whole is just a little more weight. The NASCAR guys add weight to the car in the end anyway so a slightly heavier oil cooling system isn't a problem. The formula and sportracers are all working hard to get the car down to miniun weight for class and therefor are more interested in weight saveing. A street car on the other hand might just be a perfect aplication for a water/oil cooler. Weight is not that big of a deal, 5-10lbs different I would guess. The spot to mount it would be right behind the fuel pumps on the sill. This should keep the oil and water lines as short as possible. This would also be a good time to add a remote oilfilter mount hanging off the chassis near the engine mount. I put mine there and it is a real pleasure changing oil filters with the filter mounted vertically. No oil all over the place when you screw off the filter.

[ March 27, 2003: Message edited by: Howard Jones ]