Engine Oil Cooler
#1
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Car: 1991 Camaro Z28
Engine: 2002 SS LS1
Transmission: 6 speed
Axle/Gears: Auburn 3.42
Engine Oil Cooler
I am going to install an engine oil cooler on my car. I was wondering if you guys could post pics of where you installed your oil coolers. I have a few ideas, but would rather go with tried and true. Thanks for the help!
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Car: 1982 Z28
Engine: Stock 305 4BBL - New QJet
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Stock
Re: Engine Oil Cooler
would like to know also...guessin in front or back of radiator tho....and run your lines
#4
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Re: Engine Oil Cooler
If you want to run an oil cooler, as in an air to oil cooler you need a sandwich plate or a remote filter mount setup and run some -12 (preferably, some people use -10 I always use -12) sized hoses to a stacked plate cooler. Please don't use an inferior tube & fin setup. There are no real advantages in that design, there was a thread about it some time ago, do a search..don't want to rehash that here.
Anyway, what you also need is a THERMOSTAT!!!! Earls makes a nice one, Mocal has one too but it's a cheap cast piece and has a crappy click on mounting bracket, very flimsy.
Myself, I use CV Products thermostats but with the fittings and hoses it gets to be an expensive setup (close to 1000$ easy)
You need the thermostat so the engine oil doesn't run too cool.
Here's one of mine, mocal cooler (I use setrab now after getting crappy warranty service from mocal, the cooler leaked new out of the box, I simply had to buy a new one! They said I must have damaged it installing it, that I didn't know what I was doing...yeah right!)
The big cooler on the right is for the engine oil, the smaller next to it is for the trans, the tiny one up front is for the power steering
This is the thermostat:
If you want it cheap, get a water to oil heat exchanger sandwich adapter like the stock one and run the 2 lines to your cooling system. The easiest way is like it's done on vettes up to 91. The cold feed comes from the radiator and the hot side returns to the block where the block drain is. Simply remove the block drain and install a hose nipple in the hole, hook up the hose and be done.
This is the factory water to oil heat exchanger:
This is the corvette setup, simplifies hose routing
Anyway, what you also need is a THERMOSTAT!!!! Earls makes a nice one, Mocal has one too but it's a cheap cast piece and has a crappy click on mounting bracket, very flimsy.
Myself, I use CV Products thermostats but with the fittings and hoses it gets to be an expensive setup (close to 1000$ easy)
You need the thermostat so the engine oil doesn't run too cool.
Here's one of mine, mocal cooler (I use setrab now after getting crappy warranty service from mocal, the cooler leaked new out of the box, I simply had to buy a new one! They said I must have damaged it installing it, that I didn't know what I was doing...yeah right!)
The big cooler on the right is for the engine oil, the smaller next to it is for the trans, the tiny one up front is for the power steering
This is the thermostat:
If you want it cheap, get a water to oil heat exchanger sandwich adapter like the stock one and run the 2 lines to your cooling system. The easiest way is like it's done on vettes up to 91. The cold feed comes from the radiator and the hot side returns to the block where the block drain is. Simply remove the block drain and install a hose nipple in the hole, hook up the hose and be done.
This is the factory water to oil heat exchanger:
This is the corvette setup, simplifies hose routing
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; 07-06-2010 at 04:40 AM.
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Car: 1991 Camaro Z28
Engine: 357, Canfield heads, solid roller,
Transmission: Upgraded 03 Cobra T56
Axle/Gears: 9" 3.50 gears and Detroit Locker
Re: Engine Oil Cooler
I've been thinking about installing a cooler also. Twin Turbo, how effecient are the factory style coolers that atach to the cooling system? Is it even worth it? I'm not sure how hot oil normally gets.
If the stock style isnt worth it, how much is the earls thermostat?
If the stock style isnt worth it, how much is the earls thermostat?
#6
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Re: Engine Oil Cooler
The factory setup is not so much a cooler, it also aids in warming up the oil and because of the heat exchange between oil and coolant the 2 temps are closely related. With an air to oil cooler you can chill down the oil to a much colder temperature (if there even is a need for that)
IMO the factory setup works good. the only big drawback is that if the heat exchanger develops a leak you instantly have mayonaise going up your main oil gallery.
The earls remote thermostat is $100. They use -10 AN hardware. The one I posted above is -12
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EAR-501ERL/
This is a more compact and easier to mount piece, a little cheaper too. Also needs 2 less hose ends (and -12 hose ends are not cheap but this one uses -10 ends)
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EAR-502ERL/
IMO the factory setup works good. the only big drawback is that if the heat exchanger develops a leak you instantly have mayonaise going up your main oil gallery.
The earls remote thermostat is $100. They use -10 AN hardware. The one I posted above is -12
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EAR-501ERL/
This is a more compact and easier to mount piece, a little cheaper too. Also needs 2 less hose ends (and -12 hose ends are not cheap but this one uses -10 ends)
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EAR-502ERL/
#7
Supreme Member
Re: Engine Oil Cooler
much of my oil cooler setup was salvaged from a 1983
impala cop car,the cop car had an oil radiator behind the
grille ahead of the condensor(the same setup can also
be found on some chevy/GMC pickups with heavy duty
cooling,trailering package ETC.) I ported the GM oil filter
adaptor for improved oil flow and ran-10 braided lines
to the oil radiator which i mounted in the charcoal
canister area and fitted with a special high power 8"
electric fan-since little ram air reaches the cooler,i can
control the fan to regulate the oil temp.
installed the system in 1995 and has worked great since
impala cop car,the cop car had an oil radiator behind the
grille ahead of the condensor(the same setup can also
be found on some chevy/GMC pickups with heavy duty
cooling,trailering package ETC.) I ported the GM oil filter
adaptor for improved oil flow and ran-10 braided lines
to the oil radiator which i mounted in the charcoal
canister area and fitted with a special high power 8"
electric fan-since little ram air reaches the cooler,i can
control the fan to regulate the oil temp.
installed the system in 1995 and has worked great since
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#8
Re: Engine Oil Cooler
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Car: 1989 Iroc-Z Camaro
Engine: TBI,5.0
Transmission: Automatic 700R4
Axle/Gears: Eaton Posi,3.42,LPW Ultimate Cover
Re: Engine Oil Cooler
I installed this with a 14in. fan on it.
The sandwich adapter for the engine oil only opens at 180* to allow it to be at a decent operating temperature.
The transmission oil runs constant.
I also used the 6 passes for the transmission oil and the 4 passes for the engine oil.
= http://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-15903
The sandwich adapter for the engine oil only opens at 180* to allow it to be at a decent operating temperature.
The transmission oil runs constant.
I also used the 6 passes for the transmission oil and the 4 passes for the engine oil.
= http://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-15903
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 12-12-2015 at 10:44 PM.
#10
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Re: Engine Oil Cooler
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273070740983
this is what I bought a couple of days ago and it works with my Canton road race pan no problem.
this is what I bought a couple of days ago and it works with my Canton road race pan no problem.
#11
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Car: 1989 IROC vert w/1LE brakes
Engine: 1990 ZR1 LT 5
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.7 Borg Warner
Re: Engine Oil Cooler
Here is my solution for my LT5, mounted in front of the radiator with -10an lines and custom aluminum brackets
#12
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Re: Engine Oil Cooler
I anticipate putting mine in the exact place as you have but I believe the orientation will be different. Your placement seems to be most logical
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