Oil Cooler Installation

[Spacenut]

Hi everyone - I'm still here! I recently commissioned an engine oil cooler to maintain oil viscosity - the factory recommended 10W40 semi-synthetic is like water after a long run.

So the plan was to drain the (almost fresh) 10W40, reinstate the Mocal sandwich plate from my old remote oil filter installation, and route the pipes under the engine to the oil cooler location, behind the NS lower sill intake. Here's a few pictures:



Here is the matrix - the bracket on the inboard side is obvious, I had to hang the outboard upper mounting from the inner wheelarch panel, and the lower outboard mounting is attached to a bracket bonded directly to the inside of the sill panel. It's adequately rigid



I increased the size of the aperture and bonded expanded aluminium grille mesh behind it.



I couldn't install the cooler on the driver's side because the battery occupies most of that area. Plus there is already enough weight on that side of the car! Because the hoses run above the exhaust manifold I have covered them in heat shield sleeving and secured them in place with stainless steel zip ties (they are a pig to use but very effective).

I needed to protect the matrix from debris thrown up by the roadwheel, so it was out with the cardboard and resin-proof tape...



It ain't pretty, but it is effective. I carved the louvres from foam covered in tape. Once released from the, um, mould, I opened up each one with a whizzy-wheel.



Closure panel in place.

So - does it work? Yes, it does. Without the cooler and the lower viscosity oil, the oil pressure at hot idle could be as low as 15 psi

With the oil cooler and 20W50 full synthetic, oil pressure at hot idle has not dropped below 25 psi. On the recent trip to Bicester for NAD (full report coming soon), on one of the warmer days this year, the average oil pressure at a 3,000 rpm cruise actually increased as the journey progressed, purely due to ram air cooling

Lauren

[Veesix75]

Hi - sorry to be late to this, but rather than oil cooler I’d have switched to Castrol 10/60 Edge (titanium super car).

Would still strongly suggest you do so even with the cooler.

The 60 means the oil withstands the higher temps.

I’ve always used it in my race cars, even the production spec engines, which run high temps as they are flat out 90% of the time.

Never had any issues with it, never ran an oil cooler and Dave at Brunswick swears by it. I’m in my 25th year of using it.

Edit : apologies, I realise you know about the viscosity already re going to a 10/50 , but I’d still give the Castrol Edge 10/60 a try.

[Spacenut]

Thanks Veesix - no need to apologise, all inputs are welcome!

I will certainly look into the Edge 10/60 at the next scheduled oil change, but I will stick with the oil cooler as it does seem to be working, and there are other benefits too, like increasing the oil capacity and faster priming on start-up. I am also appreciating how fully synthetic oil doesn't try to blow the oil seals out when the engine is cold!

Thanks again for the advice!

Lauren