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Old 10-13-2009, 03:48 PM
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Cobra Make, Engine: ERA, FE BBF
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunner View Post
I read that and several other threads. That's not a Mocal thermo, though - it's the Canton, which is prettier but a lot more expensive.

I can find many images of the Mocal, including the mfr installation sheet and product photos, but the mounting bracket is omitted or hidden in every single one. I found a shot of a Porsche installation that shows a bolt head in the bracket, but no indication as to how it got there - the clearance seems very tight.

I plan to "hang" the thermostat by a short hardline from one port of the oil filter mount, then fab a bracket that holds it in that position as an extension of the oil filter mount's plate bracket. Hoses would be refitted with some right-angle fittings to keep the lines clear and straight.

But I need a clearer image of how the darned thing mounts before I can plan the bracket - which I want to do before I actually buy the part. (Design, not fab.)
Gunner,

Some thoughts for you to consider as you plan your oil thermostat installation. You will probably be working with -10 braided stainless steel hoses. These are not very flexible and probably won't bend very sharply either. Based on my experience with the canton unit in my ERA, I think that you are going to have to mount whatever thermostat that you use some distance away from both the oil filter mount and the area where the hoses from the cooler enter the engine bay. This will give you room to make smooth bends with your hoses. This is why I mounted my thermostat in the center of the car behind the radiator. As it was, I had just enough room to get the hoses to fit properly. Also note that there is one other advantage to having the thermostat in that location. The coolant gets warm long before the oil does and I suspect that the warm air coming out the back of the radiator probably transfers some heat to the oil via the thermostat when the oil is still relatively cold. This probably works better with the canton unit which has a larger aluminum housing than the Mocal does.

What sorts of problems do you have relative to getting AN fittings to work well for you? I've probably done over 100 of these hoses at this point - may be able to help you there. Here's a link to a good thread on this forum on the topic of making AN lines:

Anyone put together their own steel braided lines?

I hope that this helps.

- Fred
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