Oil cooler thermostat

[w-lewis]

Anyone have a recommendation for for an easy install oil cooler thermostat? I have a cooler and my oil temp never seems to go above about 170. That is after a run and measured with an infrared temp gun aimed at oil pan. Gauge never shows much over 140. Seems to me, in order to minimize condensation in oil, temp should be closer to 190-200.

[Chilibit]

I block the air flow to the cooler (a duck tape veneration) in the dead of winter and otherwise I downshift. RPMs are remarkably effective. I do not have a thermostatically controlled valve. The sensor would likely have to be remote from the valve otherwise once the valve is closed the readings will no longer be relevant.

[bobcowan]

Oil is primarily heated by rpm's. High, sustained rpm's, like you see in road racing. Unless you're racing, you have no need for an oil cooler.

My first suggestion would be to disconnect the cooler, and just leave it in place for looks only.

There are a number of thermostats available. I like the type that bolts in place of the oil filter adapter; commonly called a sandwich type. Plenty of room to leave the filter in the stock location. Earls makes a good one that I've used before.

Earls also makes a good in line type. But it takes more fittings, more room, etc.

https://www.jegs.com/p/Earls/Earls-T...72463/10002/-1

[twobjshelbys]

I found one on Jegs.

[nathanmargolis]

W-Lewis,

You are absolutely correct on oil temp based on old hand knowledge and what I see on my Backdraft and C7 Corvette. Oil temperature is about the same and may go 5 to 10 degrees over water temp after a long time.

The Backdraft I have purchased used has an oil thermostat but much bigger than the Earl one posted and had a price tag of about $300. $110 for this one made by a big name manufacturer might be nice.

Not knowing where you live but I do know that oil coolers are good in Texas during the summer as additional oil cooling is nice for all those 95 plus degree days. All extra cooling is good in the South.

An old oil and gas engineer that worked for CoreLab for 30 plus years where all he did was test oil told me oil temps should be higher to burn moisture and other impurities out of the crankcase. 140 degrees is nothing.

Best,
Nathan

[w-lewis]

Thanks for the feedback. I’m in Savannah, Ga where it gets hot in the summer. I figure it’s easier to add the thermostat than disconnect the cooler and rearrange the hoses. I saw the thermostat on Jeggs and it does look promising.

[eschaider]

If you decide to use the oil cooler, this is a very nice, high quality T-Stat, click here=> Oil T-Stat


Ed

[spdbrake]

Originally Posted by eschaider

If you decide to use the oil cooler, this is a very nice, high quality T-Stat, click here=> Oil T-Stat


Ed

They make nice stuff.
I currently have the Earl's 185deg sandwich thermostat installed on my Canton remote filter head. Once it dies(they're known for not living too long) I'll be installing the Improved Racing Thermostat/Head assy. The in-line themostats always look a bit cluster-F. Remote Engine & Transmission Oil Filter Mount with Thermostat ENV-170

[tortuga]

Oil goes to 100c and lives there unless I’m really putting the leather to her...then she goes to 110s...

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by tortuga

Oil goes to 100c and lives there unless I’m really putting the leather to her...then she goes to 110s...

Cool, I like it. Keep in mind this is NOT a cooler. This is a heat exchanger. There's a difference. The purpose of this is to keep the oil temp pretty close to the water temp.

IMO, this is the best set up for a street car. It warms it up when it's cold, and cools it off when it's hot. Just like the transmission heat exchanger in a stock car.

You have to make sure the radiator is big enough to handle the additional thermal load. That's the only down side; as fitting larger radiators in these cars can be a challenge.

If you really want to get trick about it, Gordon Levy will sell you a radiator with a built in heat exchanger.

[spdbrake]

Originally Posted by bobcowan

Cool, I like it. Keep in mind this is NOT a cooler. This is a heat exchanger. There's a difference. The purpose of this is to keep the oil temp pretty close to the water temp.

IMO, this is the best set up for a street car. It warms it up when it's cold, and cools it off when it's hot. Just like the transmission heat exchanger in a stock car.

You have to make sure the radiator is big enough to handle the additional thermal load. That's the only down side; as fitting larger radiators in these cars can be a challenge.

If you really want to get trick about it, Gordon Levy will sell you a radiator with a built in heat exchanger.

Bob, So Tortuga has a Heat exchanger for an oil cooler? I see the Canton Oil thermostat in his photo but can't make out the remaining routing (old eyes).

I like heat exchangers except when they spring a leak and xfer water into the trans or engine. Like my Nissan Frontier could have had. A few years ago Some folks were complaining on the forums about Pepto-Bismol (pink) transmission fluid. I installed a small trans cooler to preclude any issues. Around a year later my radiator started leaking from the two trans ports I purposely left open. Saved me from buying a new transmission.

[MFE III]

I used an Earl's sandwich type thermo stat for the very reason you indicated on oil temps.

[patrickt]

Here are two pics of my oil cooler cover. It is easily removable by just reaching in through the wheel wells and unhooking the fastening springs, which you can see in the second pic. Then the cover comes right out the front. And, it works like a charm. It's fabbed out of zinc plated 26 gauge steel and takes about 20 minutes to make. From a distance, it's pretty much unnoticeable but, if you were inclined, you could paint it to match the car and stripe.

[Pete Munroe]

Canton in my car
Gunnar,

I choose the Canton over the Mocal on the unproven assumption the Canton resistance to fluid flow MAY be lower due to the size/volume of the internal cavity and the large passages in the thermostat capsule. Maybe. One of the pictures shows the thermostat capsule and a little of the internal bypass holes.

Really comes down to which one you think you can install with good hose runs, ie: fewer acute angles and no cramped hoses.

You can take the Canton apart, then the oil cooler inlet/outlets segments on the housing can be clocked at 90 degree intervals. Made this installation much easier. My oil cooler hose inlet/outlet's are 180 degrees to each other on the Canton housing. Canton sells a bracket that uses a steel strap, works quite well. Allows a little movement, the oil hoses are stiff enough nothing can flex or work too much, but they are still free to move a little and not get pulled or twisted.

Thermostat is worth it for me. My oil cooler has been blocked off with cardboard (high strength card board thank you) for years. Oil temp was always too low, barely off the peg to 160 unless it was 85+ outside.

Now, with the thermostat oil temp is up from the old ~140/150 to 170+, street driving in traffic. When you do finally get moving, it tends to stay warm instead of dropping back to zilch.

Was at "Willow Springs" for an open track last Wednesday. Air temp was 75-80. With the oil cooler still blocked off, and 9 quarts in the pan, the oil ran 200-220. On the front straight is stayed up ~200+. Normally it would drop back very significantly. Temps stay more stable now.

My car is a 289 FIA but several of the ERA 427" cars have Cantons installed so you won't have to reinvent the wheel.

Pete
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[tortuga]

Originally Posted by spdbrake

Bob, So Tortuga has a Heat exchanger for an oil cooler? I see the Canton Oil thermostat in his photo but can't make out the remaining routing (old eyes).

I like heat exchangers except when they spring a leak and xfer water into the trans or engine. Like my Nissan Frontier could have had. A few years ago Some folks were complaining on the forums about Pepto-Bismol (pink) transmission fluid. I installed a small trans cooler to preclude any issues. Around a year later my radiator started leaking from the two trans ports I purposely left open. Saved me from buying a new transmission.

It’s a thermostat that routes most of the oil back to the engine when oil is cool, and routes it to the usual modal “chin” cooler when temps get up in the 100c neighborhood. Cool part is that on cold days the oil still gets to 100c...

[spdbrake]

Tortuga, Thanks for clarifying, I didn't think you you were running a heat exchanger. Your Canton works much the same as my Earls thermostat. The Earls is in 10% bypass to the cooler until 185 deg then goes full cooler route.

[jwoodard]

Here's a photo of the install of a Canton thermostat I did in my SPF1938 before I sold it. The beauty of this type thermostat is it keeps your oil temperature in the correct range, regardless of the outside ambient temperature.