Oil Cooler

HPCOBRA · #1 (**permalink**) 01-03-2011, 08:46 PM

Who has the best looking oil cooler that is priced fairly that fits nicely in the CR?
Thanks

jimhurtt · #2 (**permalink**) 01-04-2011, 09:09 PM

I would also like to know. I want to install one in my 91 CR. Can you buy the kit with the cooler, braided hoses, connectors, etc for a 302 in a CR?

Jim

Double Venom · #3 (**permalink**) 01-04-2011, 09:45 PM

Jim,HP, for period correct Finish Line has them, the hoses, and the fittings. Cost for everything including the adapter is going to bounce somewhere around $300.00

RICK LAKE · #4 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 04:08 AM

HPCOBRA. If you are going racing you want the #12 lines and fittings. If the car is for street with a once in a while adventure to the track, size #10. will be ok. The other thing is which setup are you going with? I think DV is a little lite on cost for a good system with lines and fittings. Good cooler is about $225.00. 2 lines with conectors is about $75.00. If you are going with a spacer between the oil filter housing and oil filter another $40.00- $ 50.00 bucks. You will need clamps to hold lines in place. Get the ones with rubber insolators. Here is another $20.00. If you deciede to move the oil filter to the head like the 427 setups, with bracket, housing and more lines another $150.00. You will also have to be careful with picking up road crap and clogging the cooler. Some guys build schrouds around them for better air flow. There is a couple of down sides to adding a cooler setup. You will loss about 3-5psi on oil pressure. With the cooler getting the oil temp up to coreect operating temps is another thing. I would also recomend that letting the motor warmup before driving. When cold the oil pressure at idle will pin the gauge to 60-80 psi. A couple of minutes will warm the oil and you should see about 20-40 psi at idle and up to 60-80 psi at 2,200 rpms. Some guys have added thermostat housing to help warm and cool the oil too. I am not running one but this is not a bad idea either. There are some posts on here about this to if you search. Rick L. Ps oil cooler range in price from $99.00 to about $300.00. Mocal and Earls sell top of the line. You have $15K in the motor, this is not a part you want to go cheap on. 14 years of racing with the ERA orignial and no failures with 135psi on startups. I run high pressures in my FE.

HPCOBRA · #5 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 10:22 AM

Thanks for the info. I am running a 460 bored .030 over. The compression ratio is about 11.5/1 with cast iron heads (need a set of aluminum someday). The cam is a bit radical, but I still have minimal vacuum for power brakes. I do not track race but like to play on the street a little. I am not sure that the cooler would be a big benefit for me, but without it the front ends looks bare! Yea it is more of an visual thing but would not mind the benefits of keeping the oil temp under control.
Thanks

MFE III · #6 (**permalink**) 01-05-2011, 10:47 AM

I think the best solution is the oil pump approach that fellow CC'er Bob Cowan posted:
Winter will be here soon - starting to think oil cooler thermostats again
See post 30 in this thread.
By using a pump from pan to cooler and back to the pan you don't get the pressure drop or have the problems with getting oil up to temp as Rick Lake noted above.
I think this is a great solution that is on my to do list.
Matt

Curt C. · #7 (**permalink**) 01-06-2011, 09:47 AM

MFE III - That is a very creative idea by Bob Cowan. Thanks for the post. HPCOBRA - You could just mount the cooler but not connect the plumbing if you are just wanting the proper look. If you do want it functional, make sure the plumbing and unit is properly sized or you could do more damange than good as others have previously noted.

HPCOBRA · #8 (**permalink**) 01-09-2011, 05:02 PM

Thanks all... Sounds like th ebes thing to do is run the cooler independent of the oil feed lnes. From what I have read tapping off the pan is the best way to achieve this. My plan is as follows and please let me know if you see something wrong with this. I will weld low on the pan an outlet to a circulatory pump (Tilton 40524). The pump will feed the cooler and return back to the pan at approximately the full level of the pan. The pump will be triggered by a thermal switch that is in the oil filter relocation line. As i read this way I can control oil temp and not impede on the oil pressure of the oiling circuit. Let me know if this is correct....Thanks

MaSnaka · #9 (**permalink**) 01-09-2011, 06:13 PM

HP,
Sounds like a great idea. There is one feature I can see a potential problem with. If your drawing oil from the bottom of the pan with an auxillary pump, your cooling system will be in competition with your oil pump drawing from the bottom of the pan for the engine. I know it's just recirculating oil and returning it as fast as it's taking it, but I would consider locating the outlet somewhere above the oil suction tube for the engine. Just so if one is going to gurgle any air it's not the more important one of the two. Maybe it's not even a factor but just something worth considering. Let us know how it turns out.

John

RICK LAKE · #10 (**permalink**) 01-10-2011, 04:15 AM

HPCOBRA No GOOD for a couple of reasons. You don't have a low limit switch in the oil pan. The temp switch you talk about comes on and either sucks the oil pan low on a turn or airigates the oil if sucking air and oil. You have no real control over how fast the oil returns to the oil pan. I run a 7.5 quart pan, over fill it with 1.5 quarts and have a 3 quart accusump for both preoil lubing the motor on startups and running long high "G" turns. I have run my system low and seen the gauge drop to 10psi. I now run a safety alarm. It is easy for the valve covers to fill with oil and hold alot of it in the upper end of the motor. You also need IMO alot of oil to help cool the valve springs and rockers with running of large camshafts or hydro tappet motors. A good on or off ramp from a highway could do this running low issue.
You didn't say how many gpm this oil pump will flow? You only have 7-9 quarts to play with. 2 quarts in the heads, 1 quart in the lines, pump and cooler, 1-2 quarts loss in the motor, 1-2 quarts in the oil pan itself, and you could be sucking air even with trap doors. The idea is good but the problems you could have would be an oil starved motor and at $$$$$$ to rebuild or build a motor again, you are better off with an oil thermostat housing or running the orginial setup with screens to protect the cooler. Rick L. adding another pump, what is the charging system max output on the ALT. You will need about 95A+ with another motor added.