Oil cooler location

[Apu]

I'm getting an oil cooler and oil filter relocation kit for my car, and have been thinking about where to place it. I like where "Coldie" has it located. Look here on my garage thread - viewtopic.php?f=57&t=46868&start=30

My question is though, being that this is above the static oil level, will I need to increase oil pressure to get it up? The oil, that is.

And before anyone goes into a "why bother with oil cooler" thread deviation, reasons are:
1. I am planning on a turbo in future
2. right now, I can get the oil filter relocation packaged in at a pretty good price
3. oil is part of the engine cooling "system", not just the radiator! I find it interesting that most conversations around managing engine temperature here focus on the radiator...

If I am not wrong, optimum engine oil temperature is about 90degC. Having run other cars on track previously (at about 30degC ambient temperature) I've seen oil temps go to 110-120degC...in fact I've seen pretty close in traffic. Sure, those were Alfas in Singapore/Malaysia but I don't expect much different on a 40degC summer day!

[Locutus]

how do you get all the air out of the cooler if it's above 'static oil level'?

[mazdatenfive]

From memory my Morris Cooper ran the oil cooler at the front just behind the grill and was the first thing to receive the flow through ambient air to cool the oil and it's location was higher than the static oil level. Is it me or does anyone else think location of the oil cooler pictured will not receive much in the way of air flow through.

[Apu]

Locutus - I haven't figured that out yet. I'll ask the guys at Mania. I was thinking of pouring / syringing / siphoning oil through the lines...but that would likely be quite messy.

Mazdatenfive - I think that location would work on the basis of air being pulled through. That picture is of Coldie, so I assume it works. I wonder where Goldie has it located though.

Thanks for the feedback guys, and would love to hear more thoughts / ideas.

[deviant]

You find an inline sensor adaptor or something similar to put in one of the hoses next to the oil cooler. I have seen them small enough but they might not be specifically an automotive thing. They are used in plumbing and gas and all sorts. This is one for a radiator hose.



Put a suitable bolt with a seal on it in the hole, I have seen them with a brake bleed nipple in the hole so you can put a hose on it to catch the oil that comes out when you:

Pull a fuse to stop the car starting, open the bleed valve / remove bolt, crank the engine until oil spurts out and close it while you are still cranking. That should have purge air out of the cooler.

I wonder how it stops oil draining back out of it when the engine is turned off though? I might be wrong but if oil drains back out of that system with the engine off then on start up is there not going to be a period where oil supply is affected while it pushes air out of the system?

[olboy]

I have a NA6 and I've mounted the cooler where the right hand headlight used to be ( race car )
It's above see level and it seems to work fine
takes a little while to build up pressure but I'm sure that the pump is just pumping oil into it and not causing an air lock
Mine has to fill the filter then the cooler

olboy

[NitroDann]

Should be fine up high, the surface tension of the oil would keep it in the cooler, remember the coolers internal passages are super narrow.

Dann

[deviant]

Is it going to get decent airflow there? Maybe it is not that important, if the car is not super-heating its oil then perhaps the bit of airflow and just generally being in the open allows enough heat to escape to make a difference.

Seems a little strange to put it there I guess but it is neat enough and if it works...meh...

[Dweezle]

Is that not a high pressure zone?
Same space the Mania intake uses?

Or does it not work that way?

[Apu]

That's what I assumed, but at the same time we're not sucking air so it's airflow that is important.

[project.r.racing]

It is only a high pressure zone if there is space under the cooler for the pressure to release.

The is nothing wrong with a cooler being above static level. As the whole oil system above the crank inside the engine is above static level.

Personally I'd put the cooler inside the bumper on the front of the car. Will be much more effient there. And will have minimal heat soak compare to being high and backwards in the engine bay.

[Apu]

Thanks for that...so I'll have to look at removing the bumper or...maybe a foglight. Don't use them anyway!

This is interesting, more discussion than I expected...so who else runs an oil cooler eh? Turbo guys?