Diy: Install An Additional Oil Cooler
 

I decided that with all the engine failures in the AT's (that are minus one oil cooler) that I would invest in a little extra protection for my MT. I was especially concerned about frying the engine oil after installing the GReddy turbo. So, I decided to install a third oil cooler.

I found the most efficient oil cooler that I could, the Fluidyne 30816. (the top trace in that graph) This oil cooler is made for NASCAR cars, so I figured I would try to fit it in my 8. Its 28"x3.5"x3.5". It holds about 1.25 quarts of oil. I am glad to adding that much more capacity. I can't hurt to have more oil to share the load.

here is a picture of it. I had the flanges welded on the sides so I could attach it with some brackets that I would custom fit later.

The stock oil coolers are in series. The oil flows from the left cooler to the right via a tube. The OEM coolers use banjo fittings and the banjo bolt thread size is 18x1.5mm. I couldn't find any body in town that carried banjo bolt fittings, so I just went with elbows with the right thread size. here is a picture of the hoses I started with 14 inches of hose (hehe) but I ended-up trimming some off. here are the fittings that will go to the OEM cooler in place of the banjo fitting. here are the fittings that will go to my new cooler. Incidentally, those are AN-12 fittings.

I would recommend that you get more hose than you think you will need. Then, trim it to fit. This hose is good stuff. Its high temp, steel braided and will withstand the attack of the petroleum.

I have the GReddy turbo, and the intercooler is mounted in the perfect location for an oil cooler this size. So, I had to fit it behind the intercooler, but in front of the radiator. There is a fair amount of space back there. If you don't have an intercooler, I'd suggest mounting your oil cooler right where GReddy put thier intercooler. Even with the GReddy intercooler in the way, the Fluidyne has about 1.5 inches (by 28") of exposure below it.

The next step was to fab some brackets. I went to home depot and bought some 1/8th inch bar stock. Its easy enough to to cut with a jig saw and a metal-cutting blade and to beat it into any shape you want with a hammer.

On the right side, I used on of the bolts on the bumber bracket to attach my newly-formed oil cooler bracket. Here is the result. You can see that I had to trim the corner off of my oil cooler bracket to fit around the weld on the bumper.

On the left side, there is a bolt that holds the splash gaurd on. I used this, since the tubes on the AC condensor partrude further on one side than the other. This makes the oil cooler canted about 10 degress from being perfectly square with the car. The left side turned out like this

The next step is to plumb the new cooler. The OEM coolers are in series. The right hand hose (on both coolers) is the one that goes between the two. In my setup, I am simply replacing the tube between the two OEM coolers with my Fluidyne cooler. On the right side I went up and over the intercooler pipe. On the left side I went under. It just turned out that things fit better this way because of the existing hoses.

That's it! It took me about 2 hours to do the whole thing, including fabricating the new brackets for my oil cooler. You can use any cooler you want! I think its easiest if you do what I did and just delete the tube between the two, at least on MT's, and replace that tube with a heat exchanger.

By the way, when I was idleing the car to check for leaks, I started touching the hoses and coolers to see if oil was flowing. Eventhough my new cooler is after one of the OEM coolers in the flow, it was significantly hotter than the first OEM cooler. This means that my new cooler is WAY more efficient than the OEM coolers. In fact, the Fluidyne cooler was almost too hot to touch before the stock cooler that was first in the series warmed up much at all. Those stock coolers SUCK! :mad:


This was a very easy DIY. It say about a 3/10. I wish I didn't have to place it behind the intercooler, but even though it'll get air that's a little warmer, its still going to cool that oil very well. I'll try to track oil temps to share later this week.

NOW GET OUT THERE AND DO IT! :p

excellent diy.

beers

This DIY would make a good AT fluid cooler :)
And if Fluidyne makes an OEM oil cooler size radiator, that can be fitted in the AT cars on the right side bumper opening. Also, if the OEM one is so bad, another DIY would be to replace it with aftermarket.
Cool details on fittings - but that hose seems it's for air brakes... is it rated for hot engine oil flowing through for long time? Just a thought....

I'm intrested to see some oil temp numbers.

This seems like a great mod for boosted 8s, I just wonder how cold it will make a N/A run in 15 degree F winter temps.

in a different, but the same direction. does anyone know if the stock mt6 radiator has an auto trans cooler built in. and if so how much liquid it holds?????

i just saw a thread with the koyo rad install and noticed it had at cooler inlet and outlet. if it holds enough oil it might be a extra oil cooler for almost free!!!!

i know from my new scanilizer that my coolant temp runs at ~ 187 degrees. oil temp attatched to that ok in my book.

beers

bxb40,
Yep, those hoses are made for air, but have been used in midget races with oil temps close to 300deg. They should be okay here. The hydraulics shop swore by them and seemed very knowledgible. I trusted their opinion.

swoope,
your coolant is only at 187? in Orlando? wow that's low, IMHO. do you have an AT? Mine is usually over 200.

-MD

yep,
it runs between 185 and 195. this has been seen with a scanilzer. though the conditions were easy. night ~88 degrees cruising. i will try to get stuck in traffic this week and see what it does then.

beers

I looked at it again today and thought the same thing. You must be at highway speeds. In traffic mine was 208. ambient temp. was 83.

useful thread for japanese JDM cars.

for some crazy reason, despite being higher in power, they only have one oil cooler..

if thats because of the 180kph limit in jdm cars, then it becomes even more useful for those who have removed the speed limiter.

Nice DIY def cannot hurt to have more capacity and cooling at the same time...

good diy but willnt this raise the raditor temp some because ur limiting the air flow to it, just a thought

Do any of the pics work for you guys?

yea i was trying to look at the pictures to and cant see it

He probably sold his 8 a long time ago. Wish i had his email.

I would invest in a 2nd radiator long before even thinking about a third oil cooler .
This is coming from someone with a turbo and only ONE oil cooler .....

hmm good point but i guess i would of got a third one because i figured it would be cheaper then getting a second radiator

/\ the cost of the fittings will probably be more than the actual radiator if you go oil .....

I'm in the middle of adding 2 coolers and fans to mine...I went with B&M coolers

I think I'm going to make some custom lines using the current quick release fittings..that way most of the plumbing will stay the same from the engine to the rad area...and |I will just have to make new lines for the front

Things could change though in the next bit as this goes ahead

BTW..you can buy 18X1.5mm to -10AN or -8AN adapters..that screw right into the block :)

hmmm wouldnt that be a more complicated set up?....

do you mean an extra water rad is more complicated than an extra oil rad ?
How do you figure that ?

Really what part of the block? and what one fits in each fitting. It would Be Great if I could do a reroute and have one cooler for the first bank and the second for the second bank~!