external engine oil cooler, safe?

[trist4nn]

thought I'd make a standalone thread.

 

would like to add oil cooling to a tracked ba xr6t. got as far as ordering some bits (aeroflow competition cooler, oil thermostat, -10 an lines)

all seemed good to go, but some posts have suggested that external oil cooling might cause too much of an oil pressure drop.

I'm a little bit stuck there, as it seems like plenty of people have ran external coolers in the past, PWR used to sell a kit etc.

I would have fit an oil pressure sensor at the same time to keep an eye on things, but I'm getting cold feet about it now.

 

far as I can see, the f6 style sandwich plate heat exchanger is not very easy to obtain now, so I'd really prefer to make the above work.

 

appreciate any input. dont feel right charging ahead without getting some more clarity.

[Puffwagon]

If I was gonna put a cooler inline it would be into the turbo feed. You won't lose pressure from the mains etc, it won't pose a restriction to that part of the oil circuit and it will help cool the turbo too.

 

I haven't tried it myself so don't blame me if your car turns pink and changes into a beetle.

[trist4nn]

that does make some sense, I'd rather cool it *after* its done its most important work

but conversely, I want to put some sensors on the car (oil temp/pressure) and was planning to just stuck them on the sandwich plate.

its chess not checkers this cooling business.

[Puffwagon]

The oil goes from the sump pickup to the pump to the filter, then to a gallery on the passenger side of the block. It then splits to the head and mains equally from the gallery, that also houses the oil pressure sensor and turbo oil feed.

 

After this (feeding the head) it literally drips down through the head and block back to the sump. You can't cool it here as it is internal.

 

Imho the best place to cool it externally is the turbo feed, as it is a much smaller outlet on the block than anything else. Also this feed is already maxing out it's flow rate into the turbo/turbo oil restrictor, hence not taking anything away from the "important" bits.

 

Anyhow there's my 2c.

Edited 10/06/22 09:02 AM by Puffwagon
haha added "feeding the head"

[hjtrbo]

What oil temps were you hitting? 

[trist4nn]

@Puffwagon
makes sense conceptually but I cant quite get my head around how id physically tap and return the oil flow there. been a while since I looked at it, but I remember it being a mess of banjo fittings stacked into each other, cant really remember clearly though.
all of the external oil coolers ive seen for this car are sandwich plates that pick up the oil post filter on its way back in.

 

@hjtrbo

wish I could answer. far as I can see BA does not have an oil temp sensor. was in the process of installing one when I went down this wormhole.

all I can say is the car has had issues with pretty much every other liquid in it.
radiator was at its limits, power steering gets so hot it comes out the res, diff overheats.

I know I shouldnt upgrade things without first measuring it, but this car gets a fairly hard time and I cant easily run my oil temp sensor without the sandwich plate that needs an oil cooler plumbed into it haha

Edited 10/06/22 11:20 AM by trist4nn

[Puffwagon]

6 minutes ago, trist4nn said:

I cant quite get my head around how id physically tap and return the oil flow there

 

The hole is already tapped into the block, it would go through the cooler, into the turbo and return via the oil drain.

 

Not having a go mate but if you're struggling with understanding a simple thing like this, maybe modding your car is something best left to the professionals. Old womend ballsack is pretty much a professional and if he says don't use a sandwich plate then there's a couple of free lotto numbers right there.

[hjtrbo]

F6 VIN 

 

6FPAAAJGSWAA61922

[trist4nn]

@Puffwagon
point is taken, ive got enough mixed signals about this already that I am tempted to pay someone I trust to do it.

with the turbo line tap, theres a few parts im uncertain about.
I think get the basic layout youre describing, I'd be effecitvely replacing that feed hose to the turbo (one with with the inline filter) with a connection straight out of the cooler.
I'd intended to use an oil thermostat to avoid overcooling, but tapping in there (at least how I remember things) is a tiny line, which might preclude me from using existing oil thermostat and existing oil cooler, as they're expecting a -10 or thereabouts.
maybe I could step that up to an10, but it feels like ive taken a wrong step if im adapting whats probably 1/3 the size hose up to a giant one. ill have to go stare at it in the morning.

it's definitely giving me a lot to think about. I regret already buying parts.

[Puffwagon]

Lemme say again that I haven't tried it myself so can't speak for possible issues but I'm not completely retarded so take that as you will...

 

I'll take some pics in the morning for you so you can see what the block looks like. It won't be the end of the world to step up to an oil cooler from a feed line then step down again to the rest of the feed line.

 

Haha I bought a trans cooler for $300 that was too big, used it for ages, and now I'm looking to install 2 smaller ones in a more discrete location instead. I'll just put the big one on my Late model camira lol. We all waste money sometimes.