thatonedude1

I have an 09 Z51 option with the smallish oil cooler and have been seeing 250-272 degF for my 1st track weekend in 75 deg weather. I can see this getting worse when I start to get faster. Anyone who has changed to a Z06 cooler please let me know if it helped. I also have a Variram, and am not sure how this would affect air flow around the larger cooler. Also, is it as straight forward as just plugging it in the same spot and re-mounting the other end?

ErnieN85

if you have a Z51 cooler it is just a swap as the lines are the same just goes all the way across the opening

Dirty Howie

Once you put in a larger cooler your street oil temps will be too low. Here is the link to what I have done. It is the FINSPEED oil cooler with insert and mesh screen. You will get the proper cooling on track (beter that Z06 cooler which is not adequate), a custom insert that slides in front of the cooler to keep temps up on street driving, and a mesh grill that takes 1 minute to unhook and allow acceess to the oil cooler to remove and replace the cooler insert.

Let me know if you have any questions.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...esh-grill.html


DH

thatonedude1

Thanks, Howie, I had already read your info on the finspeed and looks good. I know that works, but it's not cheap. I was hoping the Z06 cooler would work (because they can be had cheap and bolt right in) on a base LS3 car making only 450-460 hp (headers, tune etc), and that I would cover the cooler on the street. By "working", I meant I was hoping I could drive the car hard on the track and keep temps to 250 degF or so instead of 270-300+ degF that many folks report.

rbl

I wonder why the Z06 oil temps are fine on the street then?

I'd guess the Z06 cooler will work just fine. I have a Z51 car and can almost guarantee you that the oil will top 300 on the track without the cooler. Even short shifting, etc will not prevent it on a decent summer day.

I would install the Z06 cooler and call it a job well done.

ErnieN85

That is what I did and it does work fine.
I'd like a mesh grill like Finspeed makes however I don't know where to get one for a base car. (at a reasonable price) and I do want a black one

rbl

I know the Z06 cooler works just fine.

I personally don't care for the Finspeed grill at all and think it looks pretty raunchy ... but then my wife says I always look raunchy so I guess it doesn't matter in my case either way ... LOL.

I'm pretty sure she's though ...

Charley Hoyt

I just upgraded from a z51 cooler to the Finspeed cooler. I considered using a used z06 cooler, but decided the cost difference wasn't worth going with a used cooler. Who knows what has been in a used cooler. And a new z06 cooler is about the same cost as a Finspeed. So far my street temps have been fine without using the plastic cover. I think that is only needed in areas that have real winters.

taken19

I just put a Z06 cooler in place of my integrated Z51 cooler in the radiator. No data on the track yet, but I notice 15-20 F lower temps driving around town. With the old setup, highway driving gave me 205-210 temps and I see roughly 190 now. I can drive from homestead to Kendall and just get to 190 oil temp.

I will be at Homestead track 2/26 and 3/4 and will have solid data then. Previously I would be forced to back down 15 min into a session because oil temps were between 270-275. Hoping to stay below 260 now.

Dirty Howie

The HP your talking about is almost the same as a stock C6Z. So you will probably have the same heating issues as us C6Z guys. The stock cooler still lets the oil to get over 280*

The FINSPEED is a direct hookup replacement for the C6Z. So should be direct on your C6 if the stock C6Z is


DH

Dirty Howie

Is the front opening a different size on the base C6 from the C6Z ?? I thought it was just the fenders were different.

The FINSPEED is very nice quality and is powder coated black. I really like the way it looks


DH

Dirty Howie

Charley

You should use the plastic insert/cover to get your street oil temps up. You can't possibly be getting your oil up to 200*

I am glad you went with FINSPEED as they are sponsoring our Corvette Challenge. Are you going to make it to ACS on the 26th ?


DH

choppasi

What do you mean the oil temps will be too low for normal driving?

SteveDoten

Very 'grey' answer on heat exchangers or cooler

1. AIR TO OIL; Some, air to oil coolers are too much for street driving(oil temps struggle to hit 160), keyword here is 'some'

2. OIL to WATER; EOC with oil coolers built in the rad. side tanks(these often keep the temps within normal op range on the street

3. Thermostat running on either setup above

Dirty Howie

General consensus is to get your oil up to 200*

Even with the stock EOC this is hard to reach during normal driving. With a larger more efficient EOC it is impossible.

Using the slide in shield for my Finspeed EOC I am able to reach 200* every day.

When I go to the track I remove the shield for best possible cooling.


DH

Supercharged111

On www.bobistheoilguy.com, if you read through their 10X articles, you'll notice the advertised warm oil weights are measured at 220*F, indicating that that is a nominal temperature for the oil to be at. If gets hot enough to boil out condensation and fuel at that temperature. I imagine localized oil temps are higher than what the DIC reads, but that's all we have to go off of. From that nominal temperature, there isn't much comfortable wiggle room to go up with unfortunately.

doveboat

I added the C6Z06 Oil Cooler to my C6 LS3 F55 car which did not come with a cooler.

I experienced:

- On Street - 20 degree reduction - 200 vs 220

- On Track - 25 degree reduction - 275 max vs 300 max

I bought the GM kit new from a forum supplier.

Again, I did not have any oil cooler prior to.

Ed

MisterMidlifeCrisis

Doveboat, was it a fully equipped kit that you bought that included everything you needed? How difficult was the install?

doveboat

Yes, full kit from either GM Parts House or Parts Taxi, included cooler, lines, hose connection clips, engine block adaptor. The OEM equipment attaches to the frame / body using factory locations and push pins.

Install was not bad, being I had no cooler prior to, I had to cut a few holes in the stock shroud. Routing the lines took some time to find the right path.

Mine has been in for two years now and works as designed. Also added a 1/2 of capacity.

Ed

trapp

I owned a 09 Z51 and went to a Z06 oil cooler...it helped on the track and was fine for the steet...it took alittle longer to get up to temps but it was fine..

If your serious about tracking the car alot get the finspeed...I don't have personnal expericence with it but I'm sure it works better then the z06 cooler..If your only running a few events a year then your fine with the Z06 cooler..