Oil Cooler
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,441
Likes: 1
From: Woodway TX
Oil Cooler
How important is an oil cooler on an 89 that I am going to Autocross? I bought a block that was from another 89 to rebuild since I developed a knock in my orig. engine. The other block has a diff. set up then the orig. & I am missing the small radiator part plus the unit that goes above the oil filter has a crack in it, so I can't use it. Any thoughts on this? Thanks, Don
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,662
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville Tennessee
I relocated my oil filter to the cavity in front of the left tire and installed a B & M oil cooler on my 92. I would think you would want to manage your oil temp because of the heat generated during autocrossing. Good luck!
Bernie
Bernie
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
How important is an oil cooler on an 89 that I am going to Autocross? I bought a block that was from another 89 to rebuild since I developed a knock in my orig. engine. The other block has a diff. set up then the orig. & I am missing the small radiator part plus the unit that goes above the oil filter has a crack in it, so I can't use it. Any thoughts on this? Thanks, Don
A 60 second run is not going to get the oil temps very hot. Even if you manage to get them to 260* or so, that's well within the limits of synthetic oils. If you're not using synthetic, I would make the switch.
The oil "cooler" on the L98 is insufficient for anything track related, so the fact that it's missing isn't a big deal. Call it a weight savings
If you intend to run track days, then a cooler becomes almost mandatory for a C4. I was seeing 305*+ oil temps before I installed my cooler. Now I see 250*s during 30 minute track sessions with lots of time at 6000+rpm
Last edited by 96GS#007; Feb 6, 2007 at 10:22 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
oil cooler
I installed one of those water-oil coolers on my 86e. The thing only works when you are at idle. The thoughts I have are the oil goes through it so fast, that there is no real heat exchange.
When you are at idle, the oil temp falls 5 degrees, then the light changes, and you can watch it click back up those 5 degrees.
For 196 degrees of water temp with an ambient air temp of 105, the oil temp is approx. 218-225 degrees.
when water temp is 210, the oil seems to stabilize at 230 degrees, and at a stoplight, the oil temp falls 4-5 degrees at idle, then slowly clicks back up to the 230 when driving.
and that's about all I know about that!!
I do have another one that is sitting around, i would be happy to send it to you for $60 if you are interested.
IMHO, I think the cooler would work better if you put a dedicated heater core out front in the airflow in front of the radiator in the line with the return to that water-oil cooler, the oil would cool much better, because that extra water would add to the total water quantity, and it would be outside of the engine longer (cooler), and be in a separate "radiator "of it's own. but that's my opinion.
Chris
When you are at idle, the oil temp falls 5 degrees, then the light changes, and you can watch it click back up those 5 degrees.
For 196 degrees of water temp with an ambient air temp of 105, the oil temp is approx. 218-225 degrees.
when water temp is 210, the oil seems to stabilize at 230 degrees, and at a stoplight, the oil temp falls 4-5 degrees at idle, then slowly clicks back up to the 230 when driving.
and that's about all I know about that!!
I do have another one that is sitting around, i would be happy to send it to you for $60 if you are interested.
IMHO, I think the cooler would work better if you put a dedicated heater core out front in the airflow in front of the radiator in the line with the return to that water-oil cooler, the oil would cool much better, because that extra water would add to the total water quantity, and it would be outside of the engine longer (cooler), and be in a separate "radiator "of it's own. but that's my opinion.
Chris
Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 484
Likes: 0
From: Germany
I have the $90 Engine and tranny oilcooler from Summit SUM-G4978
I have put the biggest SPAL fan in front of the cooler running as secondary fan and interconnected the two stock fans running together as primary fan. No problems with this setup ...
I have put the biggest SPAL fan in front of the cooler running as secondary fan and interconnected the two stock fans running together as primary fan. No problems with this setup ...
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,036
Likes: 13
From: Edmonton AB
Has this pan been repaired or replaced since the photo?
It has been pushed in far enough to be contacting the pancake-shaped
OEM pickup in the area of the pickup's oval-shaped inlet. It may have
already moved the pickup or may be contacting enough for vibration
to eventually lead to stress-fractures in the tube to the pump.
I like the cooler's absence of fittings with restrictive bends.
As for the OEM Oil-Water L98 heat exchanger, mine works well for my
dual-purpose car. I believe that BTU-for-BTU and lb-for-lb, the
OEM exchanger is hard to top. The addition of my DeWitts radiator
led to noticably lower oil temperatures (even with a 195º t-stat they
are lower than I prefer for city operation in the spring and autumn.)
The OEM cooler promotes faster oil warm-up, an external cooler will
keep the oil cold longer unless a thermostat is included.
To DonF - in the instance where OEM parts are missing/broken,
availability and cost of replacements make going to the expense and
complexity of an aftermarket cooler worth looking at.
To other L98 owners, my vote is that an existing, functional OEM cooler
should be left in place for anything short of demonstrated need in
the way of sustained temps above 240º (mineral oil) in your climate
& application.
.
It has been pushed in far enough to be contacting the pancake-shaped
OEM pickup in the area of the pickup's oval-shaped inlet. It may have
already moved the pickup or may be contacting enough for vibration
to eventually lead to stress-fractures in the tube to the pump.
I like the cooler's absence of fittings with restrictive bends.
As for the OEM Oil-Water L98 heat exchanger, mine works well for my
dual-purpose car. I believe that BTU-for-BTU and lb-for-lb, the
OEM exchanger is hard to top. The addition of my DeWitts radiator
led to noticably lower oil temperatures (even with a 195º t-stat they
are lower than I prefer for city operation in the spring and autumn.)
The OEM cooler promotes faster oil warm-up, an external cooler will
keep the oil cold longer unless a thermostat is included.
To DonF - in the instance where OEM parts are missing/broken,
availability and cost of replacements make going to the expense and
complexity of an aftermarket cooler worth looking at.
To other L98 owners, my vote is that an existing, functional OEM cooler
should be left in place for anything short of demonstrated need in
the way of sustained temps above 240º (mineral oil) in your climate
& application.
.
Last edited by Slalom4me; Feb 6, 2007 at 03:03 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,441
Likes: 1
From: Woodway TX
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
From: OKlahoma City OK 89 vert
Back to oil control
I would get at least a oil pan baffle and scraper for crank. When I bought mine it was a kit with both. The scraper will need to be trimed.
The baffle stops the oil from rolling back and or up the back of the pan and engine. The stock pan should have a box in it that is good for the turns, but has cut out in back for pick up. That where the baffle helps. Or get new/larger pan with all that. I to like to auto cross, more than the drag races. Both are more fun than work or fishing.
Douglas
The baffle stops the oil from rolling back and or up the back of the pan and engine. The stock pan should have a box in it that is good for the turns, but has cut out in back for pick up. That where the baffle helps. Or get new/larger pan with all that. I to like to auto cross, more than the drag races. Both are more fun than work or fishing.
Douglas