Engine Oil Cooler
Oil Producer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 9,363
Likes: 2,734
I HEAR you....and agree that in theory, those are the times/places you'd need a TB warmer or a oil to water oil cooler. But in practice, I don't see it. Never froze a TB -even in northern Maine winters and high Colorado blizzards....and never seen oil temps hit 300 in the LT1...so it's hard for me to figure how even on the track, a 4500 RPM'n L98 would need an oil cooler.
yeah and i hear you too. i never saw 300f / 148c on track, maybe i wouldnt have. i just know that when i did put the kc4 heat exchanger on, it lowered temps. But, its quite possible with mobil 1 or similar synthetic i woukdnt have hit 300f anyway...which as u say the 300f mark is the temp the syn oil supposedly loses its protection. quite possibly if you just run synthetic and make sure your oil temps never go over 300 u can and probably should run on track without it as one less potential failure point!!
👍😎
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
Yep.
IDK if 300 is even a noteworthy point. I THINK plain oil could provide protection up to that point (maybe higher), but would need more frequent changing. "Severe operating conditions". I just used that number b/c below it, is w/in my comfort zone. Above it....I'd want an oil cooler. My car does about 265F on the track with M1...so there is still quite a margin there.
IDK if 300 is even a noteworthy point. I THINK plain oil could provide protection up to that point (maybe higher), but would need more frequent changing. "Severe operating conditions". I just used that number b/c below it, is w/in my comfort zone. Above it....I'd want an oil cooler. My car does about 265F on the track with M1...so there is still quite a margin there.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 874
Likes: 76
What part is leaking? The metal tube or the rubber hose? A while back, my metal tube got a leak from rubbing on the frame. I got a replacement metal tube from a forum member and went ahead and also replaced the rubber hoses while it was apart. The hardest part was getting the hose on the upper passenger side off of the metal tube.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,147
Likes: 1,366
From: Mid-Atlantic
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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I completely removed all of the oil cooller components on my '90.
No difference that I can tell either. Other than the fact that I can run a larger oil filter now...
Last edited by Natty C; Oct 10, 2022 at 05:54 PM. Reason: typo
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,147
Likes: 1,366
From: Mid-Atlantic
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C4 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 874
Likes: 76
I had read that back when I was searching around after my pipe started leaking.
Though I put the replacement metal pipe in and there was like an inch gap between the pipe and cross frame. Though the original metal pipe on mine was a one piece where the mounting tab was welded to the pipe. And the replacement piece I got it was the older design with the clamp on bracket, which gets screwed into one of the oil pan bolts
I had the oil pan replaced many many years ago, and my thinking is they may have bent the pipe mounting bracket or something to where it started touching the frame that eventually years later cut a hole into. As the replacement pipe has like an inch clearance. So I would think if this was caused by worn motor mounts, then the replacement pipe would have been touching the metal frame too.
I will say it was a pain getting the bracket to clear so I could install the pipe. Only way I could figure was to bend the mounting tab a little so I could get the metal pipe in place, and then I believe I used a long screw driver and ran it through the hole in the mounting tab and then bent the mounting tab back into the correct angle. For a tip for anyone else who has to replace this pipe.
Though I put the replacement metal pipe in and there was like an inch gap between the pipe and cross frame. Though the original metal pipe on mine was a one piece where the mounting tab was welded to the pipe. And the replacement piece I got it was the older design with the clamp on bracket, which gets screwed into one of the oil pan bolts
I had the oil pan replaced many many years ago, and my thinking is they may have bent the pipe mounting bracket or something to where it started touching the frame that eventually years later cut a hole into. As the replacement pipe has like an inch clearance. So I would think if this was caused by worn motor mounts, then the replacement pipe would have been touching the metal frame too.
I will say it was a pain getting the bracket to clear so I could install the pipe. Only way I could figure was to bend the mounting tab a little so I could get the metal pipe in place, and then I believe I used a long screw driver and ran it through the hole in the mounting tab and then bent the mounting tab back into the correct angle. For a tip for anyone else who has to replace this pipe.
