Due to popular demand, I have developed a seven plate (huge) aluminum engine oil cooler to install into our Direct Fit aluminum radiator. Now you racers have a chance to input your wishes.

What size oil ports would you like to see?
What are the other guys offering?
Who makes the oil adapters?
What size/length lines are required.

I believe the most common connection is a #8AN fitting. The inside diameter is about 3/8" hole. Any comments or input is welcome.

 

I dont remember off hand what sizes were used but I know they were -8 or -10AN hoses. As for oil adapters I think the one LGM offers is the best as it works with both Kooks and LGM headers (at least in my car it has) and it is priced very reasonable. I look forward to this as I will be needing a new radiator and this sounds promising.

 

Hi Tom,

How would this setup work for those of us who already have a radiator from you? Can the auto tranny cooler be adapted to run as an engine oil cooler? I bought an auto model rad for my manual car and have been digging around to see if using that cooler as an oil cooler is a good idea... hoping you might have some insight.

 

If you are meaning the fitting size going to the cooler, then it depends on the tube size. 1/2" tubes typically go with a 3/8" NPT size fitting.
DRM, Xtreme Motorsport Engineering (XMS) both make adapters to use the oil temp sensor location on the LSx engines. Many make adapters that bolt to the oil filter boss. Problem with those is that either: a. the oil filter now hangs down lower, or b. a remote oil filter has to be run.
Although the 3/8" NPT fittings can be had in both -8 and -10 sizes, if the customer uses the engine block adapter, then -8 fittings will most likely be used. They're a tight fit by themselves; I don't think -10 fittings would fit. The XMS and DRM adapters are made for -8 fittings. Length is going to be completely dependent on the installation.

You can read my adventures (Successful in the end!) with an external oil cooler install at http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=895460 .

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

Put the inlet / outlet on the lower drivers side and we'll figure out the rest.

 

Tom,

I would vote for #12 AN fittings.

I have a Ron Davis Racing radiator, with an integral oil cooler. I am using Earl's #12 AN fittings and their Pro-Lite 350 hoses. I have plumbed in twin oil filters and an using Canton Racing's oil filter adapter as the entry and exit point for the engine oil.

I believe that #8 hoses and fittings are too small and offer too much restriction and pressure drop.

Good luck with you new cooler.

 

-12AN fittings (more flow and oil volume)
-put ports on driver side of radiator.
-block oil adapter tapped for stock oil temp sensor threads (or include metric-to-npt adapter)
-oil adapter and lines must clear aftermarket headers
-high temp termal sleeves for oil lines that run along block/headers

Robert
www.gen3motorsports.com
PS- send me a beta kit to try out for ya!!

 

How more restrictive is -8an compared to -12an lines and fittings? Are we talking 10 psi, 2 psi, 20 psi? Also how would -10an be compared to -8an fittings and lines?

Keith

 

Keith,

Yeah, I got lots of opinions, but very little data. That's why I documented all of my testing. Bottom line, I saw at most a 1-2 psi pressure drop during normal street driving, which I consider to be within the error range of the sensor itself. At 183 degrees, on the street, I did a rpm/pressure reading test which I documented in my above post. PSI at 5000 rpm was 59.

Lowest pressure I saw on the track with temps in the 240s was in the 30s. Idle in the pits was 27.

So, is there a pressure drop? Academically, sure. Would -10 lines have less drop than -8s? Academically, sure. What I know is that there are quite a few of us out here with similar setups to mine, and I don't know of any that have had pressure drop problems, unless, like my friend's Z06, there were pre-existing problems.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

My concern for oil coolers is still being able to get the oil up to around, at least, 210 F when driving on the street. Maybe provision for a thermostat?

 

That isn't going to be possible. The cooler that goes into the radiator end tank is huge and it will not fit into the driver (inlet) side tank. Besides that, you want the cooler in the outlet tank because that's the cooled side.

I am a retired hydraulic engineer so I've had a lot of practice at sizing lines. Typcally a slight neck down in one fitting isn't going to result in a lot of pressure drop. Pressure drop only occurs when you have high flow in a small conductor. Typcially we would use a #8AN up to about 10 gallons per minute (10gpm), then you might go to #10 at 11-15 gpm, and #12 at 16-20 gpm. Does anyone know what flow the oil pumps actually are?

I think what we'll do is make the cooler and adapters with #10 SAE o'ring ports. This is a standard female connection that you can get fittings for #8, #10, and #12AN. Then you can run any size hose you feel necessary. Since these coolers are aluminum, the material is soft and subject to striping the threads or cracking the cooler due to over tightening. By using the straight thread o'ring seal, the fittings only need to be snugged with a wrench after hand tight to get them to seal. Plus an o'ring seal is much more reliable than a pipe thread.

 

Rich,

My research came up with a general consensus that you need to get the oil up to around 170 or better. That seems to be about the point where you can dry the water/acids out of the oil faster than combustion can introduce them.

I did put a t'stat in mine to make sure the oil got up to temp. I'm seeing 178 moseying around town, and about 182-185 on the highway (the t'stats actuation point is 180, and is from PermaKool).

Don't know if a t'stat is needed for a water based oil cooler or not.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

As for fitting size, go one bigger than requested and then anyone can adapt down as needed. Can't very easily go the other way.

 

Tom,
When you get this buttoned down, I would be interested in getting one. Sounds like a good winter project and you're almost in my backyard. If you want a test vehicle, I'd be willing to make that "sacrifice".
Phil