Engine oil cooler?

[yossarian19]

Anyone know which kit works? having a hard time finding one for a '98. The ones I can find that are supposed to work don't quite look right...
Done it? Know a part number? Please, chime in..

 

[MoparManiac]

I didn't know there was a kit specifically for a 4.0. Which kits are you looking at?

You'll either need a sandwich adapter for a remote filter mount.

Most sandwich adapters I've seen use 3/8" NPT ports which IMO are too small for racing or really beating on something. I have no evidence to back that up, just my opinion. I bought an Earls adapter that has -10 ports and a thermostat.

 

[Talyn]

Why do you need one?

 

[yossarian19]

Why do I need one?
I don't.
I *want* one. Mostly because I get bored at times, partly to get better oil pressure at a hot idle (I know, its a bandaid)
There aren't any kits specifically for the Jeep that I know of. They are just for "3/4-16 filter" engines. I'd been thinking that the cooler / relocation kit would replace the jeep oil filter adapter, but it now looks to me that they thread onto the stock OFA & you hope your hose adapter threads land the right way?

 

[MoparManiac]

How does it help get better oil pressure at hot idle? At hot idle your oil temp is not going to be that high. It's going to be high when your beating on the engine through high revs/loads.

I have a rather large Derale oil cooler on my 440 with -10 inlets/outlets and at hot idle the oil pressure did not change. It did, however, cool the oil from about 240-250 while beating on it down to 200-210.

At least on the adapter I have, you place the sandwich adapter whichever way you want it to fit and thread a fitting over the factory 3/4-16 stud which clamps the sandwich adapter onto the factory adapter (double o-ring seal) and doubles as the new 3/4-16 oil filter stud.

 

[zachandandy]

I read that up to 20% of the engines heat is in the oil, has anyone seen a real world reduction in normal operating temps when running an engine oil cooler? With the tiny radiator on the xj, it seems like any additional cooling might be very beneficial?

 

[MoparManiac]

I haven't had my oil cooler on long enough to notice a difference.

I will say that during my last race before the oil cooler, my coolant temp never got over 180, while my engine oil temp got up to 260.

The engine didn't seem like it was running hot at all, but I was beating on it never letting it dip below about 2500-3000.

 

[yossarian19]

The easiest option is ERL510 from Earl's, add fittings / hose / cooler as needed. I'm running (going to run) a Volvo B230FT oil cooler that for all the world looks like some of those sold by Summit.
I suppose it depends how much cooling you get out of it. My thinking is like this: until the water temp has been at 210 for 5 minutes or better (no idea oil temp) my idle oil pressure is around 40 lbs. Once the oil is really up to temp, though, it slowly drops to what I'm guesstimating is 15 lbs (dash gauge isn't super accurate). If I can keep the oil cool enough it won't thin out & the pressure stays higher.

 

[bugout]

I've been thinking about putting an oil cooler on my rig. I've just been kicking around which adaptation. Sandwich adapter or relocate. Any opinions on which is more reliable and or better for a particular application???

Also, what kind of oil are you running. I was getting fair oil pressure reading on my dash gauge, then I switched to Rotella 15w40 and now my needle stays pegged. I haven't checked it with a mechanical pump yet and I know the dash gauges aren't reliable but that's gotta be an improvement.

 

[yossarian19]

I've been running either 5w30 or, on occasion, 10w30 over the last few years. No difference. My next change is going to be 15w40 Rotella, though.

Sandwhich adapter vs relocate... no difference in function that I could see. Just a matter of where you want your oil cooler. 1-2" straight back, or somewhere else entirely?

I'm going with sandwhich style based on price & having found one that will easily & definitely work for what I want it to do. I was looking at relocation, too, but ran into some uncertainty for finding one that would work.

I also started out with a free oil cooler, so just need the sandwhich, two nipples & a few feet of hose.

 

[Talyn]

I would go with the type that uses coolant to heat and cool the oil. This way the oil gets up to operating quicker and is also cooled.

 

[bugout]

The Rotella 15w40 is definitely good stuff. If your racing your rig, I would find a 20w50. Rotella stopped making there 20w50, I'm not sure why. Valvoline, Lucas and Royal Purple do though. I went with the Rotella 15w40 because I'm in SW Fla. Temps here are regularly in the high 90s with 100% humidity. Plus I bought it with 200K plus on the odometer. It has helped keep the motor a little cooler IMOO and it has definitely quieted down the valve chatter.

With the sandwich adapter, do you still have room to fit the oversized oil filter??? That's another concern of mine.....

 

[Johnnie Walker]

I would consider an oil analysis. Did you know that at approx. normal operating temp most modern oils are actually about 10 "weight"? For most oils the xxW-XX really does not mean anything in comparison to the oil. Also, a mech gauge is the only way to know what your true pressure is.

 

[Boostwerks.com]

I read that up to 20% of the engines heat is in the oil, has anyone seen a real world reduction in normal operating temps when running an engine oil cooler? With the tiny radiator on the xj, it seems like any additional cooling might be very beneficial?

Yes. However, in my experience an oil cooler won't really do any good unless the oil temps are approaching the 300deg mark. The closer to 200 (or normal operating temp) and a cooler really isn't going to do much good.

A large portion of the heat generated in an internal combustion engine is actually due to the valve springs being compressed. Because of this, the benefits of an oil cooler are normally greater with higher RPM applications such as racing or towing.

If it were me, I would invest in an oil temp gauge before going through the expense of installing a cooler.

EDIT: I also wanted to add that installing a cooler to gain oil pressure is a false way to approach a low pressure issue. More often than not, oil pressure actually drops slightly with the addition of a cooler due to the pressure drop across the core. Thicker oil, a new oil pump, or full rebuild is really the answer for a low pressure issue. Again, a cooler should only be considered if the oil temps are approaching 300deg.

 

[X E Ryder]

Re: Engine oil cooler? Passive?

Hey just browsing around while looking into other cooling options before this year's first trip, and I found this item - has anyone tried one?

Passive Oil Filter Cooler - If you tried one: Seem to work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190968460364

Clearly you would have to run a pan mounted oil temp gauge and try a similar drive the same day to prove anything I suppose.

 

[whitexj98]

Re: Engine oil cooler? Passive?

Hey just browsing around while looking into other cooling options before this year's first trip, and I found this item - has anyone tried one?

Passive Oil Filter Cooler - If you tried one: Seem to work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190968460364

Clearly you would have to run a pan mounted oil temp gauge and try a similar drive the same day to prove anything I suppose.

I like that! but not for my jeep ( IMO not needed) but that will work just dandy for my VW buggy!

 

[Digger87xj]

I have one on mine, mounted with its own cooling fan. No noticeable benefit, waste of time and money.

 

[yossarian19]

Yeah, that finned unit & ones like it are fine for most electronics but for cooling engine oil... I wouldn't bother.
Couldn't hurt anything but you aren't going to cool things down much, either.

 

[SolarBell]

The temperature differential between the lower engine bay near the engine and the oil isn't going to be that much, so you'd maybe get a couple degrees of cooling at best even if you pushed some air across it with a fan. Not worth it, IMO.

 

[O-Gauge Steamer]

This part is pure media hype, IMO... It is right up there with TB spacers.

Or muffler bearings...

Or Blinker Fluid....

Seriously, there would be no appreciable loss of heat. I know that there are very strong opinions about engine oil coolers here on . The overwhelming majority opinion is that they do nothing...

I respectfully disagree. They do work but, the installation must be done properly or you create more problems than you solve.

There are two parts that must be installed in addition to the actual cooler itself. The first is a high volume oil pump and the second is a thermostat in the oil lines. It is imperative that the oil come up to the minimum operating temperature so it can shed the moisture and solvents it collects at shut down. If this is not done, the oil will turn acidic. Bad things happen to the bearings....

Example of a good thermostat: http://www.jegs.com/i/Derale/259/25719/10002/-1?parentProductId=1335929#moreDetails

What you will see is that the T-Stat bypasses the cooler coil when the oil temperatures are below 180(F) with 90% of the oil bypassing the cooler. Why let any oil into the cooler? This is done to warm the cooler so as not to induce a thermal shock when the T-Stat operates.

I believe in coolers and would install one if I could only fine the space... In the past, I have used this exact T-Stat along with dual remote filter housings on all of the Hot Rods I have built. But, between the Flex-a-Lite transmission cooler and the PS cooler from an F350, there is no more room in front of the radiator.

The reason that you need a high volume oil pump is to promote a good flow rate through the entire system.

I would like to make a note here that my 1972 Mercedes 280 SEL 4.5 came with an engine oil cooler from the factory in Stuttgart... If they do nothing, why did Mercedes install one?