Oil cooler project. Was: Oil cooler fitting woes
#21
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Dear lord what a nightmare.
It was going to be a pain to access the lines and sandwich plate without removing the intake manifold, so that came off. I also decided to tackle the clutch line replacement that I got here, https://www.miataturbo.net/group-buys-member-discounts-23/stainless-steel-clutch-line-gb-42901/, NINE months ago, along with a mild wire tuck on the passenger side. On top of fabbing up some block off plates for Wayne_curr, and having to take off the alternator bracket to make some clearance, it was giant pain, but it's now done. The orientation shown won't work, there's no way to tighten that intake manifold bolt directly above the two lines. After these pictures were taken, I had to rotate the lines so they were under the alternator bracket, and cut a "V" out of the underside so they'd fit.
It was going to be a pain to access the lines and sandwich plate without removing the intake manifold, so that came off. I also decided to tackle the clutch line replacement that I got here, https://www.miataturbo.net/group-buys-member-discounts-23/stainless-steel-clutch-line-gb-42901/, NINE months ago, along with a mild wire tuck on the passenger side. On top of fabbing up some block off plates for Wayne_curr, and having to take off the alternator bracket to make some clearance, it was giant pain, but it's now done. The orientation shown won't work, there's no way to tighten that intake manifold bolt directly above the two lines. After these pictures were taken, I had to rotate the lines so they were under the alternator bracket, and cut a "V" out of the underside so they'd fit.
#22
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Curly, i was under the impression I had my oil cooler upside down, mine is also feeding from the bottom like yours.
Also wanted to know how much teh line and fittings all ran you. I am considering redoing mine with SS lines and real fittings with a properly ducted cooler.
Also wanted to know how much teh line and fittings all ran you. I am considering redoing mine with SS lines and real fittings with a properly ducted cooler.
#23
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90* fittings are $15 each, NPT->AN are $4 each, and 10' of Summit's cheapest hose was $45. The cooler came from RPW at $48 I think. So since you already have a cooler, that's $120 in fittings and hoses, although you could save $15 by using your 90* adapters. So that's ~$105. I wouldn't though, you can't tighten them properly and get the angle you want. With swivel adapters, you can. You can save another $15 if you can get away with 4 feet less in hose. As you can see in that last picture, my placement and routing could get away with about 2 feet less on the left fitting, and about 1 foot less for the right fitting, so I had to do a 10' piece. You're fortunate since you can pull your rubber hoses off and measure exactly what you need.
#24
@tsb i have some extra fittings from my oil cooler you can have. (they are from lpiracing). (btw the advantage of local is you can get half the line and see exactly how much u need.)
@curly just thought i'd mention, i have one of these which i really like (http://www.cmfilters.com/oil_filters.html)
can i ask y'all a real embarrasing question? how do you change oil? i have been just leaving the old oil in the lines/cooler figuring i change often enough, who cares if there is a 3 quarts of old oil in the lines. but i was considering doing a UOA ala hustler and wanted to start with fresh everywhere.
how do u do it?
EDIT: i see curly wrote he put the cooler with fittings facing down. mine are facing up... i'm stuck i guess....
@curly just thought i'd mention, i have one of these which i really like (http://www.cmfilters.com/oil_filters.html)
can i ask y'all a real embarrasing question? how do you change oil? i have been just leaving the old oil in the lines/cooler figuring i change often enough, who cares if there is a 3 quarts of old oil in the lines. but i was considering doing a UOA ala hustler and wanted to start with fresh everywhere.
how do u do it?
EDIT: i see curly wrote he put the cooler with fittings facing down. mine are facing up... i'm stuck i guess....
Last edited by jasonb; 10-07-2010 at 12:25 AM.
#25
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Just as if I didn't have an oil cooler. Like I said, I think enough of the oil from he cooler comes out. If you feel bad about the dirty oil in the cooler, you should be removing the head and cleaning it out every oil change. That's my opinion anyways.
#26
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Hustler tells me the cooler will fill with air if the fittings are on the bottom. I have this same cooler, practically no air, if any flows through it, fittings on the bottom and i saw 300+ oil temps last time on track (in 100*+ heat though)
I may try a NASA duct in the bumper to try and get some air into and through the cooler as well as flipping it around. My current lines are for sure way to short, they are at the longest distance where they currently sit and I am not totally happy with it.
Jason, I will GLADLY take you up on that offer! You dont happen to have any extra line do you? I was about to place an order tonight or tomorrow. Also, was wondering where locally was for the hose? Only place I can think of off the top of my head is Royal Brass in SJ.
This, i just change it i never really though about how much "extra" oil is really in there. However, my oil never has more than 150 track miles on it anyways it gets changed so often :/
I may try a NASA duct in the bumper to try and get some air into and through the cooler as well as flipping it around. My current lines are for sure way to short, they are at the longest distance where they currently sit and I am not totally happy with it.
This, i just change it i never really though about how much "extra" oil is really in there. However, my oil never has more than 150 track miles on it anyways it gets changed so often :/
#28
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Too much cooling for how many street miles my car sees. I compromised by staying with the same design, but went a little bigger. From how cheap the lines were, I'm assuming that even the same sized TRU-cooler would have been better than my Egay unit.
Not to mention my cooler was $45+$8 in adapters. A used RX-7 would cost about the same, but aren't the nessecary adapters kind of expensive?
Not to mention my cooler was $45+$8 in adapters. A used RX-7 would cost about the same, but aren't the nessecary adapters kind of expensive?
#29
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http://www.anplumbing.com/shop/index...p=&dept=Metric
Part # 9919FFK
11 bucks each to get it to -10AN, in addition to the rest of the fittings. Hopefully i can find a cheap rx7 unit FAST. Anyone whos got one for sale, or finds one for the cheap please PM me. Ill <3 you forever!
Part # 9919FFK
11 bucks each to get it to -10AN, in addition to the rest of the fittings. Hopefully i can find a cheap rx7 unit FAST. Anyone whos got one for sale, or finds one for the cheap please PM me. Ill <3 you forever!
#32
Why no oil filter relocation? You already have must of the work done. I always hated changing the filter on my car. It makes a mess and its a pain in the *** to get to, and if it gets too tight from the last oil change...This is what I did, I could have run another straight fitting towards the front of the car and ran an oil cooler but was too lazy to mount one up.
One thing we do in our Legends Cars is mount the oil coolers sideways and pump the oil in threw the bottom. That way the oil is in the cooler longer as it is being fed up through the rows instead of just running down. I am curious as to how it will work with it mounted upside down.
I am not trying to sound like I am bashing, so please dont think I am.
-Ryan
One thing we do in our Legends Cars is mount the oil coolers sideways and pump the oil in threw the bottom. That way the oil is in the cooler longer as it is being fed up through the rows instead of just running down. I am curious as to how it will work with it mounted upside down.
I am not trying to sound like I am bashing, so please dont think I am.
-Ryan
#33
Jason, I will GLADLY take you up on that offer! You dont happen to have any extra line do you? I was about to place an order tonight or tomorrow. Also, was wondering where locally was for the hose? Only place I can think of off the top of my head is Royal Brass in SJ.
i got 12" hosed left is all. i got fittings and hose from lpiracing ppl. they are in livermore so lots closer for me than for u. they have really good selection of fittings though. picture 8' x 6' wall of fittings.
actually, i'm thinking of heading out there to see about fuel stuff, if you want me to pick u anything, just holler.
#34
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I'm thinking about trying that RX7 oil cooler again but I want to keep the crash beam. I may get Abe to reweld some of the fittings in a different location so I can put it in front of the radiator. I also want to do a filter relocation...but $$$ makes me sad.
#35
those xrp fittings go on really hard. but i found the following technique worked to get the little buggers on:
put a little motor oil on the outside of the stainless and get the fitting over the edge of the stainless (leaving the original tape on, but only 400* worth or so).
then get some of those sticky atlas gloves
to hold the hose and press the fitting against a car tire. the rubber will hold the fitting and it will go on super easy (< 5sec).
then mark the hose with a sharpie near the fitting (this will let you see if the fitting is getting pulled off the hose when you start tightening things down)
put the other half of the fitting over the end of the hose and carefully screw the halves together. then just be careful not to strip the threads when you start tightening. its aluminum and a little bit soft for the first couple of turns.
put a little motor oil on the outside of the stainless and get the fitting over the edge of the stainless (leaving the original tape on, but only 400* worth or so).
then get some of those sticky atlas gloves
to hold the hose and press the fitting against a car tire. the rubber will hold the fitting and it will go on super easy (< 5sec).
then mark the hose with a sharpie near the fitting (this will let you see if the fitting is getting pulled off the hose when you start tightening things down)
put the other half of the fitting over the end of the hose and carefully screw the halves together. then just be careful not to strip the threads when you start tightening. its aluminum and a little bit soft for the first couple of turns.
Last edited by jasonb; 10-08-2010 at 02:28 AM.
#36
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Why no oil filter relocation? You already have must of the work done. I always hated changing the filter on my car. It makes a mess and its a pain in the *** to get to, and if it gets too tight from the last oil change...This is what I did, I could have run another straight fitting towards the front of the car and ran an oil cooler but was too lazy to mount one up.
One thing we do in our Legends Cars is mount the oil coolers sideways and pump the oil in threw the bottom. That way the oil is in the cooler longer as it is being fed up through the rows instead of just running down. I am curious as to how it will work with it mounted upside down.
I am not trying to sound like I am bashing, so please dont think I am.
-Ryan
One thing we do in our Legends Cars is mount the oil coolers sideways and pump the oil in threw the bottom. That way the oil is in the cooler longer as it is being fed up through the rows instead of just running down. I am curious as to how it will work with it mounted upside down.
I am not trying to sound like I am bashing, so please dont think I am.
-Ryan
However, your setup is the first I really like. It's not the usual STUPID firewall location.
I like the idea of mounting it sideways. Although I'm not sure if your logic about pumping it in from the bottom is true. You're feeding it at 45ish psi. So you're either staying at 45ish psi or you're loosing oil pressure because of the setup.
#37
Yeah, you are probably right about the way the lines are plumbed. I could see if it only made 5 psi then it might be more necessary. But then again we arent pumping that match psi out of the engines in the Legends Cars, maybe 20 or so. We dont run any gauges so I really dont know. Maybe I will hook one up this weekend for Buttonwillow and find out. Glad you like my setup though, I was pleased with it.
#38
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P.S. I see your charcoal canister line is VTA like mine. Last track day I had it was puking gas out. Ever have that problem? It was 105*+, and I was running a rising rate fuel pressure regulator, so that ups the fuel tank pressure to 120psi or so. I'm hoping with MS that problem is gone, but would like your input.
P.P.S. I'll get some more pictures up as soon as I get the new fittings in. Had to ship those F'ing steel fittings back. So much for saving a couple bucks.
P.P.S. I'll get some more pictures up as soon as I get the new fittings in. Had to ship those F'ing steel fittings back. So much for saving a couple bucks.
#39
I have a question for all of you with "inverted" style oil coolers where the oil feed and return lines are at the bottom of the cooler.
How do you remove the air from the oil cooler?
It seems to me: if you install the cooler inverted without any oil in it, you oil pump will have to fill the cooler. The cooler immediately begins filling with oil (or fills up once a thermostat redirects the oil) but the oil all stays in the bottom of the cooler. Theres a rather large air pocket at the top of the oil cooler that isn't filling with oil, and isn't helping you cool the oil. If there isn't a lot of oil restriction on the "out" line of the oil cooler, then the oil simply flows in, and then back out. Oil pressure in the cooler will help to compress the air, but you've still got a massive air pocket in there. Also, if you're driving and your oil pressure drops momentarily (for instance, if you're tracking the car, and brake hard from a long straight into a tight curve) then you add a small air bubble to the oil cooler during that instance when you weren't picking up oil. If you add enough of these small pre-compressed air bubbles, it eventually forces more and more oil capacity out of the oil cooler.
Am I missing something, or do you have some sort of magical 'air purge' valve that releases air pressure from the top without letting oil through?
If the fittings were at the top, oil would immediately fall to the bottom of the oil cooler until the oil cooler was full, thus forcing all of the air out of the cooler on first start. Any air bubbles would be quickly dealt with as well.
So, how do you inverted guys do it?
How do you remove the air from the oil cooler?
It seems to me: if you install the cooler inverted without any oil in it, you oil pump will have to fill the cooler. The cooler immediately begins filling with oil (or fills up once a thermostat redirects the oil) but the oil all stays in the bottom of the cooler. Theres a rather large air pocket at the top of the oil cooler that isn't filling with oil, and isn't helping you cool the oil. If there isn't a lot of oil restriction on the "out" line of the oil cooler, then the oil simply flows in, and then back out. Oil pressure in the cooler will help to compress the air, but you've still got a massive air pocket in there. Also, if you're driving and your oil pressure drops momentarily (for instance, if you're tracking the car, and brake hard from a long straight into a tight curve) then you add a small air bubble to the oil cooler during that instance when you weren't picking up oil. If you add enough of these small pre-compressed air bubbles, it eventually forces more and more oil capacity out of the oil cooler.
Am I missing something, or do you have some sort of magical 'air purge' valve that releases air pressure from the top without letting oil through?
If the fittings were at the top, oil would immediately fall to the bottom of the oil cooler until the oil cooler was full, thus forcing all of the air out of the cooler on first start. Any air bubbles would be quickly dealt with as well.
So, how do you inverted guys do it?