I need to put my 14x6" oil cooler in, and want to make sure it gets fresh air to help maximize efficiency on my heat exchangers.

I've thought about putting one of these in on the side of the bumper, below the side-marker light. I'll probably have to open it up with the dremel.


I also want to use the stock ducts on my r-pack lip for brake ducts, but I've never seen them utilized for this purpose. I've considered asking begi to make some rotor dust sheilds w/3" hose clampable thingies on it.
Thoughts?

 

Why spend the money for modified dust shields? Gary and I have both deleted the dust shields and use the existing bolt hole for holding the hose directly at the rotor.
Will look better with the modified dust shields, but not a necessity with my budget.

 

brake duct delete ftw

Sell your oil cooler and buy this one. Mount it in the gap between the belly pan and the bottom of the radiator. That'll give it direct air flow, remove any need for holes and ducts, and add lots of oil capacity.


And here's another, little narrower, just in case a lurker grabs the other.


and another


this would work too


These are all set up for the installing just under the rad- where most of the circle track racers run them.

 

I have pics of my setup at home. I'll upload when I get back. I've posted pics before, so you can probably find them in the DIY turbo area.

 

https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t30685/

It works great. When it is hot out and I'm driving hard, oil temps get up to 205-210F. When it is subzero cold, oil temps go down to 180F. Mission accomplished.

 

"out driving hard" is substantially different from what I'm doing.

 

Your car can fly?

 

I like this idea, and I could do it with my current oil cooler...but I have the scooper under there for the radiator. I'm trying to keep the car cool on a racetrack so I want to use fresh air, rather than compromise the airflow to other heat exchangers.

And before everyone suggests it, I'm not hacking-up the front of the bumper because I still drive the car on the street and want it to be presentable.

 

I "DO" like those oil coolers!

 

driving from stop-light to stop light is a little different than running on a ******* racetrack, tucked behind cars.

 

Here in Florida you can easily get up to 90-100mph for hours at a time on the highways. Driving at high speeds in 100+ degree temps with the A/C on, I have managed to overheat the car multiple times. My current cooling setup was prompted by this.

Note that I never managed to overheat the car tracking it, mostly because I expected heating problems and ran the heater full blast instead of the A/C. I haven't taken the current setup to the track, but I think it will do well. I think the coolant reroute will address most of the heat issues and the oil cooler provides a little extra on top of that.

I think that the sizes of oil coolers you are looking at are far too small to act as a true second radiator. The air cooled porsche and VW guys that I have known ran pretty big oil coolers.

 

what about what mike riv did? those 3 slots in the bumper with the oil cooler behind them.

 

Oil temps are the priority. Lower the oil temps and reduce the load on the cooling system. That gap between the base of the rad and the undertray is probably about 2", so you either have to seal it off and force that air through the other exchangers OR you mount the oil cooler there and take advantage of it. OR tilt the cooler some and provide more surface exposure to oncoming air. OR mod the undertray and open the gap up for more direct air flow to the oil cooler.

I'd try the gap as is and see what happens on track. But those coolers are going to significantly increase your capacity which also drops the oil temp. I think it's a simple solution that works- which is why it's done by the roundyroundracers.

For reference, a friend of mine tracked his 95 AVO turbo @12+ psi for three years in the SE with only the OE water/oil cooler and never had any noticeable issues from overheating oil.

Jim- You realize those oil coolers above are for 700hp nascar engines? My mercedes oil cooler is 20x4x2 and will hold over a quart of oil. Those coolers probably hold 2 quarts - at least. Your doesn't even hold of quart of oil (no end tanks). Just removing the oil from the engine cools it - porsche 911s didn't even have a physical cooler, just a loop in a front fender well that ran from the engine to the fender and back to the engine. That said - I have the same design cooler you do, but half the size and it drops peak temps about 30f vs. no cooler.

 

I have one of these:

I plan on using that, with the gap for air on the radiator.

I think going to the side of the bumper is my best bet. So you think I should keep my current oil cooler or get something bigger? I'd rather not have to run 6-quarts.

 

Get a few track sessions in before you decide you need to start buying oil by the case. You will have to redo alot of what you already purchased by changing oil coolers now. I think you will be fine. The vents you are contemplating for the bumper will be fashionable and functional. Best of both worlds for your car.

 

some pictures of a local guy over here and the way i copyed his setup:











I have my oil cooler mounted in front of the passenger side wheel behind the bumper just like Mike does in the pictures above. I have only be able to make 1 track event since the new motor/turbo/oil cooler setup but i wasn't able to get the temps above 230*f

Im going to laguna seca in march and will test it out again, ill be bringing a dremel and rivet gun as well..

Keep in mind, in the rain it gets wet, causing mad steam at stop lights/signs ect.

 

There you go...... Nice!

 

I didn't realize the scooper closed up the gap like that. I would definitely seal scooper up tight around those ends- around the IC inlet. The mouth must be sealed to attain maximum benefit from oncoming air. I should have mentioned that the AVO car did run an extractor hood that was required to keep the coolant temps in check during the summer track events. Running the scooper will help with oil temps since you're increasing the cooling ability of the radiator. I think you could position the cooler like Jim in the mouth and get sufficient oil cooling. BUT all of this is speculating - you're going to have to test your **** at some point and then make changes - it's inevitable.

 

Yeah, sorry I do realize that.

I do realize that cooling the oil is really important. I meant that compared to the amount of work that the radiator does, the oil cooler isn't going to carry away as much heat from the engine. If the water pump and radiator aren't doing their job, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle. There's a big thermally conductive pile of metal connecting the oil and water. The more heat you pump out of the engine with the water, the less work you impose upon the oil cooler. Any attempt to address cooling issues on a miata should start with coolant reroute, radiator and fans.

Also, what do you guys think of low temp thermostats? I know that a lot of the spec miata guys argue endlessly about whether to even run one at all. It might help in lowering the off-power equilibrium temperature of the coolant which would give a bigger buffer before heating. As hard as track driving is on the cooling system, you aren't always accelerating full blast- you're just as often braking or turning while using some non-WOT level of power.

I suppose I could test my oil cooler when it gets warmer by looping the oil thermostat back to itself instead of through the oil cooler. See how much higher the temps get.

 

I have the big begi scoop and a semi V mount intercooler set up and I welded brackets on to the scoop and puut the oil cooler inbetween the radiator and the intercooler so the air from the scoop blows right on it, and my car almost ran cold at the track with the stock radiator.