OIL COOLER QUESTION

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Feb 25, 2010 | 03:51 PM

AJHEATING

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Jul 2007

Posts: 105

Likes: 1

OIL COOLER QUESTION

Has anyone ever used there built in tranny cooler in there radiator as a oil cooler. can you? how? Do You use a adaptor between engine and oil filter.I was just wandering because I have a big block radiator and a manual transmission and why let it go to waste. thanks

Feb 26, 2010 | 09:15 AM

f100jim

Elder User

Joined: Nov 2004

Posts: 666

Likes: 5

The problem with the trans cooler in the radiator is that it much too restrictive to use as an engine oil cooler. It is made to take a very small line flowing ATF, which is about as viscous as water when it is hot, at a fairly low flow rate. An engine oil cooler typically has about a 1/2" bore to handle the flow rate and higher viscosity of the oil.

Feb 26, 2010 | 09:44 AM

AJHEATING

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Jul 2007

Posts: 105

Likes: 1

Thank you for the answer. Thats all I needed to know.

Feb 26, 2010 | 08:23 PM

freednighthawk

Junior User

Joined: Sep 2009

Posts: 96

Likes: 0

From: Laramie Wyoming

To answer your other question, yes, you would use an adapter between the filter and block. Called a sandwhich adapter. Pretty much all autoparts stores should have them, but Jegs or Summit have a much much much MUCH bigger selection of them.

Feb 27, 2010 | 01:50 PM

F-250 restorer

Lead Driver

Joined: Mar 2008

Posts: 7,182

Likes: 380

From: Near Los Angeles

I used the oil radiator type. If I did it again I would use copper line, with an electric fan, and keep it as close to the engine as possible. When I put mine in I used soft line, and put it by the radiator. It caused a 10 psi drop in oil pressure.

Feb 28, 2010 | 06:46 PM

jimbbski

Elder User

Joined: Nov 2009

Posts: 666

Likes: 0

From: Chicago area

Another method is to install an oil-to-water cooler adaptor where it screws to the block where the oil filter does. Ford installed these on Explorers where the lower radiator hose attached to it and then had another hose coming out that went back to the engine. Depending upon room sometimes you had to run a shorter oil filter to fit the cooler on it. All of the EFI 2.3L Turbo cars from the 80's used a similar oil cooler but the water inlet and outlet was sized for 5/8 heater hose.

My SVT Contour has just such a oil cooler from the factory.

One advantage of this type of cooler is that in the winter your oil temp will not be over cooled as it would be if you used a oil-to-air. Also you do not have to run high pressure lines to the radiator if you went with the cooler in the radiator. You just need rubber hose and hose clamps. The coolers that use heater hose size fittings are the easiest to install as you do not have to have special radiator hoses that the Explorer used.

Feb 28, 2010 | 08:58 PM

phyrekitsune

Senior User

Joined: Jul 2007

Posts: 139

Likes: 0

From: Milwaukee, WI

jimbbski, I might mention that there are oil cooler install kits available from brands like Hayden that use a thermostatic valve to bypass the cooler when the oil is cold. This, I would think, would prevent overcooling the oil in winter.