pjo046 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Well, I have long thought that I'll do fine without an oil cooler for my engine. But the more I read about it, the more convinced I get that I will need one. An L28ET pushing over 400hp to the wheels at over 20psi of boost is going to need some sort of cooling I guess. So far I have not bought myself an upgraded radiator, I only have the stock 240Z radiator for now. Would my money be better spent on a new radiator than on a good oil cooler with a thermostat? Or is both things needed from the get go perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260ZRED Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 All the 280zx Turbos (pushing ~170 horsepower) had oil coolers. If the 170hp L28ET didn't need it why would Nissan go to through the trouble of putting an oil cooler on every car? Just something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjo046 Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 Only the automatics had oil coolers. + every eurospec 280ZXT. But yeah, I know. That's why I think I'll need one. Not sure wether to get that Setrab cooler with a built in thermostat that MSA sells, or if something else would be better. I like the idea of steelbraided hoses and -AN fittings, but such a setup will probably be too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtmny1999 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 you can use a 2nd gen rx-7 oil cooler in ur local junkyard........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 The RX7 cooler is supposed to be very good, but definitely run a thermostat in Norway!!! Otherwise your frozen oil won't be doing much good for your turbo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjo046 Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 You are forgetting one thing here people. I LIVE IN NORWAY! Hehe. You are obviously aware of it temperature-wise as you took that into consideration. But also, since living in Norway, I won't find a RX7 in any junkyard. There are only a handfull RX7's here in this country. As is there only a handfull of Datsun Z's here, and of 280ZXT's I have only ever seen one. All this is because of our ridiculously high car taxes..... There aren't many sportcars here in Norway, I'll tell you that!! So, I will have to get myself a new oil cooler. Won't find a decent used one anywhere. Or I could of course buy one of ebay. How much should I pay for a decent second gen RX7 cooler? If I upgrade my radiator, how about a radiator with a built in oil cooler? Or are there no such radiators that will fit in the 240Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nitr0 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 pjo046 - I have never heard of a radiator with a built in oil cooler, however Australian auto technology is about 30 years behind Europe, and I wouldnt be suprised if Audi / VW etc use those kinds of funky things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie-GNZ Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 pj, with that much power, I would run an oil cooler. The FC RX7 oil cooler is a nice piece. Using one in my car with about 550rwhp (when fully tuned). Prices will vary on eBay from just a few $$ to $80+. Here is an example of a "cheap" one that ends soon and has no bids probably because it has a dent at the bottom and is filthy. The dented part is not a tube so has no effect on functionality. It is cheap enough that shipping to Norway might make it worthwhile + 2 cans of brake cleaner http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Oil-Cooler-Lines-Mazda-Rx-7-Rx7-Turbo-II-GXL-GTU-13B_W0QQitemZ8033364796QQcategoryZ46095QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Other cars you look at for a used unit are the Jaguar XJ6 and SAAB 9000 turbo. My daily driver is a SAAB 9000 and it has a nice piece. Another good buy on eBay are Setrab coolers used in NASCAR. They are dual pass and prices will vary but probably a little higher than the OEMs. I am not against spending big $$$ for an aftermarket cooler but some of the OEM coolers are really good pieces. BTW, make sure you know where/how the cooler will be mouned especially if you have a FMIC. Also keep in mind you could find a good cheap cooler but end up spending more for lines and fittings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjo046 Posted February 5, 2006 Author Share Posted February 5, 2006 Does anyone have a link to a store where I can get a sandwhich adapter for the oil cooler, with a built in thermostat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjo046 Posted February 5, 2006 Author Share Posted February 5, 2006 The ones I found start letting oil through to the cooler at 160 degrees fahrenheit, and opens fully at 180F. Isn't this too low? As optimum oil temperatures are in the 200-230 area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 73TPIZ Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 I've seen a lot of trans fluid coolers run an external cooler but they also run through the radiator tank. That way the oil passes through the rad to bring it up to temp and the external to keep it from getting too hot. Something you may consider being in Norway. Later, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 oh yeh I forgot I have a radiator from an automatic transmission... which is coolant on top.. and then a reservoir for an automatic oil cooler on the bottom! Since I swapped to a 5-speed.. I can use that!!! psshh whoo hooo Also the coolant will act as a heat exchange.. so it will actually cool the oil even more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjo046 Posted February 5, 2006 Author Share Posted February 5, 2006 Will -12AN lines to the oil cooler be to big? I saw in another post that it was suggested at least -10AN so that it wouldn't cause a restriction. Wondering if -12AN might lead to a pressure loss? Was thinking -12AN lines into a 5-3/4X11 Setrab Oil Cooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 I was wondering the same thing. Recently I bought two oil coolers from the local yard...one,a Setrab unit from a Volvo Turbo....the other from an RX7..the RX7 unit is HUGE, And i seriously question wether or not its necessary to run a cooler that large on my car (looking for 300+ HP). my question for those that have oil coolers is just that, what unit would you go with? space is also a concern, for those with the RX7 cooler, where did you mount that massive thing! here is a picture of the Volvo cooler http://www.hyperocity.com/volvo240/images/Volvo/oemaccessories/oilcooler.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Tranny fluid coolers generally have smaller tubes than oil coolers and will create a flow volume problem (remember tranny fluid has a much lower viscosity than oil), so make sure you get an oil cooler and not a tranny cooler. I would imagine that this would apply to the radiator based tranny coolers too..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 There are heat exchanger type oil coolers where the coolant and oil run in tubes next to each other to transfer the heat from one to the other. I think that's a great idea if you have enough capacity in the cooling system and enough capacity in the heat exchanger to flow and cool the oil sufficiently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 I will also suggest an rx7 oil cooler. aluminum, can be found at a junkyard off a 2nd gen rx7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjo046 Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 I see many setrab oil coolers on ebay for between 30 and 70 dollars. Most of them have -8AN fittings. Is -8AN lines from and to the oil cooler to small and restrictive? Or will this be fine? And to my other question, does anyone know where to get one of those thermostat controlled oil-cooler sandwich-adapters that go between the block and the oil filter? The ones I found on Ebay had a thermostat that gradually opened after 160 degrees fahrenheit, and would be fully open at 180 degrees. From what I understand from reading posts written by Grumpyvette, TonyD and the likes the optimal oil temperature is somewhere around 200-210 degrees. So won't it be a bad thing then with a thermostat that activates the oil cooler when the oil has reached 170-180 degrees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 The RX-7 cooler has a built in thermostat. I forget what the opening temperature is. Nigel '73 240ZT - with RX-7 Oil Cooler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie-GNZ Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 The RX-7 cooler has a built in thermostat. I forget what the opening temperature is. Nigel '73 240ZT - with RX-7 Oil Cooler IIRC, it starts opening at 165*F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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