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Placement of Oil Cooler


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Hi im wondering where you guys placed your ooil coolers. I know they're stock in 280zxt and placed in the fender well. Im tempeted to do the same with mine, but on my 280z id have to cut 2 holes. Or did you guys go the custom route and make your own lines?

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Most people just put them right in front of the rad/intercooler. This is my old setup:

 

Zed.jpg

 

I forget what the brackets I used were originally for, but they came from a 280/280zx. There's mounted to a piece of steel bar stock that I riveted to the lower portion of the radiator support, which I had used to mount the bottom of my intercooler to. Not the best way to do things, but it worked for the time.

 

Tomorrow my low profile oil cooler is coming in the mail, and will go in a different location. I'll be modifying the steel bar so that it will still support the intercooler, but the oil cooler will sit in a "V" orientation to it. Hard to explain without showing, but it should be a much better setup.

Edited by Oddmanout84
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Oddman I know its not a stock oil cooler but what fittings and hose did you use? did you buy new banjo fittings?

 

I dunno, they came with the motor I bought. Lines are about 9/16" ID, the same size as -10AN hose. The fittings (other than the banjos) were kinda weird, and they're also going the way of my old oil cooler. Replacing them with braided stainless lines of the same size. As explained recently on another thread, the thread size for where the banjo fittings bolted up to on the adapter should be M18x1.5. I'll be doing that as opposed to reusing the old banjo fittings.

 

Lance, love the Bosozoku style there. That's one way to spend an extra $50, lol!

Edited by Oddmanout84
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This is where I placed mine. Oil cooler is made by Permacool. Lines and fittings are -10 and I am using a Permacool thermostat and oil filter adapter kit that threads to the block. Not a cheap set-up but a very effective set-up and I also have an Auotmete oil temperature gauge mounted in my dash.

373005607.jpg

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Lance, love the Bosozoku style there. That's one way to spend an extra $50, lol!

 

B) Yessir, I've contemplated doing something similar, but I'm still debating if I'm comfortable with leaving all those fittings and the cooler out where someone can mess with them... Definitely rules out the car as a grocery getter!

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Why not follow Nissan's lead and put it under the fender? That's what I'll be doing with my SC'd L28 240Z. If more air flow is desired then a small fan could be added. It's better protected from road debri and doesn't hinder airflow through the radiator. A massive loss of oil through debri damages to that front mounted cooler could cause massive engine failure before you realized what was happening. I'll also be using a water/air aftercooler with a low/long/thin radiator which also minimizes air flow restrictions through the 'real' radiator (very similar to the Ford Cobra arrangement).

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Well, my front opening (which will be further ducted as soon as I finish the prototype) is going to be covered by some aluminium grill mesh I've had laying around for the last 10 years. So my oil cooler is safe until the car ingests a medium sized mammal on the freeway.

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Better protected from road debris in the fender?

 

I would take issue with that, as Nissan took great pains to duct air to the area and back out, keeping the cooler from debris flung from the tire!

 

I would say high and in the middle of the car is the best 'protected' spot, and as mentioned in fender vents...even moreso from something entering from the road...

 

Good screen works to keep out most stuff that would damage it.

 

Gotta love the 1st Gen RX7 Coolers!!!

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  • 1 month later...

Just an FYI. Those tube type oil coolers create a significant pressure drop. In most cases they are not an issue because there is a good deal of pressure reserve with the L6 oil pump but in a racing situation where you're running at high rpm a good deal of the time a stacked plate oil cooler has a much lower pressure drop.

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