Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea - Performance Forum

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Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Monday, August 26, 2013 2:48 PM
So i was thinking of ideas to keep engine oil colder and i had possibly, though of a good idea. I thought of getting a good oil filter relocation kit, make a nice aluminum box with a drain plug and heat sinks, place it under the car where water and wind would chill the box, fill it with water, and run the relocated oil filter in the water filled box. Good idea eh? the oil filter is a sealed unit so water would not enter your oil system unless you dont screw the filter on tight enough. So ALL of your oil would be cooled instead of some of it like a universal or factory oil cooler. let me know if you guys think its practical

Re: Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Monday, August 26, 2013 2:57 PM
You know oil coolers really aren't that expensive to begin with?

So you mean stick the whole filter in the cooler box? So every oil change, you're going to need to drain the cooler box just in order to change your filter? Besides, I wouldn't want to risk something leaking/not seating properly/etc and getting water into the oil system. Besides, til you buy a relocation kit, lines and fittings to plumb everything, and either aluminum sheets or pay someone to make a box...you probably just bought an actual oil cooler kit.

Thumbs up for trying to do something on you own, but I don't think the wheel always needs to be reinvented. Oil cooler kits work fine as is, and are plenty affordable.






Re: Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Monday, August 26, 2013 3:08 PM
A universal oil cooler works pretty well as is no need to really go more extreme then that. Kudos for thinking out of the box but if you're running high oil temps with a traditional cooler you have problems else where. Also a good cooling system helps lower oil temps too so upgrading there will also help with temps.
Re: Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Monday, August 26, 2013 3:54 PM
I smell milkshakes.



Re: Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Monday, August 26, 2013 4:37 PM
Thanks for the feedback guys. I agree with what you say but this was an idea for my dads high compression vr6 track car. Not a DD. The cylinders are so close together even the thickest of oils get thin when I run it for half an hour. Of course an easy removable top would be fabricated into the box to make filter changes a breeze without draining it(lines go in the top). And im sure it would be useful for keeping big trim turbos cool. If you have no idea what your doing, yeah you'd get water in the system, but people like that dont try projects like this. I smell non burnt oil, not milkshakes.
Re: Cheap
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 6:46 AM
Why not just plumb the oil cooling radiator in with the filter relocation kit?
Skip the sandwich unit.
That way all of the oil would go through, and it's a cleaner install.





Re: Cheap
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 11:39 AM
Mr. Quick wrote:Why not just plumb the oil cooling radiator in with the filter relocation kit?
Skip the sandwich unit.
That way all of the oil would go through, and it's a cleaner install.


^^ That is exactly how my B&M Unit is run.

Oil filter relocation plate on the block goes to the cooler, goes to the filter, goes back to the block.

-Chris-



-Sweetness-
-Turbocharged-
Slowly but surely may some day win this race...
Re: Cheap
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 3:19 PM
Um.... do you plan on changing the water daily? Ambient temp water isn't going to do jack for you. So unless you plan on running a cooling circuit with an ice bucket similar to a water to air intercooler, you aren't going to drop oil temp.

Just like everyone else, I think it's much easier to plumb a cooler into the filter relocation kit (or vice versa, since a filter relocation kit on it's own is pretty pointless), you can even add some ducting into the cooler to force more air through it. Use a bar and plate cooler, and a thermostat (even though it sounds like you might not need it, but just to be safe and not over cool).
.



Re: Cheap
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 8:05 AM
why not do an LSJ swap, it has an oil cooler built in... O.o


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
Re: Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 8:53 AM
blu04DD wrote:why not do an LSJ swap, it has an oil cooler built in... O.o

Jason Walp wrote: this was an idea for my dads high compression vr6 track car.



Agreed with everyone else though. A decent conventional oil cooler should do you just fine.



"In Oldskool we trust"
Re: Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 9:17 AM
hell you might even be able to tap and mount an LSJ oil cooler right up to your L61, considering the mounting location is identical and on the L61 its just a smooth, flush surface. Just have to run the lines into your thermostat/waterpump line like on an LSJ. But this probably wouldnt yield the type of cooling effect you're looking for, considering its a race set up. Im contemplating removing my oil cooler at this very moment as im not even sure its all that necessary for dd/weekend cruising (though i am in southern TX..sooooo.....)


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

Re: Cheap "water cooled" oil cooler idea
Thursday, August 29, 2013 3:28 AM
Keeping oil cold isn't a good idea oil lubricates best usually around coolant temp that's why the factory track pack on a 13 gt500 has a thermostatic oil cooler it lets it get up to the factory specified temp and then circulates it with a well designed cooling system so it can regulate the temp tyre near ideal. If the oil is too cold the viscosity could be too thick for optimal engine clearances under loading. I read an article in hot rod that stated ideal temp for oil is between 180-220 which unless you have a f/I I don't see an issue with oil temps in a j demanding such a system and they do have thermostatic oil valves in jegs if one wanted to create a system like on the gt500.
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