aight guys. my car is a 2004 supercharged sunfire. everyone knows this. I have a few questions. I am looking to "install" an oil cooler. I know that the auto trans cars have a trans cooler in the radiators. I was wondering if anyone has used this for oil cooling instead. I have a 5 speed car, so I would have to get a new radiator, but thats not a big deal. I think that this would be an easier options then trying to find a spot for a fan cooled oil cooler.
Are your oil temperatures too high for some reason?
2001 Olds Alero (LD9)
636 whp / 543 ft-lb
@turboalero
i know that vince. my question was if the stock trans cooler would work as an oil cooler...
i personally think theres no gain out of it its also kinda dumb because the stock oil cooler is on the hot side on the rad. the engine oil with a 180 stat likely isn't getting hoter then 180 and if you put it through that cooler it will be 180 at all times. auto trans need it to prevent the gear oil from getting to high because they have no other means of cooling.
an external system would be best but i still don't think its needed
JBO since July 30, 2001
How many people actually have a oil temp gauge and know what the oil temp gets to?
FU Tuning
Addicted to meth wrote:How many people actually have a oil temp gauge and know what the oil temp gets to?
I need one I know... but I would like to get one so that since my turbo is oil cooled that I can maybe cut down on idle time with the turbo timer if I have an oil cooler. Was a thought, the cooler the oil, the better... Thoughts on that?
BuiltNBoosted wrote:Addicted to meth wrote:How many people actually have a oil temp gauge and know what the oil temp gets to?
I need one I know... but I would like to get one so that since my turbo is oil cooled that I can maybe cut down on idle time with the turbo timer if I have an oil cooler. Was a thought, the cooler the oil, the better... Thoughts on that?
To a degree. You do not what the oil to cool.
I have a oil temp gauge. This is a gauge I will always have. I have seen temps as high as 200-205 degree's. N/A or charged hasn't changed oil temps.
FU Tuning
Too cold of oil will rob HP as islet is thicker than warm oil. Not that cool oil is an issue with 110*+ days here in AZ.
"Oil Leak ? What oil Leak ? Oh, Thats Just The Sweat From All The HorsePower!!"
I really only thing a cooler would help with a turbo. I hear they can heat it up pretty good if your having fun and running it hard.
The hottest my oil gets is 210 in the dead heat of southern illinois august summers extended cruise on the highway, and I'm turbo with a bigger oil pump.
was going to do a cooler, but 225-230 is the range you want to start thinking about a cooler, I ditched those plans on account of my thorough attention to my oil temp gauge.
180-210 is optimum for oil. And running it through the trans cooler would be beneficial since it takes almost twice as long for the oil to come up to temp even with the turbo, so the coolant would aid in getting it up to temp quicker, and then maintaining an optimal temp.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
Looks like I just need to get a gauge in there just to see. I figured even if the oil cooler cooled it by the time it got back around through the system it will start to average the heat out between whats going through the turbo at that temp and whats going through the cooler at that temp.
I mainly want to do that adapter so that I can change my oil filter 1000x easier than it is now with the intake mani. The cooler could/would be a benefit.
if turbod i would only cool the oil leaving the turbo befor it enters the pan
saab 2.0L has a small cooler on it, that attaches to the outlet of the heater core
JBO since July 30, 2001
NOTa2_4 wrote:if turbod i would only cool the oil leaving the turbo befor it enters the pan
saab 2.0L has a small cooler on it, that attaches to the outlet of the heater core
how would you cool a gravity drain line? that doesnt make any sense at all since it has to drain into the girdle or the pan. The Vauxhaull runs an oil cooler as well and its sandwiched between the oil cap and the block where the filter goes. ill be cooling the oil coming out of the block, and into the block.
my thoughts on this were that cooling the oil here in AZ might not really be cooling it, but keeping it constant. Temps of the asphalt here can reach 150 160 degrees or more on a 115 degree day. Which we have a lot of. 3 or 4 months a year.
also, i am seeing low low low oil pressure after the car heats up to "operating" temperature. and this just started when the temp started getting super hot. I also believe that it could be my OP sending unit. I have a new one on order, and will replace that and the gauge before i do anything else. I asked about the radiator because i have one on hand and thought it might not be a bad idea.
Ambient temperatures will contribute to lower oil pressure, but I saw your post earlier, its nothing to be concerned about. 8-10psi at idle is all you will ever need. It's close, but its all the engine needs. More importantly is if the oil is operating in its optimum range, which according to valvoline, mobil, and rotella (shell) is all 180-220 degrees (checked my notes).
I don't know why everyone gets hung up on the power adders adding heat to the oil... Shearing forces most present in the oil pump contribute FAR more to the oil temp when operating. Its what everyone gets hung up on with trans coolers too, its not the clutch pack friction heating the oil, its the shearing force the torque convertor puts on the fluid. Thats why the easiest way to warm a trans up is to brake torque the @!#$ out of it. Turbo's and supers only contribute to the heat via contact, of which oil is horrible at heat transfer the majority of the time.
Food for thought, Vince, I would make sure you use a thermostat for your cooler if your still planning on using one, especially for cooler weather.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
I might not even put a cooler in. Just relocate the housing to the engine bay somewhere easier. Which in turn will give me a little more oil volume as well. That can never be a bad thing.
BuiltNBoosted wrote:I might not even put a cooler in. Just relocate the housing to the engine bay somewhere easier. Which in turn will give me a little more oil volume as well. That can never be a bad thing.
And if worse comes to worse you can always get a pair of those inline coolers to drop the temp 10-15 degrees
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
I've said it before, your oil pressures are normal for AZ from the port you are reading it from. digital gauges are often off by a certain percentage as well depending on how they have the sender scaled to the actual motor in the gauges. They are NOT precision gauges in most cases. As far as cooling the oil, its not a bad idea for the summer time here but really only if you're running it at the track (I am referring to road course or autocross not quarter mile, something with constant load). Even during 20 minute heats I usually stay under 240 degree (typical oil breakdown temps).
Personally, you don't need it. Spend your money on something to make it faster
ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician
Yea thanks Alan. I am not going to cool right now. I am just going to run a different oil, and change the sender/gauge out for a brand new one and go from there.
