Oil Cooler Install
 

Spent the day installing my oil cooler. I'm very happy with how it came out. Having the Setrab brackets make it pretty simple. The cooler is a 19 row Earls unit, but the Setrab brackets fit it fine.

I decided to mount the cooler right to the bumper beam. Its a few inches offcenter to allow airflow to the power steering cooler.

I started by marking, drilling and tapping holes in the beam to attach the bracket to. The bracket is actually upside down in the first couple pictures just to make it easier to see everything.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3.../OilCooler.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...OilCooler2.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...OilCooler3.jpg

Using some 6mm bolts, attached the braket to the beam

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...OilCooler4.jpg

Now with the beam installed on the car.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...OilCooler5.jpg

A view of the lines from above

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...OilCooler6.jpg

A view of the billet Earls sandwich.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...OilCooler7.jpg

A view of mini-me, my matching Earls PS Cooler that I had laying around from another project. This was pretty easy to mount. I just used a piece of angle aluminum for the bracket and it mounts to the stock nut inserts for the original PS cooler brackets.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e/PSCooler.jpg

All buttoned up. I noticed quite a few bugs and pebbles hit the condensor, so I installed a wire screen to keep things clean.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...OilCooler8.jpg

Next up will be an oil temp gauge once I decided where I want to mount the sender.

Nice!

Is there a thermostat in that system? Or will it be running as cool as it can be all the time?

Great job. Don't think he has to worry about a thermostat in So. Cal!

I like how you mounted the radiator with the hoses up (get all the air out), but I don't like how you are blocking the radiator. Could you mount it on either side of the radiator?

Yeah, no need for a thermostat in So. Cal. I've owned other cars with a setup like this and the temp always sits at 180° during normal driving in the winter. Plus they are one more restriction in the oil flow which I don't want.

I don't think the air flow will be much of a problem. These coolers are very free flowing. Plus, I have the Koyo 53mm radiator, which is MUCH larger than stock. Look at the Koyo side by side with the stocker.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...zteve/Koyo.jpg

Very clean install!

Too bad you didn't measure oil temps prior to adding the cooler. May I suggest you add a bung to the oil pan, and measure the oil temp there. I did last year. I'll look for a pic......OK, found 2:

I added a Oil temp gauge before my oil cooler - temperatures dropped and I never have gotten it over 90 C - even when I push her really hard. My oil cooler is identical size to 350Zteve, don't think he needs one now.

Yes, Koyo makes a huge different, I install mine next week!

This is good work but there is an easier plug'n play solution for this:

Oil drain plug sensor adaptor

That's a slick drain plug. Anyone sell them on this continent? I guess I could have a machine shop make some.

I have a brand new Setrab cooler I never insalled on my last car. After seeing these pictures I might put it on the Z. Are you able to drain the oil from the cooler at oil changes?

No, there is no easy way to drain the cooler during oil changes.

You could always use an oilpan spacer. Added benefit of the ports for the sensor's built in and added oil compacity....

Really don't see this as an issue, if you change your oil and filter often!

Also, I installed the oil cooler and put a T on one of lines and installed my oil temp gauge to this.

Very nice install. Is there room for an intercooler in there too if you're F/I? Looks like it's getting pretty crowded behind that bumper facia.

Not with my setup. If I decide to go FI, I would get a new front end with side openings and move the coolers out of the mouth of the car.

I fit my Oil cooler next to the APS intercooler and I have the stock front bumper. There is room for the oil cooler on the drivers side.

350Zteve: Do you have a parts list by chance for the oil cooler parts?

The sandwich is a #517 20x1.5mm Earls Billet, small oring.
The cooler is their 19row cooler, but I dont know the part number.
The mounting bracket is by Setrab, but fits the Earls cooler with a little bit of grinding on the bracket washers.
Lines and fittings are all Aeroquip from Summit racing. I used 3 90° -10 socketless and 1 120° -10 socketless fittings.
You need 2 3/8NPT to -10male adapters on the sandwich.
You need 2 -10male oring to -10 male AN on the cooler.
I used about 8-9ft of Aeroquip -10 socketless hose.

Earls makes socketless fittings and hose too. Where in socal are you? I bought the cooler, brackets and sandwich from Earls in Hawthorne on Hawthorne Blvd at the 405.

how did i miss this thread?!

thing o beauty!!! :) great job Zteve!! However, Chuck Norris would just give high oil temps a roundhouse to the head and it would go back down..

You know if Chuck Norris would cut his beard - there would be another fist underneath!

Just wondering about this. Since it was mentioned about changing your oil and draining the oil cooler is there any way that you can mount the oil cooler upside down so it drains downwards?