Oil Cooler
 

first of all, I am looking at the Mishimoto oil cooler. though, I have looked it up on this forum and have seen a big thread with a failure and in it was mentioned a few other failures, but I haven't been able to dig up more information about those other failures. I also noticed that Mishimoto updated their sandwich adapter plate recently so I'm assuming that those earlier leaking problems were fixed, such as leaking from the small hex screws in the side of the adapter plate. does anyone have any inputs on the most recent Mishimoto oil coolers (I believe the sandwich adapter plates are now gold)? and for the ones that installed the Mishimoto cooler, did you screw into the undertray as well or did you just use the top clips to hold it?

next, I have a few questions about installing the oil cooler. I noticed in the Perrin instructions, it says to prime the cooler after install (which seems normal) but none of the other instructions I looked at mentioned this crucial step (I'm assuming they think you know what you're doing). however, my BRZ has the push start button and I just want to confirm if it's the same process to crank the engine by double tapping the start button to ON, then hold down the gas pedal and hold the start button to crank? I would assume it's no different than with a car with a key, but I just want to make sure. also, since I am looking to get the thermostatic cooler, would priming the cooler even work if the engine isn't up to temperature since the thermostat only opens up at around 185F? or would I have to drive the car up to temp, then quickly install the oil cooler?

as for the oil inside the cooler, would I have to manually empty it out by disconnecting the lines to get rid of the old oil? or would the amount inside the cooler not really matter compared to the 5.5 quarts inside the engine? I'm assuming that if you don't manually empty out the cooler every now and then, the old oil inside would be mixing with the newer oil and perhaps bring down the usable life of the total oil?

and finally, is there anything else I need to be aware of maintenance-wise after installing the cooler aside from checking for leaks every now and then? and anything specific to pay attention to when installing the oil cooler? from what I've seen, it looks to be pretty straight forward.

I have a Mishimoto setup and it works great for me. I didn't bother prime it. something you need to know is it is a normally open thermostat that means it starts to close when it heats up (this is what forces more oil to the core) in winter I remove the thermostat all together as even at full open it still forces more oil to the core then what I want. No leaks since a failed install attempt (forgot to tighten all the banjo fittings lol! pissed oil everywhere) I do not bother empty the core during oil change intervals. Also oil will always be flowing to the core so dont worry about it going "bad" in the core. Install is super easy if you are a hands on guy. The hard part is dealing with all the extra hose you get. Sandwitch plates are only gold for thermostatic application. Hex screws leaking was fixed with Teflon tape installed by them.

sorry for another poorly laid out crude answer from Go_a_way1 but I think I got all your questions. Anymore quote me or you can always PM me too.

oh, I guess my knowledge on the thermostatic plate is backwards. I thought it was always closed until the oil reaches temperatures, then opens to start the oil flow through the cooler. did you bother with screwing the bottom of the cooler into the undertray? with what the mishimoto installation video shows, they say that it is optional. however, then the oil cooler would be only held on by the top bracket with pop clips... doesn't seem that secure to me. the reason why I'm opting for the Mishimoto is that the core is mounted on the crash beam and not just the undertray like the Perrin, and that it has the banjo fittings to have more room for an intake. I am not too confident on a sole undertray mounting for the core just in case I rip the undertray out while going off the track or something, plus the extra weight will just cause more of that dreaded bumper gap

Yeah most people dont understand how the thermostat works in a oil cooler. Its really simple when you look at it, thats why I like it. Less things to break haha!

I did use the "self tapping" (yeah they are not self tapping lmao) screws as well cuz its not gona hurt anything.

I like that the mishimito has a bigger core vs prrin. But they are both quality kits.

If you fear the bumper gap an oil cooler is not for you. You will get bumper gap the second you take your bumper off and it only seems to get worse the more I take mine off.

Thanks for the interest in our oil cooler kit Ryoma! I recall one customer posting in regards to leaking concerns here on the forums. I believe this leaking concern was in regards to the sandwich plate o-ring. Not long after this report, our team inspected our o-rings in an effort to find a method for avoiding potential future leaks. We modified our o-ring design to offer a flat surface for a more reliable seal less prone to splitting, tearing or cracking. These sandwich plates are used within all of our direct-fit kits, and our customers have been very satisfied with both the functionality and dependability. We do recommend checking that the NPT plugs are tight prior to installation.

We have 4 different sandwich plate options at the moment. Our non-thermostatic unit is silver, and we have three thermostatic plates which are gold. ¾ of these feature two NPT ports.

You’ve asked two questions that are quite common with our direct-fit oil cooler customers.

Priming: Priming is not 100% necessary although it can be done if you so choose. Oil pressure should make its way through the system in a matter of seconds, so dry-start wear on bearings should not be an issue.

Draining The Cooler: Assuming you follow normal oil change intervals, draining fluid from the cooler/lines should not be necessary. Some old fluid will remain in the system and will mix with the new fluid added during the exchange. If you are insistent upon removing all fluid, the cooler can be removed and drained along with the oil lines.

The installation process is relatively simple for our kit. We have an installation video on our site that is easy to follow and provides step-by-step guide for the process. Maintenance should not be any more involved than without the cooler. Just check the fittings for tightness after installation(we have torque specs on our site), and check them during each oil change.

Let me know if I can answer any additional questions regarding our kit.

Thanks
-John

Thanks for the kind words! The thermostatic plate definitely works in an interesting way. When oil flowing through is cold, the pin is recessed which keeps the oil bypass open. This means oil will travel the path of least resistance, which is not through the lines and cooler. During this instance, a small percentage of flow goes through the cooler, but most (around 90%) will bypass the cooler.

http://i63.tinypic.com/2mgnudh.png

Once oil is warmed up to thermostat temperature (185°), the pin is pushed outwards and blocks off the oil bypass port. This forces oil to pass through the lines and cooler.

http://i66.tinypic.com/3169a91.png

Interesting that you decided to remove the thermostat during winter as this is the primary season for its need. By retaining it, oil will bypass the cooler until optimal temperatures are reached, allowing the fluid to warm as quickly as possible. Once up to operating temperature, fluid will move through the lines and cooler.

Thanks
-John

after installation and starting up the car, how long should I expect for the oil cooler lines to fill up with oil (if the oil pressure and actual oil is not the same)? unless I am supposed to add in the extra .65 quart before the first start? if I add in the extra oil, would it cause the engine to be overfilled before the oil cooler is at full oil capacity? I know you mentioned that the cooler lines are closed off until it reaches 185F so would that affect how fast the cooler and lines fill up after installation?

Add the extra oil before you fire it up, takes all of 10 seconds if that to fill the core and everything will be working is it should. Any good quality full synthetic oil can easily handle keeping the engine oiled while that is happening. I think you are over thinking this a little haha!

yeah, probably lol.

Trust me the @Mishimoto kit works as advertised and the install is super easy. If you were local I would do it for you.

Yeah I watched the video and it seems pretty straight forward. However every time I work on my car, I always run into problems. Murphy always gets me lol

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Its not just you. I always run into issues too haha!! I lost about 1L of oil cuz I forgot to tighten down the banjo fittings :bonk: it pissed everywhere before I ran back around and shut my car off haha. I am really surprised no one else jumped in to contribute in this thread lol

Edit: I guess I am your personal oil cooler pro lmao!!

Murphy gets everyone. I dont care how careful I am to check everything, there is always something I miss. I don't have the mishimoto oil cooler but I ran into the same issues with the Skunk2 ultra. Oil went everywhere before I could get the car off. I didn't prime anything either. Just added the extra oil before cranking. If it is a real concern of your you can unhook the ecu and try to crank it. It will turn over and push oil through everything. Just a thought. I also looked at the video and you should have no problem. Mishimoto has some excellent install videos. I used them when I did my radiator. Anyways, have fun with it. The overthinking can stress you out. :)

Flooring the throttle before and during cranking triggers flood-clearing mode. Fuel is completely cut. No need to disconnect anything. Great feature. I use it for extra peace of mind after every oil change.

One of these days I'll get to installing my oil cooler. Gotta buy it first. :(

I did not know that. Thanks for sharing that information Ultramaroon