DIY Oil Cooler - Similar to Perrin's for less
 

I track my FRS and I really needed an oil cooler after seeing the oil temp hitting 285*F in 90 plus degree heat. After some research, I was able to piece one together for under $475 after sales tax and shipping (versus $650 + sales tax + shipping for Perrin or Mishimoto). I got everything at http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/, and wanting to outdo Perrin (13 rows), I went with a 16 rows and ss lines instead of rubber hoses.

I didn't plan on writing a DIY so I didn't take as many pictures as I should. I basically mimicked Perrin's set up, so you can find a great deal of the install here http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39402. The OP did an awesome job with loads of pictures.

I did have to do go through some trial and error, so I'll mention them here.

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* Oil cooler mount - Perrin has some nice mounts provided for you, but there is no real need for one. I used two 65mm bolts/hex nut with 4 fender washers to secure the oil cooler. Why 4 washers? I used 2 on each side - 1 for the underside of the car, and another to place under the oil cooler. Basically covering the plastic rivet hole from top and bottom.

• M6-1.0 x 65mm http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded...3058/203539276

• M6 Tension Lock Nut http://www.homedepot.com/p/M6-1-Zinc...7348/100337539

• 1/4" x 1-1/4" Fender Washer http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded...4796/204632767

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* Lines and fittings - You'll need total of 8-foot long ss braided lines, two 90-degree AN fittings and two 45-degree AN fittings. I made a mistake and got two regular fittings instead of 45-degree ones.

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As you can see, the straight fittings made it impossible to gain access to the oil fill cap. It's pressed against the air box. I think you should be able to get away with normal fittings if you have CAI or a different air box. I was able to find one 45 degree fitting locally and made it work.

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Unfortunately, it's still pressed against the airbox, but at least we now have clear access to the oil fill cap. Even with all that space between it, the oil fill cap will just barely clear.

As for the length of each line, I had the 8' cut into two 4' lines. I think it might've work better if I had one line slightly longer (maybe 3 inches longer) than the other, since 1 line has to go across the oil cooler. As you can see in the picture, 1 of the lines certainly has a lot more slack.

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After everything's mounted and installed, I did noticed that the fittings above the oil cooler is pretty much hitting the underside of the bumper beam. There's still a good millimeter or two between the fitting and the bumper beam. So 16 rows is basically as big as you can go without finding another mounting location.

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Since the car's already jacked up, I figured I'll change the oil out and "install" my new Greddy part :lol:

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It's your normal 6 qt + 1 more for the oil cooler. I track a lot so I run 0w30 just to be on the safe side.

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This will be put to test on Monday at Laguna Seca. Wish me luck :D


This is my first DIY. Hope you found this helpful :)

wow this is awesome!!!!

Just be careful the ss lines don't rub and destroy stuff they're resting against.

I have the lines zip tied in a couple of places so it's not flapping or resting. However, the fitting that's pressed against the airbox gets REALLY hot so it's starting the dig into the plastic. Will need to do something about that soon :(

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70966

There ya go, Terry @Maximal did the work for you and it doesnt rub or melt anything.

Also, free shipping to your door so you can add all kinds of fluids and crap on there and take advantage of the free shipping on usually expensive to ship parts.

Just a quick update...

Got some numbers on the oil cooler after yesterday's Laguna Seca.

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Yesterday was in the mid 80s and was a bit breezy, so that could've been a factor as well. Water temperature also looked good despite having the oil cooler mounted in front of it.

The car felt good and had zero issues from the install *knock on wood*

Thanks for sharing! It's also good to know there are others doing it for cheaper :)

Their fittings are different and smaller at the hose end, so it won't get pressed against the air box.

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UPDATE #2

I think a 60 or 90-degree fitting might work better. I actually have a little bit more room to move the left fitting closer to the right fitting, but even after yesterday's track day, the damage to the airbox is still quite minimum.

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Thanks for the compliment Jeff.
It worked great at Laguna Seca too :)

This is DIY to the next level!! Temp numbers look good at MRLS, u coming to THill this weekend??

Correct, after installing Maximal's Oil cooler I can attest that it isnt SPACIOUS in that area, but there are no concerns about rubbing or melting. I let the car get up to temp and stuck my finger against the air box at the spot and it was nowhere near 'melting' temperatures.

Can't :cry:
I have a wedding on Saturday and going away for work starting Sunday :(

Bummer!! Ok maybe Sept BW 86 Cup?

I'm here to disappoint you all day haha :D

I'm pretty much done for the season - running out of tires and brakes. Plus, I need to save a little bit of money for Japan and F1 Suzuka.

I might do one more THill in October after I come back, and MAYBE Laguna Seca in December to close out my 2014 season.

Lmfao!!! My season just started lol. Hv fun in Japan, make sure to get some cool parts there!!