What's the verdict on the need of oil cooler?

[Dave-ROR]

So while I was waiting for my FA20Club intake (should be here today!!) I figured I'd mount the cooler itself.. can't run the lines until the intake is in so I can route/cut/etc accurately. I made the brackets/braces out of 2"x1/8" aluminum from Home Depot. SS hardware with locktite on the nuts. 1/4"-20 1" long bolts, flat washers on both sides, locking washer on the nut side. 3/4" long bolts would have worked honestly. Made the brackets my measuring once, cutting, use that as a base pattern (angles are to fit on the bottom which has a curved "opening" area). Once the basic shapes were done, marked the spot where the cooler would side (marked that on the car with tape, so then transfered that to the brackets), put two brackets together, clamped, center punched, drilled. Then split those two, ground the burrs off, clamped each one to another undrilled bracket to use as a template. Ended up with everything lining up perfectly (I was shocked). Drilled holes to match template's cooler holes in the plastic panel, then mounted cooler with brackets to start the other 8 holes for the bracket, removed everything, drilled and finished the plastic panel, then installed everything.

I will be added a strap to the top of the cooler going to an existed welded on nut in the bumper support later.

Naked front end


Cooler mounted, panel sitting outside the car still:


Up close of the mounting bracket I made:


On the car:


Bottom brackets:


Another pic of the bottom brackets:

[Mark Slide Squad]

Looks great, Dave! Nice work.

[andreyiv]

Hey guys,

Not to hijack the thread from the great oil cooler installs but thought this may compliment the installs. I found the oil temperature PID for Torque. All the information is in this post: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...&postcount=123

I went for a drive while logging the temperature and although I was trying fairly hard, I was able to get the temperature up to 107 degrees C. The coolant temperature did not climb above 91 degrees C. This was with outside temperatures right around freezing (32 degrees F or 0 C).

I don't really know much about oil temperatures but it seems to me like those claims of the temperature rising to 130C in 15 minutes on the track are very reasonable. Does anyone know what temperature is considered too high for oil?


Hope this helps.
Andrey

[orthojoe]

Originally Posted by andreyiv

Hey guys,

Not to hijack the thread from the great oil cooler installs but thought this may compliment the installs. I found the oil temperature PID for Torque. All the information is in this post: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...&postcount=123

I went for a drive while logging the temperature and although I was trying fairly hard, I was able to get the temperature up to 107 degrees C. The coolant temperature did not climb above 91 degrees C. This was with outside temperatures right around freezing (32 degrees F or 0 C).

I don't really know much about oil temperatures but it seems to me like those claims of the temperature rising to 130C in 15 minutes on the track are very reasonable. Does anyone know what temperature is considered too high for oil?


Hope this helps.
Andrey

That is awesome! Thanks! Hopefully AiM can integrate the oil temp channel now for the FRS/BRZ

[robispec]

really nice clean installation!
Word to the wise, I have already seen this panel ripped off at two different track days. (along with the bumper etc.)

Robi

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

So while I was waiting for my FA20Club intake (should be here today!!) I figured I'd mount the cooler itself.. can't run the lines until the intake is in so I can route/cut/etc accurately. I made the brackets/braces out of 2"x1/8" aluminum from Home Depot. SS hardware with locktite on the nuts. 1/4"-20 1" long bolts, flat washers on both sides, locking washer on the nut side. 3/4" long bolts would have worked honestly. Made the brackets my measuring once, cutting, use that as a base pattern (angles are to fit on the bottom which has a curved "opening" area). Once the basic shapes were done, marked the spot where the cooler would side (marked that on the car with tape, so then transfered that to the brackets), put two brackets together, clamped, center punched, drilled. Then split those two, ground the burrs off, clamped each one to another undrilled bracket to use as a template. Ended up with everything lining up perfectly (I was shocked). Drilled holes to match template's cooler holes in the plastic panel, then mounted cooler with brackets to start the other 8 holes for the bracket, removed everything, drilled and finished the plastic panel, then installed everything.

I will be added a strap to the top of the cooler going to an existed welded on nut in the bumper support later.

Naked front end


Cooler mounted, panel sitting outside the car still:


Up close of the mounting bracket I made:


On the car:


Bottom brackets:


Another pic of the bottom brackets:

[wootwoot]

Originally Posted by robispec

really nice clean installation!
Word to the wise, I have already seen this panel ripped off at two different track days. (along with the bumper etc.)

Robi

Can I ask how that happened? Sounds crazy...

So are you saying it would be better to mount the oil cooler core to something else?

[robispec]

car went off nose first in soft dirt (we say went agricultural) and tore the bumper and the lower tray(s) off the car...

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by robispec

car went off nose first in soft dirt (we say went agricultural) and tore the bumper and the lower tray(s) off the car...

Yeah that was going to be my guess. If that happens the oil cooler is the least of my concern. Easy to bypass, just remove filter, remove plate and spacer and install filter. Sucks, but so does off roading it bad enough to rip body work off

[7thgear]

if the oil cooler rips off, wouldn't you have oil gushing out?

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

if the oil cooler rips off, wouldn't you have oil gushing out?

Initially but the engine would be off seconds after that ride occured anyways. Oil pressure gauges will show that immediately, granted you wouldn't notice it until the ride stopped...

Afterwards, you get towed off the surface to the pits, then just remove the cooler sandwich plate and refill with oil if you are driving home.

[Amadeus]

Originally Posted by robispec

Word to the wise, I have already seen this panel ripped off at two different track days. (along with the bumper etc.)
Robi

Can the oil cooler be installed upside down and bolted to the metal bumper? It would end up closer to the grill but not connected to any of the moulded panels that could rip off.

[wootwoot]

Originally Posted by Amadeus

Can the oil cooler be installed upside down and bolted to the metal bumper? It would end up closer to the grill but not connected to any of the moulded panels that could rip off.

This is what I was thinking as well. But I have never done an oil cooler install. Any input would be appreciated X2.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Amadeus

Can the oil cooler be installed upside down and bolted to the metal bumper? It would end up closer to the grill but not connected to any of the moulded panels that could rip off.

You could if you want to drill into the bumper.

I'm not worried about it ripping off unless I go farming with the car. If that happens I have other concerns besides the cooler ripping off.

[Dave-ROR]

Oil cooler is done.. no leaks (at least nothing major, might be seeping I'll keep checking). Everything seems to work ok..

Defi oil pressure sensor with fastwrx.com (aka Mach V PM @Mach V Dan for info or buy from his website) block adapter piece:


Adding some foam and zip tied the wiring back for clearance:


The ghetto extra "just in case the plastic breaks" support, and the 90 degree fitting on one side of the cooler:


Other fitting on the cooler, 45 degree in this case:


The two hoses running under the intake and behind the bumper support, covered in some 7/8" ID rubber hose to protect the hoses and bumper from each other:


The two hoses running next to the intake through the core support above the condenser/radiator, again covered in 7/8" ID rubber hose to protect the hoses and rad/cond edges from each other:


Other side of the above, plus the zip tip holding the hoses up a bit:


Hoses going to the oil cooler sandwich plate:


Initial testing for leaks, added Defi Advance CR gauge ghetto wired up so I could monitor oil pressure. yes, the hammers are holding the wiring down onto the battery terminals:


Changed the filter. Will change the oil and filter again in a day or two. Wanted to change filter after testing because there could be debris in the cooler and lines:


Parts used (if there's a vendor selling these parts individually let me know so I can reference you instead!):
Mocal FRS/BRZ/86 Oil Cooler sandwich plate and two 1/2 BSP to -10 AN fittings: http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/p...andwich_Plates
Mocal 19 row 235 matrix cooler - http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/p...l_Oil_Coolers2
2 Aeroquip Reusable -10 AN straight fittings: http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/p...sable_Fittings
1 Aeroquip Reusable -10 AN 45 degree fitting: http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/p...sable_Fittings
1 Aeroquip Reusable -10 AN 90 degree fitting: http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/p...sable_Fittings
5' of -10 AN Aeroquip SS hose should be enough: http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/p...l_Braided_Hose (FWIW one of my hoses is ~21" long and the other is ~29" long - yours will vary based on where you mount the cooler, which cooler is used, how you route the hoses, etc)
2"x1/8"x36" aluminum flat bar
12 1/4"-20 1" long SS bolts
24 1/4" SS flat washers
12 1/4" SS lock washers
12 1/4" SS nuts (with red loctite)
Random 7/8" ID rubber washer and dryer hose
Metal strap to attach cooler to the bumper support
Zip ties
Time.. a fair amount of it.

You could also use Aeroquip socketless hose fittings and hose. I'd suggest a clamp on them if you do so. You could probably get by without the extra protection over the lines with the socketless hose. I basically had all of this stuff sitting around already so I used this instead.

Tools used:
Aeroquip soft jaws for the vice
Koul Tools -10 AN hose fitting tools (rented from Automotive Specialty Tool)
Hose assembly lube
AN wrenches when I could
Random wrenches/etc.