Oil Cooler, yes no maybe??
 

I was looking over the CJ and SCJ issue and began to wonder about a oil cooler for our cars? Does anyone make one? Does anyone have one? Just wondering.

You timing is impecable. I was wondering this same thing this past weekend. But I have never seen any system out there for our cars yet. At least in stock form.:dunno:

I would consider an upgraded radiator path first. Which if you think about it indirectly helps you're oil temp. Just my 2 cents, but oil coolers do look cool! I see them more on track cars and older mustangs than on the modern Stang.

Not sure. An upgraded radiator won't keep the engine cooler if you stay with the stock thermostat. Bigger is not always better. And they say you want to keep our engines right at 190 degrees for the best performance. A remote oil cooler offers the benefit of a larger oil filter remotely mounted and longer or improved oil life due to less heat to break down the oil.:dunno:

Funny timing--I just explained this on another forum...

We actually have an oil cooler from the factory. ;) It's an integral part of the filter housing on the block and is a coolant-->oil type of heat exchanger. Nice and simple, but effective.

JedCranium is dead on with the suggestion to upgrade the radiator, since pushing the engine (mods, road course use, etc...) generates more heat, which is then transferred to the oil, which in turn transfers more heat into the coolant. The radiator is the weak link.

In the pre-S197 days and oil cooler was almost mandatory for road course use, but the 3v's were done right from the factory. Ever wonder why the FR500S survives multi-hour thrashing on a road course during the heat of summer, but doesn't have an aftermarket bar/plate/fin type cooler? But it does have an upgraded radiator. :)

In my experience, even before I upgraded my radiator, at the end of a 30 minute session I never saw oil temps above 230-240 (perfectly reasonable temps) or so during the heat of summer (upper 90's), with coolant temps at about 220.

Nice thing is that in the winter, the opposite effect kicks in. Since your coolant warms quicker than the oil, the heat exchanger actually brings your oil temps up to proper operating temp quicker. :nice:

Our stock radiators are pretty wimpy looking when they pulled mine out the thing looked like it was 1 1/2 inches wide and the sides are made of plastic with crimped edges. For a non moded car with average driving it's okay. But going SC, track driving etc and you find that you reach the capacity with the stock unit not a lot of reserve. I installed a fluidyne radiator and it handles all modes of driving. I'm always surprised how well it manages the engine temp in heavy canyon driving even on hot summer days. Heat is the enemy of most motors what's cool about this upgrade it's very easy to do yourself.

On a related note. My stang was down so I ran my Stock 07 SRT8 Charger for the weekend on the road coarse out at the old Moroso (now PBIR) in West Palm Beach, Florida and about half way through day one, I had an oil temp pegged at 300 degrees on my guage. It got me thinking so I installed an oil temp guage on my stang. Low and behold, pegged that one too. I installed an oil filter relocation kit with a FL1A (old school huge oil filter from an F250) and a remote cooler with no success in bringing the oil temps down. Still pegging the guage. (Normal temps in off track driving so not a faulty guage).
I had the cooler installed in a place that may not have been optimal and have now moved it right behind the lower front bumper between the cooling duct inlets. I will report back after my NASA event at Homestead on Jan 9-10.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s77/Fastduo/HMS.jpg

Fastduo,
Where are you taking your oil temp readings? This is the first I've heard of an S197 getting oil temps that high.

I just got back from the track earlier in the week and my oil temps barely got into the 200's (new hood vent installed, which kept coolant and oil temps 10-15 degrees cooler). My sender is in the pan.

Oil sending unit is now in the external oil filter housing which is under the front bumber on the drivers side. I live in South Florida with extreme heat and humidity, that may be a factor in the high temps also. My water temps will sometimes touch 200 if running hard in traffic but usually 190. I certainly haven't figured this out yet but I am hoping with the relocation of the cooler to the front bumper, that will correct this problem. I do have a Keenan/Steeda Cowl race hood so I know there is alot of underhood venting.

I wonder if the difference is where the sender is located? Before I upgraded the radiator, the hottest track day I ran was in August at Summit Point. 98 degrees with high humidity (not quite Florida humidity, though! :grin:). Coolant temps were at about 225 after a session, and oil seemed to track fairly close, sometimes 10-15 degrees higher than coolant.

Have you ever looked at the A/F on your tune?

I still have my factory radiator and have no problems with water temps at all. We have tried a few things such as reversing the flow through the oil cooler so the sender was after the cooler and there was no change there either.
As far as the A/F, I had the car tuned early this year by Scott Beer (Diablo fame) at Mustang Specialties in Pompano Beach, FL so I am sure it is in tune. I am hoping that the relocation of the oil cooler will lower the temps. Also, January temps in Florida are mild and the humidity is lower so I may not get the real story until later in the year when the heat and humidity come back.