Thinking of running an oil cooler.

The Shape · Feb 28, 2006

I am thinking about adding the FMS oil cooler to my car before summer comes. We have pretty hot summers here with high high humidity and 90% of my driving is intown stop and go. I am wondering about mounting the cooler I already have a B&M cooler for my AOD mounted between the stock P/S cooler line and the condenser. I have read on here that mounting a cooler there will effect the running temp and cooling ability of the A/C, but I didn't see and noticable difference with my tranny cooler. Last summer I still ran 180 crusing and 195 at most while setting in traffic.

I am running just a stock replacement parts store radiator and wondering if I mount the oil cooler down low below the trans cooler if that will be to much for the stock radiator? Also I believe the FMS cooler has a thermostat so that it doesn't overcool the oil as well doesn't it?

The Shape · Feb 28, 2006

90mustangGT · Feb 28, 2006

I ran one. Recomend it. The motor ran cooler and oil pressure stayed consistant and higher with a cooler. Coolant only cools some of the engine, the oil cools the crank/mains/cam/rods/pistons as well as other things. After the cooler, I noticed the valve covers stayed cooler as well.

SamSnyder · Feb 28, 2006

I'm a big fan of engine oil coolers. You will cut down the airflow if you mount it in front, so be sure your cooling sytem is up to the job. There can also be some engineering issues. I put a stacked plate cooler off an 80's 351 Crown Vic cop car in front of the rad on a 5.0 '93 T-bird and actually experienced cooling problems. The airflow in those T-birds was so marginal, that the restriction hurt me rather than helped. I don't think you'll see that on a 5.0 however, since the airflow is very good. You might also think about going with an oil-to-water cooler that sandwiches between the oil filter and the block. You loop the heater core coolant circuit through it with regular heater hose. They were standard issue on 5.0 police Mustangs. I don't think they offer the same level of cooling as a separate stacked plate unit, but they can be had for almost nothing, and installation is simple. They were standard on all 2.3 turbo cars, and can still be found in the junkyards for $5. $5 more for the heater hose, and $5 for a new filter (you have to run the shorter FL300), and you're in business. Plus, they actually work in reverse in the winter to speed up the heating of the oil on cold days, since coolant heats faster than the oil, and the hot coolant heats up the cold oil. I've been running them for years on two 5.0 cars. It's cheap insurance.

90lxfoxbody · Mar 1, 2006

i installed an oil cooler years ago and it has been one of best mods i have done to date. especially if you want to flog your car. it also increases your oil capacity depending on what size / brand you go with. i replace the lines running to the cooler once a year just as a precautionary effort. i disliked the idea of mounting it on the radiator like many of the vendors suggest. i just don't like bending those fins if i can avoid it. i mounted mine in front of the radiator and i haven't had any cooling problems at all. i recently changed to an electric fan and the car runs even cooler now. there are a number of ways you can install an oil cooler so you shouldn't have any problem finding one that works for you. ebay is a good place to start.

Michael Yount · Mar 1, 2006

As long as the coil is installed BEHIND the a/c condenser, it won't have much impact on the heat exchange of the condenser.

However, think about it for a minute. You have an a/c condenser, a tranny cooler, a P/S cooler AND an oil cooler all upstream of the radiator. At some point, you're gonna start limiting the flow of air that can get to the radiator. Besides that, the hot air coming off the oil cooler now passes into the radiator -- so your radiator has to have enough extra capacity to deal with the extra heat the oil cooler's gonna put into it.

For all those reasons I'd either follow Snyder's advice above and use the coolant/oil cooler from the Explorer's/2.3L turbos, or I'd mount the cooler with a small separate fan down low where air off the oil cooler doesn't re-enter the path of the radiator. That's how mine is done -- it sits down low behind my front air dam, and hot air off the cooler passes under the car -- NOT back across the a/c condenser or radiator. So it truly is an incremental heat exchanger for the engine. I'm not a fan of putting them in front of the radiator.

Pics of mine - with bumper/air dam removed so you can see it; and with bumper/air dam in place. You can see the aluminum shield behind the cooler that keeps hot air off the cooler from passing through the condenser/rad.

http://www.corral.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=12071&cat=500&ppuser=30684
http://www.corral.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=11621&cat=500&ppuser=30684

The Shape · Mar 1, 2006

That is an excelent idea Michael thanks for the pictures. So other than some mounting issues running the oil cooler will be all pro no con then right?

srothfuss · Mar 1, 2006

I just installed a FRPP oil cooler over the winter. I mounted mine behind the driver side fog light. It fit pretty well there, I still have to add a small fan to it but I'm waiting until the weather warms back up before I go try to do any wiring on the car.

Michael Yount · Mar 1, 2006

See if rothfuss can send you a pic or two -- his set up sounds like what I'm suggesting -- a la Mustang style.

Mounting a cooler is all pro/no con provided you mount it in a way that doesn't cause problems, and if you choose to avoid putting it in the path of the existing heat exchangers (strongly recommended), then you need to remember that unless you add a small fan, you won't get much air across it at low speeds - e.g. - in traffic. Also, be sure you have some sort of t'stat for the cooler. The stacked plated designs are self regulating -- they won't let much oil pass until it comes up to temp; the coolant style units are also self regulating -- they won't let the oil be cooler than the coolant. You don't want to over-cool the oil. It needs to reach a minimum of 200F-210F to do it's job properly. Consequently, I'd recommend installing an oil temp gauge too -- my cooler cut my oil temps from 250-270F (pretty stock 5.0L) down to 210-220F. Like Rothfuss, I've still got to add my fan -- I'm gonna drive a small fan off of my DC variable electric fan controller. I figure whenever the fans have to come on to cool the rad would be a good time to have the oil cooler fan come on too.

The great thing about mounting it like we're talking about is that it actually means your radiator has LESS work to do -- you'll be removing additional heat from the engine via a completely different source, so it's like building in some additional radiator capacity.

srothfuss · Mar 1, 2006

If the weather stays sunny and warm today, I'll run out and shoot some pictures of where I put it. I think I'll have enough room to put a slim fan in by the horn to create enough vacuum to move air across the cooler in low speed condidtions.

It only took about 20 minutes to install the thing (during an oil change.) The hardest part was holding the cooler in place with one hand and driving the screw with the other.

Michael Yount · Mar 1, 2006

Any way of knowing if you're getting decent airflow across it at speed? I've got no visual reference at all about where it's located -- is the foglight removed so air passes through that opening to the cooler?

srothfuss · Mar 1, 2006

To test it: I plan to attach a streamer to the back side of the cooler. This way I can see if the fan can "pull" the streamer out straight. But I don't have any technical means to measure the speed of air moving across the fins. As long as I have some air moving through the fins, I'll be happy because I do drive in a lot of traffic and I don't need the cooler melting my bumper cover

I'm not sure if I'll remove the fog lights or not. I'm thinking fabing up an air dam out of plastic to keep the air moving into the cavity when I'm driving down the highway. But then again, I don't know if that will upset the car at speed.

The Shape · Mar 1, 2006

I took a quick look before heading out to work. I think I know where you are talking about srothfuss, but a pic woul dbe great when you get a chance. That make th esecond thing I have copied from your car, as I just installed the kit that puts my gauges under my radio this past weekend.

As far as the oil getting over cooled does the FMS kit already have a thermostat built in to prevent that?

EDIT: I Went and looked the kit on Summits sit I understand what you mean now by self regulating.

Michael Yount · Mar 1, 2006

The FMS kit takes care of itself in terms of temp regulation.

rothfuss - an oil temp gauge is the best way to measure effectiveness.

srothfuss · Mar 1, 2006

M.Y. I have a Oil Temp guage that I installed last December (I think it was in December) but I never got to drive the car without the cooler so I can't do my before / after like I wanted to originally. Not that it matters.

The streamer is just to assure that I get some flow across the cooler when the car isn't moving or is moving at really slow speeds.

Michael Yount · Mar 1, 2006

With a fan - you'll get the air movement. And without it, you'll get very little at low speeds. What kind of oil temps are you seeing with the cooler? And how does the temp vary when you stop for lights/get stuck in traffic? Mine will run right at 210-220F depending on the ambient temps (obviously hotter in the summer) when cruising at anything above 30 mph. When I get stopped in traffic it climbs pretty quickly into the 230-235F range.

Sicarius428 · Mar 1, 2006

This sounds like a great mod. i'm sold. Is this the kit you guys suggest FMS-M-6642-S101 or is there a better setup?
Kevin

srothfuss · Mar 1, 2006

Michael Yount said:
With a fan - you'll get the air movement. And without it, you'll get very little at low speeds. What kind of oil temps are you seeing with the cooler? And how does the temp vary when you stop for lights/get stuck in traffic? Mine will run right at 210-220F depending on the ambient temps (obviously hotter in the summer) when cruising at anything above 30 mph. When I get stopped in traffic it climbs pretty quickly into the 230-235F range.

I haven't had a chance to test on a long trip like I want to. This spring, I'll be able to report on my conditions and report temperatures. So far I was only able to test that everything worked in the garage once I got everything installed and hooked up. I ran the car for about 1/2 hour and saw the temperature climb to 180 - 190 degrees. Of course, this was just sitting in the garage when the ambient air temp was less than 30 degrees outside. I am very sure that will all change once the warmer weather starts getting to Michigan.

wild86stang · Mar 1, 2006

srothfuss: What kind of little fan are you looking at? I like this idea and might give it a try.

srothfuss · Mar 1, 2006

I haven't picked one out yet... but It won't need to be big. I am thinking in the neighborhood of 8" - 10" if I have enough room behind the cooler.

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