CSF Fender Oil Cooler

[Mutha66]

Hello,

I was curious to know if anyone has experience with the CSF front left fender oil cooler in place of the 3.2 trombone cooler? I own a ROW ‘84 Carrera that has the original oil cooler, and I’m replacing it with the CSF version. No fan or induction will be added. Thoughts/comments are encouraged.

Cheers,
Bret

[chucksmith]

this is a comment, since I have no direct experience with your situation, although I am putting one in my hotrod build. Considering the heat recently in SC, I feel it can only be a positive change and healthy for the motor. I see no downside. Where in SC do you live? chuck

[AG81]

Bret,

I just installed the CSF in the front fender of my 72. Nothing to report as of yet as I am under construction. I was very impress with the product from a manufacturing perspective. I am also using their engine cooler in lieu of the stock cooler.

[Mutha66]

I agree Chuck. I’m interested in hearing if people have experienced marked improvements in their operating temperature. I’m located in Beaufort.

[Mutha66]

Looks like a tidy install AG81!

[AG81]

Thank you.
I am also using the finned elephant lines but I am not going to install a fan.

[GH85Carrera]

All the USA versions of the 3.2 Carrera caame with a full radiator style oil cooler. They did not add the fan until 1986 I believe.

I did add a SPAL fan with a toggle switch, so I can turn it on whenever. I only need it in 100+ degree days on a long drive. I did a DE at Barber Motorsports in Birmingham, AL. It was only in the mid 90s but pretty sweaty. I never need the fan as my oil temp was 210 and just fine.

I am not personally familiar with the SFS cooler. If indeed the European 3.2s came with just a trombone, the upgrade will be a nice drop in oil temps.

[Mutha66]

Glen, Thanks for the feedback. I believe all 1984 Carreras came with a trombone (update version, different from the SC trombone), and then beginning in 1985, all Carreras had a radiator type oil cooler in the fender.

[Schulisco]

The fan was added on all catalyst versions from 1987 on.
The fan was operated by a thermostat switch, switching temperature was 118°C / 245°F.

https://rennlist.com/forums/911-forum/614959-oil-cooler-identification.html

I always recommend to check the ignition timing both on idle and overall rpm band if it's correct and in spec. I personally experienced some years ago what heat a stucked advance timing could produce!
The 118°C/245°F switching temperature is a good to get an idea when oil temperature is getting too high! So the desired oil temp should be lower / not higher than this. Under all operating conditions!

Thomas

[Funracer]

After last summers brutal heat I bought a used Carrera cooler on the forum here and installed it this past winter. This month in Florida already many days in the mid 90s and so far a very noticeable drop in oil temps. Very pleased with the mod.

FYI I did not add the fan either. I live in a small town without much traffic. On the rare occasion when there is a lot of idling (no airflow over the cooler) the temperature does creep up a bit. A soon as you start moving it goes right back down. Highly recommended mod if you are still using the trombone.

[Schulisco]

@Funracer Totally agree.

And I just want to add the fact that adding the intermediate pieces for the hydraulic cam tensioners also brings a noticeable drop of oil temperatures! Believe it or not. But they will.
This mod together with the Carrera oil radiatior brings the biggest drop on oil temperatures on an aircooled 911. No question that the rest of the engine must work perfectly (cooling fins of the cylinders are free of dirt, engine oil cooler not clogged for cooling air, thermostat works, ignition is in spec all the way etc.
Further reading:
https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/1141941-too-low-oil-pressure.html#post12186643
On page #2 of this thread I posted an excerpt from our hosts 911 engine book with a comparison of the diameters committing the effects of them.
If you search with the parts numbers you'll another threads on this too.

Thomas

[shoooo32]

I added the fan for autoX. Sitting in line waiting for the next run would cause it to get hot. Otherwise, I rarely use it.

[shamrok]

Just added a CSF fender cooler to my SC, replacing the trombone. I was dealing with a ton of overheating issues here at 7k feet, and went through my entire cooling system to no avail, finally adding the cooler last. Now sitting in traffic in mid 80s, I never get to the 9 o'clock position. I installed a SPAL fan but haven't bothered finishing the wire for it, as I haven't needed it.

[Mutha66]

Thank you to everyone for the good info. My 911 doesn’t run abnormally hot, rather I wanted to have excess cooling capability that will be thermostat modulated vice being cooling limited.

[Mutha66]

Thank you to everyone for the good info. My 911 doesn’t run abnormally hot, rather I wanted to have excess cooling capability that will be thermostat modulated vice being cooling limited.

[Hoy1501]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

All the USA versions of the 3.2 Carrera caame with a full radiator style oil cooler. They did not add the fan until 1986 I believe.

I did add a SPAL fan with a toggle switch, so I can turn it on whenever. I only need it in 100+ degree days on a long drive. I did a DE at Barber Motorsports in Birmingham, AL. It was only in the mid 90s but pretty sweaty. I never need the fan as my oil temp was 210 and just fine.

I am not personally familiar with the SFS cooler. If indeed the European 3.2s came with just a trombone, the upgrade will be a nice drop in oil temps.

Just FYI at least some of the USA 1984 Carrera 3.2 came with the 28 brass tube front oil cooler (mine did) like the later SC cars. I’m not aware of any coming with the trombone oil coolers though.

[Schulisco]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

All the USA versions of the 3.2 Carrera caame with a full radiator style oil cooler. They did not add the fan until 1986 I believe.

Don't know, what I know is that the oil cooler fan was added on cars equipped with an air condition a catalyst...

Also cars being delivered to Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Hongkong were equipped with the oil cooler fan, no matter if a catalyst was present or not. Switching temperature for the fan is 118°C.

[mepstein]

We mostly use the CSF oil cooler (get it from SSF) for new installs and upgrades from the early type coolers. We also install a fan. It’s too easy to get stuck in a half hour backup, most anywhere on the east coast, but especially the Atlantic and New England areas. The generic fans are less than $100 and easily bring down the temps when the car is stationary. We did have one csf cooler develope a leak. It was warranted but that didn’t cover the $1k in towing that we paid to get the customers car back into the shop and the hour + of shop time to switch in the new one. No problems since then but it is always a concern it might happen again. It was a pretty bad leak.

[famoroso]

Originally Posted by mepstein

We did have one csf cooler develope a leak. It was warranted but that didn’t cover the $1k in towing that we paid to get the customers car back into the shop and the hour + of shop time to switch in the new one. No problems since then but it is always a concern it might happen again. It was a pretty bad leak.

Ugh. That's discouraging. What next, sending new coolers out for pressure testing? Ugh.

In addition to Elephant finned lines, I'm planning on CSF engine and fender coolers for my '89 project. It's just a 3.2 living in San Diego, but existing lines have seen better days and I'm hoping a 3.5 liter EFI motor finds it's way in there someday.

[Duc Hunter]

When I plumbed my new oiling system I pressure tested before connecting it to the engine and the oil tank. Was not too hard, and its a low pressure system. I replaced the oil lines from the tank the the external thermostat, engine to that same thermostat, the lines to the front of the car, and my customer front mounted oil cooler. Because of what I was installing pressure testing was not too bad. Just putting in the engine mounted oil cooler or fender cooler would make testing more complicated obviously. CSF seems like a pretty good company, so let’s hope it was a one off.