Add an oil cooler or upgrade the oil cooler

[v9ff]

I'm looking to increase oil cooling with my 911... so I have basically two choices:

A) Upgrade my brass oil cooler to the mid-80s finned Carrera oil cooler with a fan

B) Add a front behind the bumper mounted Setrab oil cooler to my existing brass oil cooler

Both will cost about the same (give or take a couple hundred). I'm just trying to struggle with which will be more efficient.

What would you do?

[Jcon]

OPtion B will give you better cooling, but it will be more than a couple hundred dollars difference. The front mounted unit will need a different front valence than what you have on your carerra I would think.

[Bill Verburg]

The front mount is the most efficient because it gets the cleanest shot of air. If you add a smallish front mount to what you have now that would be all the cooling you will ever need.

[Chuck Moreland]

The carrera cooler is slightly better the the 28 tube brass, but not much. That swap won't make a big difference.

The center mount will make a big difference. Be sure to arrange a good exit path for the air behind the cooler for good flow.

[TRE Cup]

then you will need one of these:

[TRE Cup]

Or this (which we happen to sell also)

[88 Club Sport]

I decided to go with the front mount based on the feedback I received form the many folks on this site site that track their cars. If all goes well, it will be installed by the end of the weekend.

If you the up front route, you'll have to go with a new glass one piece bumper or a glass valance below the stock bumper. I decided to leave the stock bumper and go with a valance below.

My cooler is not ideal since the entry/exit points are on opposite sides but I got it for $150 http://www.tracktune.com/services.htm so I can justify the $20 for the 2 extra feet of hose and fitting. I'm into the parts/hose and cooler for $300 and the valance was $250 http://www.rennspd.com

If budget is not a concern for you, I'd recommend going with the B&B like Bill's and full glass bumpers front and rear.....the look is great. Chuck also offers a great package and many great alternatives. http://www.elephantracing.com/index.html

[v9ff]

Thanks guys! I think I'll go for the front mounted oil cooler. Luckily, I have the front bumper all ready for it.

[cary]

Front mount .........anything else is a joke. You'll spend half your life trying to get enough air to the fender cooler.

See Dave at TRE. He has a complete kit for the front mount.

Some day I'll get around to getting one ordered. I have a Terbatrol in the fender. But it wouldn't hold up to 20 minutes of track time at 80 degrees. She'd be wimpering.

[raceman]

l used the Mazda turbo rotory cooler as a front mount on my 84 and l opened up the licence plate depression on the C2 bumper l have for flow through.lnitially it was tough to put a Japanese part on the car but that is a great cooler and the perfect size.l`ve since spoken to many who have used the same cooler with the same great results.Get the later design,it bolts on the car like it was made for it

[TurboBert]

I installed a Carrera cooler/fan with a low temperature switch and I never get higher than 200 degrees in traffic with the A/C running full blast in Hawaii (on a turbo, no less). I never notched the bumbers or installed air scoops and I don't seem to suffer from the restricted air flow.

No one would argue that the front mounted cooler is better, but I wanted to keep a reasonably stock appearance.

[dd74]

I'll need a cooler soon, but not sure I want to mount a spoiler as well. Is there any way to mount a front cooler w/o a front spoiler?

[winky]

I have just purchased a B&B Fender-mounted Oil Cooler which I intend to install in my left fender well. I already have one in my right fender well (stock) and like TurboBert, I also want to keep the car looking as original as possible. This modification will mean having to sacrifice the washer bottle and fuel evaporation tank but I am hopeful that the additional Oil Cooler will bring temperatures down significantly. Has anyone else out there done a similar modification ? Grateful for feedback and tips, if any.

[TRE Cup]

dd74- you can mount a cooler in the nose w/o installing a special front valence, but without cutting into the trunk AND modifying your existing stock valence, the size of the cooler and total efficiency would be small. We've taken two 951 (944 turbo) engine oil coolers and installed one on each side in the fenderwells of a slant nosed turbo with stock front valence. It was marginal with the high hp the modified motor had. It would work with a n/a motor IF the front valence were slightly notched and a 86 or newer front bumper bar were installed (they are notched for the fog lamps and the right side has a gentle underslope to admit air to the fender cavity). But for stock fendered cars that remain with stock front valence, you can't beat the coolers mounted in the fender cavity. Check out Jack Olsen's car where we mounted one large cooler on the underside of each fender to cool off the a/c equipped 3.6 he runs on the track.
You can get a aftermarket washer bottle / or bag with pump from JC Whitney , Pep Boys, or similar outlets- for the windshield washer set up. Make up a smaller breather/burp can for the fuel vapors (test it to make sure that any liquid will drain back in the tank!)

What ever you do- air inlet and exit to the cooler(s) is of paramount importance.

[dd74]

Thanks Dave, Tyson, Jeremy - whomever's on the computer there - it's worth some thought - Ingo, as I recall, mounted his front cooler in the nose and it seems to work. Hopefully he might chime into this.

But here again, with what you propose, it seems as if the fiberglass front valance might still be the way to go with a front cooler, as it sounds less labor intensive.

Nevertheless, as you guys know my driving habits, and the fact I'd like to hit at least "several" track sessions at Willow (and elsewhere) soon, you're saying the fender mounted cooler will be enough - even with some generous engine mods when the time comes?

[KobaltBlau]

bump for dd74's question (slightly edited), since I have the same situation:

"I'd like to hit at least "several" track sessions soon (in 90+ F), you're saying the fender mounted cooler will be enough"

[911pcars]

"..... you're saying the fender mounted cooler will be enough" [/QUOTE]

Andy, dd74,
Please go back and read the thread again. The number of responses in this thread is not statistically valid, but there was only one person who thought a single fender cooler was sufficient. From all accounts (this and the archives), the prevailing thought is that the cure for overheating is to either run two fender-mount coolers or a front-mount cooler. However, there are variables that don't make this the definitive choice (engine size, ambient temperature, humidity, altitude, vehicle speed, etc.)

You can try it with a single, passenger side cooler first and see where you're at, but plan to budget an additional cooler, some hose and fittings for the additional plumbing just in case. It'd be easier (and cheaper in the long run) if you're open to housing a cooler in a front valence.

Sherwood

[widebody911]

Go big or go home

[Install425]

This one is alittle dented and oversprayed but big