* Front oil cooler install - UNIQUE? *

[Craig 930 RS]

Eight 2 3/4" holes in bumper
Front strip removed
Strip area painted black

Keeps the 3.6 Varioram cool and looks reasonably stock!
A bit RSR perhaps?



holes

[Paulporsche]

Did you drill the holes yourself, or have a machine shop do them? On or off the car?

[Yellowbird RS]

cool! but maybe you drill 2 extra holes (bouth end sides)

[Az911]

Looks good here is another car with a similar setup.

[jakermc]

Did you modify the trunk area at all to allow the air to go through the cooler and exit out the back and then down below the car? Don't these things need a good exit path for the air if they are to work properly? I am getting ready to do my own install and am looking for ideas.

[widebody911]

Pix of my oil cooler setup here: http://66.34.72.138/howto/965-bumper/index.html

[Wil Ferch]

Craig:
Nice job...I believe the Rothman's Dakar cars did it this way too.
Any more details on the install ??

--Wil

[Paulporsche]

Craig,

Just a thought:

How about if you reattached the rub strip w/ the holes correspondingly drilled in it, and blocking off the 2 outer ones in the body (unless you need them)?

This might give you a less obvious, more finished, factory look.

I realize you may have to drill the holes a little smaller, to keep it all together, which may be a problem on your car's cooling system. Only you can answer that.

It's just something to consider.

[KobaltBlau]

tell us if you cut the tub!

[MichiganMat]

and give us a shot from farther away so we can see the full effect.

[KobaltBlau]

Originally posted by widebody911
Pix of my oil cooler setup here: http://66.34.72.138/howto/965-bumper/index.html

Thom, nice job on all that. Looks great, too!

[sfmlaw17]

Looks good. What brand and size oil cooler did you use? I have been long interested in doing this. Good solution.

[Craig 930 RS]

I did it myself & used a 2 1/4" hole saw (not 2 3/4" as I posted last night), with WD-40 for lube (it's a hell of a cut!). Bumper off the car -

Used a pneumatic drill. Hang on when making these large holes, it'll rip your wrist off

No exit path other than the 1 1/2" standoff already built in using the upper horizontal mounting tabs on the Setrab cooler. Still not nearly as much backspacing as I'd like - but lets see how this works.
It is not possible to put the cooler out more towrds the front bumper using the Setrab mounts - this, or make an exit box. If I need to do either, I will.

I have two SPAL 4" fans (bought the last 2 in the U.S. directly from SPAL; these are impossible to find)

A note about the pics:
I used a flash - it highlighted the internals. In person, it is very subtle; you cannot tell what is inside & behind the bumper. Also, in person it is hard to tell there are even holes in the bumper!

Here is a pic w/o flash & what it looks actually like:



Any questions - just ask.

[Wil Ferch]

Craig:
-- Is the top of the lower valence modified, or is that the lower portion of the cooler itself?
-- as to exit air... I have a strong suspicion that all you need is to close the air gaps on the perimeter of the cooler ( foam padding)...and don't worry about the air space behind the cooler...as long as there is *some* space behind the cooler.
-- the cooler is mounted on the bulkhead, correct? Not on the bumper itself?
-- consider a small mesh...or even a cut-down of a rear deck lid grill to give the holes a "finished" look ?? Heck, if under a grill, the "holes" can be a big rectangle !

---Wil

[Craig 930 RS]

Wil -


Top of lower valence does have about a 1" notch cut in it

Exit air - EXACTLY! I have extra roll bar padding (will it melt, Wil?)
that I was thinking of using

Cooler is on the bulkhead -- the cooler is mounted using the top 2 brackets which attach to the top of the bulkhead where the bulkhead becomes more horizontal

I will add some mesh for cooler protection - the nice thing is the front end has sort of a 'black-hole' appearance so it is hard to tell that anything has been done to begin with.

I went for a test run - big difference! Above 40 mph or so the temps plummet -

THX

[Ove]

Craig,

Very nice install!
I like that you retain the stock look.

You could place an aluminium plate about 1" to 1.5" down under the bumper to direct even more air to the cooler.
But if it works well now without any problems I would leave it as it is.

And you are saving some weight too by making the vent holes and removing the rubber strip

[Craig 930 RS]

Ove -

You & Wil seem to read my mind --- I have a sheet of aluminum plate that I intend to use just as you say -

THX

[jakermc]

I'm a bit confused about the suggestions to close off the air gaps around the cooler. With the cooler mounted to the bulkhead, which sides of the cooler should be sealed? Obviously there are two sides, a top and a bottom, 1.5" of space behind the cooler and the air has to exit somewhere. Is the idea to close off some of the sides and force a single exit?

Did the cooler bolt to the bulkhead or was welding required?

What size cooler are you using and where did you buy it from?

[Wil Ferch]

The idea is to seal off the entire *perimeter* of the cooler. As air enters, it *has* to go THROUGH the cooler. Otherwise...fluid dynamics being what it is...it will tend to take the path of least resistence, which can be AROUND the cooler instead of through it.

Craig, I don't know if the roll bar padding is the right thing to use ( temp capability), but there should be some sort of edging like used on the factory front Carrera coolers that would work. I'd look at the industrial supply and Aircraft supply places mentioned in these threads.

---Wil

[88 Club Sport]

That looks great Craig. How much room is behind the cooler? If by chance someone rolls into you and the front shocks compress, will the cooler be in trouble? I ask only because I have similar issue's with my install but ended up notchin the bumper to allow for a little movement. Looks great !

I ended up going with a lower mount into a glass valance below the stock bumper but I do wonder what will happend in the even of a serious off track excursion. This weeekend I did some "grass mowing" after going in too hot in one corner but all was well.