Carrera oil cooler not getting hot?

Trotskyite · 07-11-2008, 10:19 PM

In my never ending quest to cool my car down in this climate, I have run into another snag. I installed a brand new elephant racing fender cooler with a fan, and while the oil lines get too hot to touch, the bottom of the cooler is barely room temperature. The car is still getting up to 240+, so the oil definitely isn't getting any cooler either. Could my cooler be defective? If my thermostat was bad, would the lines still get that hot?

wastintime · 07-12-2008, 12:01 AM

Just the bottom is cool? Is the fan coming on? Is this at a standstill in traffic? Are you hitting 240 driving? Have you tried to verify that your oil temp gauge is working properly?

If your oil return line is hot, clearly the thermostat is opening up and oil is flowing to the cooler. It's entirely possible you have a blockage in the cooler that's impeding flow. More information would help you make an accurate diagnosis.

Pkaaso · 07-12-2008, 12:56 AM

Just installed the same cooler on my 74' and am interested in the diagnosis.

Paul

Pkaaso · 12:57 AM

Double post for some reason.

Joeaksa · 07-12-2008, 05:47 AM

Are you sure that you do not have some air in the cooler that needs to be bled out?

widgeon13 · 07-12-2008, 05:49 AM

Is oil getting into the cooler, seems like a silly question but sounds like something is blocking the flow. Does the fan have a thermostat?

Flieger · Flieger's Garage

If the oil cooler is working properly, one side of the cooler will be hot and the other will be cool

To my understanding of your post, your oil lines are sending hot oil to the cooler and returning cool oil.

Trotskyite · 07-12-2008, 12:30 PM

No, both lines are hot. The bottom of the cooler is barely room temp. The fan is set to come on automatically at 210, but I also have a manual switch. After running the car up and down a local arterial to get it warmed up, it still gets up past 240, with the fan blowing away, and the cooler only luke warm.

john walker's workshop · 07-12-2008, 12:38 PM

there was a post a while back about a defective cooler, where the oil went in and directly out, without passing through the cooler body, due to a port not being drilled.

john walker's workshop · 01:59 PM

there was a post a while back about a defective cooler, where the oil went in and directly out, without passing through the cooler body, due to a port not being drilled. even if the oil went in at 240°, it would come out cooler by several degrees, but certainly not room temp.

Pkaaso · 07-12-2008, 01:03 PM

I just completed my install and fortunately working well. I temporarily wired it to run with key On. I started it cold, idled for few and at about 210 the therm opened and with in a minute the feed line was hot the return cold.

At about 3 minutes the return line was getting warm but not hot at all. The fan was blowing very warm air away from the cooler. I didn't check side to side but it all seems to be working fine.

The high so far 210 running slightly hard around the streets.

I'm going to run the car tomorrow at El Toro auto-X so I'll know more then.

Hope you can figure out your problem soon.

Paul

wastintime · 07-12-2008, 01:20 PM

Jon might be right. There's no real reason for oil to pass through the cooler, especially with the fan running, and not in some way be cooled down. Now, just because both lines are hot... I'd still use like an IR thermometer or something and see if you can not a temp differential between the two because, again, this all hinges on your temp gauge being correct. The oil coming back to the motor is still going to be "hot" it's just not going to be as "hot"

As was mentioned earlier it's not uncommon for different parts of the cooler to be at different temps... Have you even driven like 90mph for a while, stopped and felt an intercooler? it's ice cold.

ossiblue · 07-12-2008, 06:30 PM

Your symptoms seem to back John's assessment--the oil appears to be passing right through the cooler openings but not down into the cooler itself. I'd say bite the bullet, disassemble the cooler and have it checked out. All other parts of the plumbing seem to be in working order from your description.

Chuck Moreland · 07-12-2008, 07:38 PM

Take it out and shine a flashlight into inlet. Look for light in the outlet.

If you see the light, there is a problem.

The cooler we sell is the OEM cooler, same as other vendors. A couple years back we received a batch that had the baffle at the top poorly welded, such that oil could pass directly from inlet to outlet. Light could similarly be seen. The issue was worked through our supplier, the problem was resolved.

It is possible the problem has returned.

If it fails the light test as above, send it back for a replacement.

We have dozen in stock which we will test to see if any have the problem.

wastintime · 07-12-2008, 07:53 PM

I still say find out what temps your oil is before taking things apart... if it is cooling oil then great, if not you'll have to do chuck's suggestion. If you see light, problem solved. If you don't, then it's probably your temp gauge.

Trotskyite · 07-12-2008, 10:50 PM

It definitely isn't the temp gauge. I just backdated to a Fahrenheit numbered gauge with the appropriate sender. Everything was checked for accuracy. Thanks for the info Chuck. The car is in for some maintenance at my mechanic, and I will let him know what you told me and see what the outcome is.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pkaaso

...The fan was blowing very warm air away from the cooler. I didn't check side to side but it all seems to be working fine...

Paul

Maybe it is just your wording...but is your fan pulling air from the cooler or pushing air through the cooler? Since they are DC motors...if you switch the positive and ground...they run backwards.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trotskyite

It definitely isn't the temp gauge. I just backdated to a Fahrenheit numbered gauge with the appropriate sender. Everything was checked for accuracy. Thanks for the info Chuck. The car is in for some maintenance at my mechanic, and I will let him know what you told me and see what the outcome is.

I have a numbered gauge with appropriate sender. It always read about 20 degrees high. I just replaced it and solved the problem.

Pkaaso · 07-14-2008, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fintstone

Paul

Maybe it is just your wording...but is your fan pulling air from the cooler or pushing air through the cooler? Since they are DC motors...if you switch the positive and ground...they run backwards.

Yes I did word that strangely. What I meant was the fan IS blowing in the correct direction thus blowing warm air away from the cooler back towards the front wheel. I didn't want to say "the fan is blowing warm air THROUGH the cooler" that would be incorrect.

Did the El Toro, CA Auto-X yesterday and had a blast. The car worked very well. Temp never got above 210. Mostly hung aroung 190 - 200.

Paul

Trotskyite · 07-14-2008, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fintstone

I have a numbered gauge with appropriate sender. It always read about 20 degrees high. I just replaced it and solved the problem.

Like I said, the gauge was checked for accuracy. In this case I used a temperature probe down into the oil tank. The car really does get hot, I promise.