Adding oil cooler to left side instead of upgrading right

[jwakil]

I've been thinking of upgrading my brass oil cooler on my 83SC with the later style radiator w/fan. I've also read some postings which indicated the temps wouldn't go down all that much with this upgrade. The other thought was to run some oil lines from the right side cooler to the left drivers side, and add the new cooler there instead of replacing the original one. So I would have two coolers in series, which I would imagine would be more than adequate for anything I would need. Question is how much more cost/effort would be involved in running some flexible lines over to the left side, and making mounting the cooler there. I'm concerned with the extra oil pressure having to go through all the extra tubing.

[jwakil]

I guess I should have looked at the left side wheel well before I posted...there is the big fuel expansion tank there. Not much room there unless that gets moved. Probably not worth the effort....

[enjefriy]

Thats a water tank for the Windshield and headlight squirters.
You could just chuck that out if you wanted

[johnsjmc]

I and several others have done it with 3.6 installations in early cars.Cost would approach $1000 but less with used parts and some ingenuity. I don,t think it is needed for a car already equipped with either style fender cooler. (brass or Carrera, not trombone). You can ad a fan to your cooler for an improvement in traffic. I never noticed any oil pressure effect but the oil pressure sender is in the pressure/supply side while I believe the fender cooler is on the scavenge side .

[ChkbookMechanic]

I have an '84 911 that I added an additional cooler to the left side of the car. In my case I tossed the windshield washer fluid bottle and relocated the fuel expansion tank to the trunk.

I found that my oil temp dropped probably 20 degrees (in Texas) and would stay around 190 - 210 for a long time before beginning to inch up with a lot of hard driving -- this is with two 930-style coolers.

On the track (in my experience so YMMV) the two coolers do a good job of keeping the temps below the 3rd mark (~250F) for about 30 minutes.

[jwakil]

Would be interested in anyone who knows what is the biggest/best performing oil cooler to replace the existing right side location one which doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by jwakil

Would be interested in anyone who knows what is the biggest/best performing oil cooler to replace the existing right side location one which doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

I have a Mocal 50 row cooler that I need to install. It will replace the 19 row Mocal that replaced the factory trombone... From what I understand and from what I've seen with some test-fits, this 50 row cooler appears to be about as big as will fit. The 50 row with fittings, brackets, etc., was around $550 IIRC.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Hi,

While there are many oil cooler options to choose from, the most important concept to think about is airflow.

Oil coolers are simply heat exchangers and as such, must have sufficient airflow to "exchange" anything. The biggest coolers in the world (or multiple ones) do little good if they do not get enough airflow. Further, air must not only be able to get into the face of the cooler, but it must be able to cleanly exit the other side. One must also ensure that any cooling air cannot go around or under the cooler to assure proper airflow.

A properly configured and installed oil cooling system works VERY well,.....

While I cannot tell you what you should do, I'd certainly install a radiator cooler with fan, a Carrera front valence, remove the fog light mouting bars in the openings and add some ducting to channel all the air to the cooler. I'd also relocate the horns to incoming air is unrestricted.

[jwakil]

Thanks. I was thinking of the 19 row Mocal, but since that seems inadequate for most people, I will look into the 50 Row.

I understand the airflow has to be proper. I think with a properly installed fan and spinning wheel, airflow should be OK. Which brings me to another question.... When the wheel is spinning, I would imagine it would be blowing air forward onto the cooler. If you put the fan so that it is blowing or sucking front to back, wouldn't that cause air stagnation? Should the fan be flowing forward (in which case opening up the bumper would not be wise?).

[aston@ultrasw.c]

When comparing other people's experience think about ambient air temp and heat load: track, traffic etc....

In my case: 110/track (30 min session), I went with a front mounted cooler with air deflector in addition to Carrera fender. Temps do not get above 250.

[911pcars]

The most effective location for an oil cooler is a bumper-mount. No fan necessary. Air pressure is the highest near the center, less so in the corners.

For the fenders, follow Steve's suggestion and install push-through fans on each. There may be scant room on the backside of the cooler due to tire clearance.

Sherwood

[si Banker]

I added a Mocal cooler in place of the water tank. I modified the existing strap that holds the water tank and ran the oil lines behind the front bumper.

On a 105 degree day with the air on my oil temp is 190. If I get caught in traffic it can go as high as 210.

The only thing I did not do is make a shield for it. I did add another air scoop to match the one on the left and I also cut a opening in the bumper.

[jwakil]

Ok, I'm still confused about the airflow direction. Should the fan be blowing towards the bumper or the tire? If it's blowing towards the bumper, it doesn't make sense to cut holes in the bumper, since when you are driving you will be blowing into the wind. If it's blowing towards the tire, I would imagine it's not very effective with the tire blowing the opposite way.

[tcar]

The fan blows toward the rear of the car, the way the air flows across the car in motion.

The fan is a pusher, mounted on the front of the cooler.

Later Carreras (87-89) have it set up like this.

[911pcars]

Stick hand out window. That's the direction of most airflow (unless the tire has a blowout) .

The tire will propel gravel bits as it rotates. The stones and street crud may eventually clog the cooler and perhaps physically damage it. You may wish to invest in a stone guard for this purpose. Washing this area periodically with a concentrated water stream is a good idea to clear out the gung.

Sherwood

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by jwakil

I've been thinking of upgrading my brass oil cooler on my 83SC with the later style radiator w/fan. I've also read some postings which indicated the temps wouldn't go down all that much with this upgrade. The other thought was to run some oil lines from the right side cooler to the left drivers side, and add the new cooler there instead of replacing the original one. So I would have two coolers in series, which I would imagine would be more than adequate for anything I would need. Question is how much more cost/effort would be involved in running some flexible lines over to the left side, and making mounting the cooler there. I'm concerned with the extra oil pressure having to go through all the extra tubing.

Not familiar with your needs/driving environment, but here is what we did.

On our '86.

We added the '86 930 fan, with a 210F on, 197F off, Nasson sensor/switch.

This mod became standard with the '87-89 3.2 cars, but with a 248F sensor/switch.

A bit toasty warm.

On a 90-100F 85 mph/freeway day in Palm Springs, our oil temp peaks out @ 220F,

and we have a dry motor.

However, as previously mentioned, air flow is a determing factor.

Try just upgrading to a 930 cooler/fan with a 210F switch.

Good luck,

Gerry

[kenikh]

The ballsiest oil cooler setup is the 993 RSR setup, which mounts a 3.6 cooler in each front fender and uses crossover lines. These use a shroud that directs air into the radiator, as well as having a thermostatically actuated fan to move air. One of these coolers can be adapted to any 911 easily as long as you don't have a longhood with battery boxes in the way.

By my measurement, a 3.6 cooler could also be mounted in the driver side rear wheel well in front of the wheel, but would require significant fabrication of ducting/shrouding and debris protection. That said, this is the route I will undertake with mine.

BTW, I found a certified and tested 3.6 cooler on Ebay for $250, so the deals are out there.