Air flow and aftermarket oil cooler mounting

[hybrid G]

I have a common issue and I need some forum members with experience to chime in with their opinions.

I currently run a custom vmount setup but have struggled to find a position good enough for my oil cooler. Currently I have a ebay replica of the stock oil cooler after have my stock one sprung a leak.

I got a new setrab oil cooler 22" x 6" x 1.5" to junk the ebay shit and get better cooling, the present oil cooler sits behind the bumper and gets air from holes in the bumper pic below.

Last summer oil temps were a bit hot and did not drop with hwy driving so it's either shitty oil cooler *ebay* or shitty location oil getting enough air.

So I have a few choices
1. same location
2. Sandwich to rad lower part
3. Sandwich to rad upper part
4. Sandwich to lower part of intercooler





Below are pics of the oil cooler sandwich to rad and pics of space in between rad and intercooler.










Where do I mount my oil cooler for the best cooling and air flow?

[GySgtFrank]

Personal semi-edumacated opinion: Your problem is your oil cooler location. The air is just going to go around it, rather than through it, as the path of least resistance. It is also heavily shrouded sitting behind that bumper cover. I would think that it would work better at the back of the "vee" as long as the sides are sealed between the radiator, oil cooler and intercooler and you have the front sealed so that all air from in front of the car is forced through the box created by the radiator/oil cooler/intercooler. ...awaiting other opinions.

[RETed]

"BEST" requires:
1) Aftermarket bumper (or mod stock front bumper) for larger holes in bottom corners
2) 2 oil coolers - left and right
3) Required plumbing to make it all work


-Ted

[Pete_89T2]

Assuming you're happy with your current water & intake air temps on the V-mount setup, and you don't want to change any of that, I think Ted's idea to switch to dual oil coolers in each lower corner, with the proper air ducting via new/modified bumper to deal with oil temps makes the most sense.

The oil line plumbing for that may be a PITA, and then the next question would be is it better to plumb the dual oil coolers in series or parallel?

[TitaniumTT]

Series is fine, always done it that way, never had a problem with it.

If you want to try to keep everything the way it is now I would make all those little holes, one big hole, then I would build a duct to the bumper and around the oil cooler to force the air through it, that will yield the best efficiency in terms of that cooler.

While you're doing that, calculate and make sure that the duct opening is at least 25% of the surface area of the core.

[hybrid G]

You are correct here, its truly the best way, true tried and tested.

But I want to work with what I have now..... no track days this yr.

low on $$$

Originally Posted by RETed

"BEST" requires:
1) Aftermarket bumper (or mod stock front bumper) for larger holes in bottom corners
2) 2 oil coolers - left and right
3) Required plumbing to make it all work


-Ted

[hybrid G]

Originally Posted by Pete_89T2

Assuming you're happy with your current water & intake air temps on the V-mount setup, and you don't want to change any of that, I think Ted's idea to switch to dual oil coolers in each lower corner, with the proper air ducting via new/modified bumper to deal with oil temps makes the most sense.

The oil line plumbing for that may be a PITA, and then the next question would be is it better to plumb the dual oil coolers in series or parallel?

water temps are awesome too cool at times actually

[hybrid G]

Thanks for the quick feeback guys, my water temps are great or more like to good actually, when hwy driving it falls to 170 sometimes cooler depending on ambient temps.

Dual oil cooler is out of the question for me for now I already have a new setrab oil cooler and the holes in my stock bumper are too small anyway its an S4.

I want to work with what I got,

So based on some opinions i am either going to move the oil cooler to the v area where the rad and intercooler meet or I am going to make one big hole in the bumper last resort.

[TitaniumTT]

Rule of thumb, the duct needs to be 25% of what the surface of the core is. I've accomplished this and my water temps are 171* cruising down the highway, oil temps around 140*.

So, measure the opening of the S4 front bumper ducts for the brakes, are they bigger than 25% of a 19 or 25 row cooler? I suspect so. In that case, buy or build something like this -


On a track day with 104* ambient temps, water temps we're somewhere around 180, oil temps about the same, IAT were about 115-120*

[RETed]

Originally Posted by hybrid G

You are correct here, its truly the best way, true tried and tested.

But I want to work with what I have now..... no track days this yr.

low on $$$

The car is not supposed to be getting that hot (on oil temps) on the street...

Aftermarket oil temp gauge?
Can you verify the temps?

If your oil temps are indeed overheating on the street, something else is drastically wrong...
Do you still have an oil thermostat on the system like stock?
The stock oil cooler should have no problem dealing with anything you throw at it on the street, unless you don't drive under 4kRPM's...


-Ted