JoshuaMencl

I want to add an oil cooler to my c3. Has anyone added a heavy duty oil cooler and have some mounting and install tips?

Street Rat

JoshuaMencl

I take it that it's not as simple as it looks then?

FB#1

Not hard to do. I used the adapter that goes between the block and the oil filter. I ran the lines over to the frame and mounted the cooler in the nose. I would recommend using AN fittings and not hose barbs and clamps. From experience....

chevymans 77

I've got a rather large one that I've had mounted in a couple different places.

I would suggest a block adapter and an oil T-stat in the inlet/outlet lines as this will allow for faster oil warming and a more consistent oil temp.

are you having oil temp issues and what size cooler are you looking at?

Neal

JoshuaMencl

The oil temp gets up to 250 within 20 minutes of driving and if I keep the car running once it's that hot it climbs quickly to the end of the guage. I got the heavy duty oil cooler from Imperial.

TimAT

What are you running for an oil pan? I have a 7 quart pan on my 496 and the oil temp stays about 200*, and takes a long time to get there.

gkull

Tell us about your motor and what is your water temp

kanvasman

I am in the process of mounting a cooler with a temp controlled fan under the nose of my '78. Hardest part was making the connection to the trans, not a lot of room with the 200R4 I installed. But the big quesstion that will be coming at you soon is : Are you going thru the radiator then the cooler, or bypassing the radiator. Lots of theories and people claiming to know the RIGHT way to do it. I bypassed my radiator because it didn't make sense to me to add heat load to an already marginal cooling system in the car. With the thermostat and fan on my Deraele cooler I think I have it covered. If you lived up north, maybe use the extra heating from the radiator to warm the trans up faster, but down here,, keeping it cooler is more important, to me anyway. Just my $.02. Good luck

cv67

Skip the radiator especially if you have a large stall that slips just use a good cooler. This way your coolant temps wont climb if youre on the converter hard.

riverracer au

are you talking engine oil or trans oil?

seems to be both being talked about here

Street Rat

I thought it was engine oil temperature.

When I get on a tollway or highway mine will climb to 230 degrees. It's about 200 degrees otherwise.

I got tired of guessing if the gauge was right. I put an Autometer gauge on mine so I can keep an eye on it at all times.

JoshuaMencl

It's for my engine oil. My coolant temp stays pretty cool not getting above 200. I'm not going through the radiator with it. I have an aluminum radiator with aftermarket cooling fans. The oil temp just scares me because I know some oil starts to breakdown around 270 degrees.

JoshuaMencl

The oil pan is 5 quart pan

Big2Bird

If you coolant is 200*, your oil "probably" sits around 220*. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, but that's me.

chevymans 77

My oil temps would do the same but would also drive my water temps up. I added a rather large (close to the same size as my radiator with single pass 1" tubes) under the gas tank with 2 fans on it. It worked great and kept my oil temps in the 180 to 190 area but I wanted to reduce the number of fans I was running so I moved it to the front of the car. I have it mounted in the nose of my car with no fans on it and it works great just as it did under the tank.

Neal

calwldlife

i have the adapter for the oil filter.
i have the "radiator" for the oil.
3/8 dia pipes.

oil temp only gets high on freeway speeds and does
cause water temp to rise when getting off freeway.

thinking about putting the cooler setup in when i swap tranny for a 200 4R and probably won't need it then.

chevymans 77

you need to verify the oil temps and make sure its not a gauge issue. Temps that high are out of the ordinary and usually have an effect on coolant temps.

if possible you can take readings on the oil pan with an IR temp gun.

Neal

Big2Bird

Something just ain't right there. 200* coolant and over 250* oil?

HeadsU.P.

You will be sitting on the side of the road with a radiator cap trying to punch a hole through the hood, long before your oil hits 270* ! ! !

If any oil temp gauge shows 250* within 20 mins of driving it is of a questionable quality gauge. Some of them are just basic plastic, awful, "want to be" units.
I guess another option is AutoMeter.