scorpion

who uses which engine oil cooler on an lt1???

Bob86ZZ4

I don't see how it could matter what engine you have, but this is a shot of the cooler I am using. It keeps my oil always below 200, even hot lapping on a warm day. Mine is an Earl's and I got it from http://www.dougrippie.com.

scorpion

i see. looks like a hd cooler to me. one question still remains: do you have a thermostat?

Bob86ZZ4

No, Peter at Doug Rippie's does not recommend using a thermostat because they can restrict the oil flow. On cool days I put a piece of cardboard in front of the cooler and wrap a bungee cord around to secure it. But I live in MN and we have some very cool days up here. I know some guys run a thermostat with a cutout device that diverts the oil back to the motor until it gets up to temp. I like the cardboard method, works great for me.

scorpion

i have heard some people use the adapter from the impala ss. anybody done that?

Bob86ZZ4

I don't know about that. I know Moroso makes a nice adaptor that goes between the block and the filter. I don't know if they make one that fits on a LT1 tho.

MSR

a sandwich style adapter is naturally thermostatic. the hotter the oil in the cooling loop, the less resistant the loop is to flow. this actually works quite well, not too different from using a mechanical thermostat.

if you plumb the cooler in full flow, with an inline remote filter, for instance, you really need a bypass style thermostat. otherwise the oil won't get up to temperature unless you're beating on it.

Bob86ZZ4

I'm not sure what you mean about a sandwich style changing it's flow characteristic depending on temperature. I can tell you most definately that a full flow adaptor plumbed directly to a cooler, as shown above in my picture, does allow the oil to get up to 175 on a cold day with cardboard blocking the front. And that isn't beating on it either. And a cold day here is 32.

MSR

bob, i wouldn't consider 175 degrees enough oil temperature for normal running. i'd like to see something around 212 degrees. also, and i mean this in the kindest way possible, i wouldn't buy a cooler kit that used anything but AN hoses/fittings.

the sandwich style adapter is a bypass. it's naturally thermostatic because the cold oil in the cooling loop resists flow. so, the engine oil takes the path of least resistance. due to filter back pressure, there is some flow through the cooler.

this small amount of flow becomes larger the hotter the oil, since the oil thins. viscious circle, and so on... sandwich style adapters with coolers will usually allow oil temps to come up over 200 degrees in normal driving, yet still cool well at the track.

ymmv...




[Modified by MSR, 7:33 AM 5/2/2002]

scorpion

what type cooler do you use, and where did you get it from?

Bob86ZZ4

I'm still confused about what type of cooler you are talking about. Is it the Modine cooler that is stock on a Z51? It plumbs coolant through the adapter. I had one on my car. Rotten no good for nothing except warming up your oil.

MSR

scorpion, i don't have a cooler on my vette, i was just making generalities.

bob, i mean an installation where the lines to the cooler are plumbed from an adapter that sandwiches between the block and oil filter. some of those have thermocouple type valves, some are open ports.

i was trying to say that the open port style is somewhat naturally thermostatic.

Bob86ZZ4

Okay. My cooler is plumbed from a sandwich style adapter that bolts to the block between it and the oil filter. I didn't know there was any other way to plumb in a oil cooler. I don't see how one could work to restrict flow to the cooler because then you would have oil pressure problems in the engine, wouldn't you?

MSR

if you plumb the cooler full-flow, say, in the loop with a remote filter, the thermostat isn't just a valve. it has an internal passage that bypasses directly to the return hose.

so, you have 2 hoses into the thermostat from the engine and/or filter, and 2 hoses to the cooler. the cooler is completely blocked when oil is cold, but the thermostat housing itself still has full flow.

otherwise, you're right, it wouldn't be possible.

BrianCunningham

If you got the cat's on you LT1/4 they real close to the filter, which has a special adaptor.

That's all the kits listed for L98 aren't listed for LT1/4's

I'm thinking of going to a remote filter.

scorpion

i have heard of some people using the oilfilter adapter from the impala ss. anybody done that?

JohnEVette

Bob,

Your post speaks to a question I've had. I've been wondering if its worth putting an oil cooler on my '84 before I autocross and Silver State it. Some make the point that an engine that barely revs to 5 grand probably doesn't need one. The car's oil temp gets into the 220s-230s when I'm on the freeway. I know oil needs to be hot to properly do its job, but the range its in now seems excessive. That being said, I may go for it on the cooler. Seems to me that its cheap insurance.

Bob86ZZ4

John, I would keep a close eye on oil temp when you autocross and see how hot it gets. I don't think you would have a problem with 30-60 second runs through a low speed autocross coarse. But road racing is a whole different story.

JohnEVette

Bob,

I agree with you on the autocross deal. My other concern, however, is Silver State-style open-road racing, which means 90-plus miles at triple-digit speeds, and the occasional open-track day. What I'm thinking at this point is that a small cooler will help keep the oil in that 220-230 range, which is, without doing research on preferred oil temps, about where I think it should be.

Or, maybe I'm just incredibly paranoid about blowing up my first Vette.

Either way, I'm seriously considering it.

Bob86ZZ4

I would also look at a good road race style oil pan. That way you can run 8 qts. and not worry about sloshing around and starving your oil pump pickup. The largest B&M tranny cooler works great as a oil cooler. It has the pipe fittings and cools very well.