Part 21 – Oil cooler

[RJacobsen]

I think that most of you would agree that the oil coolers on these cars are more for looks than function as most of these cars rarely see any track time or hard enough driving to require additional cooling for the oil. I’m not saying that they don’t work, but that they work too well and can keep the oil from coming up to a good operating temperature.
Of course none of this means that I wouldn’t have one but I did add a thermostatic cooler by-pass to keep things warm enough and (according to Earls) to avoid blowing out the cooler with a high volume of cold oil.
Here’s how it turned out.

Cooler mounted in body

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler.JPG

This is my process to make the shrouding for the cooler and radiator. The top piece is taped together file folders ( I didn’t have any nice poster board) to make a rough template. The middle one is thin .019 aluminum I use sometimes with my business, it’s easy to work with and I have lots of it, I also wasn’t sure that I could get it in place without a center seam so this one was the test piece. I trimmed it to fit and then used it as a template for the final one, The bottom one is the final piece, the front and back straight edges are folded over to keep them rigid.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler1.JPG

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler2.JPG

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler3.JPG]

This photo shows the oil lines from the engine. Oil goes through the filter and then to the thermostatic bypass, if it is less than 180 degrees it just returns to the engine from there.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler4.JPG]

If the oil is over 180 degrees it is sent to the cooler and back to the engine.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler5.JPG


To be continued…

[Aggressor]

Rod - As they say in the old country: She'sa soo fine!!!

Nice work my friend. Any other info on cold oil blowing out a cooler? 1st I've heard of it.

Again I enjoy seeing your handywork.

-Geary

[RJacobsen]

Geary,

The cooler I chose came from Earls, with it came a warning sheet that reads as follows

ATTENTION THROTTLE STOMPERS!!!!

The outstanding heat transfer characteristic of our "Temp-A-Cure" Oil Coolers is achieved in part by using very thin aluminum sheets for the oil tubes. Every cooler is tested to 175psi at out plant. Burst tests indicate pressures of up to 350 psi are tolerated before cooler failure.

Stomping on the accelerator while the engine is still cold with a sticky bypass valve on your engine can combine to create a pressure spike far exceeding 350 psi. If you can't break the "throttle stomping while the engine is still cold" habit, you must install a chck valve and a thermostat in you oil system, as shown in the diagram . etc etc............


I'm not sure who would do this, but thats what it said.

[Slither]

Very nice[thumb], Rod. If you could, please post some pics of how you attached the parts. Sweet!

[mkassab]

I'm doing a simular setup you can see in Mark's Build in this Member Forum. Just a caution, (only if you don't fill the oil cooler first), the first time the oil thermostat opens up, you'll be down 1+ quarts of oil..... So, check often until all the air is out of the system. I think what I'm going to do the first time is bypass the thermostat with a male/male coupler. Then either remove the spark plugs and crank the eng to build oil presure OR.. remove the distibutor and using the proper 1/4" of 5/16" tool (depending on your set up) counter clockwise rotate the oil pump. Either way will prime the oil system setup, remove all the air, and allow you to get real close to the final proper oil level.

Mark

[pgermond]

Rod, As always - top notch work. However, are you ever going to get that car on the road? If you keep perfecting every element I'll be in my 70's by the time we can get on the road together!

[RJacobsen]

I'm doing a simular setup you can see in Mark's Build in this Member Forum. Just a caution, (only if you don't fill the oil cooler first), the first time the oil thermostat opens up, you'll be down 1+ quarts of oil..... So, check often until all the air is out of the system. I think what I'm going to do the first time is bypass the thermostat with a male/male coupler. Then either remove the spark plugs and crank the eng to build oil presure OR.. remove the distibutor and using the proper 1/4" of 5/16" tool (depending on your set up) counter clockwise rotate the oil pump. Either way will prime the oil system setup, remove all the air, and allow you to get real close to the final proper oil level.

Mark

Mark
The maker of the thermostat (Derale) designed it so that 10% of the oil flows to the cooler even when in the bypass position before it opens at 180 degrees. This helps to eliminate trapped air and what they (Derale) refer to as cold oil shock to the engine. I don't think a special fitting for prepriming will be necessary but I expect the process to take a while anyway.

[RJacobsen]

Rod, As always - top notch work. However, are you ever going to get that car on the road? If you keep perfecting every element I'll be in my 70's by the time we can get on the road together!

Thanks for the compliment Phil. As far as the getting it on the road part all I can say is that the light at the end of the tunnel is a lot brighter now than it has ever been.

[RJacobsen]

Very nice[thumb], Rod. If you could, please post some pics of how you attached the parts. Sweet!

Paul,

The aluminum panal is attached with two screws on each side at the upper rear and two screws under the front edge.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler6.JPG

The front edge of the panal is bent back at about 135 degrees and fits nicely into the body recess. Two sheet metal screws hold the front.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/5/oilcooler7.JPG

[Slither]

Thanks! Again, it looks great.