Cooling Flow Limted by Oil Cooler

[Ryushin]

I'm still doing research building my mod list for buying everything in June. I'm having trouble designing my improved cooling system. I was planning on going with a LFP Pro Comp Race Radiator, LFP Extreme Dual Pass Intercooler Heat Exchanger, 160 degree thermostat, and a Evan's Cobra Water Pump.

Then I came across this thread on Modular Fords. The piece that got me thinking was this post by toofast4u:
"The largest hindrance to flow rate on a stock DOHC cobra is the oil cooler. Replacing this with an external stand-alone cooler will dramatically increase the flow rate in the engine even with the stock water pump. On the other side if you go with a more efficient water pump and don't address the inlet flow issue at the oil cooler you will cause the fluid to cavitate at high RPM which is undesirable."

So this got me thinking that I need to change out to a external oil cooler. Lethal sells a total cooling kit that has a Fluidyne Radiator with built in Oil Cooler. I've been reading that a lot of people are having problems with Fluidyne's poor quality and leaks. LFP's Radiator looks much better to me. What other alternatives exist to move to an external oil cooler and keep the LFP radiator and actually see a flow increase with the Evan's Waterpump?

 

[Tractionless1]

How can you possibly be having cooling issues in Colorado? I live in S. Fla. and have my low fan turn on (in tune) at 192* and never see above 194*. Seems like a good start to me.

 

[Ryushin]

Actually, I want to ensure I will never have any cooling problems running 120+ for 45-50 minutes or so in the Silver State Classic. I want to over build my cooling system. Just to be on the safe side.

 

[racebronco2]

Do a search for using my screen name, look for hood mod in the open track forum. It was the only cooling mod that actually lowered the engine temp not just prolonging the amount of time on the track. The hood mod also creates downforce.

 

[Ryushin]

I think I've come up with a solution for the oil cooler problem and use the LFP radiator.

Using this cooling kit from Lethal that does not include the Fluidyne Radiator, and then using a Fluidyne Therm-Hx Engine Oil Cooler DB-30816 which measures 28" x 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" or a little wider at 31" x 3 1/2" x 3 1/2", and fabricate some brackets and mount it 2-3" behind the LFP Heat Exchanger, should give me outstanding oil cooling capacity and solve most of the cooling issues with the Cobra.

I just hope that Fluidyne has fewer leak issues with their oil coolers than their radiators.

RaceBronco2: Images of your hood mod are no longer available. Though I really like the heat extractor hood on the Cobra, I'll look at ways of making it more efficient.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Many race cars and several street/open track cars have shown good oil cooling results by mounting the oil cooler in the driver's side fender w/ a Spal fan. The debris thrown by the tire will be directed at the rear of the fender liner, so the location at the front has proved effective.
Porsche race cars have also used that location successfully for many years.

In this configuration you will also minimize weight(shorter lines) and restrictions in air flow to the rad. You also would not be dumping hot air in front of the rad. The fender wells are a negative air pressure area that lends itself well to this particular application.

Also depending on how you mount your fabbed up brackets, you may be able to help out the front center of gravity slightly if you mount it as low as possible.

Yes, you would cut a hole in the splash shield.:beer:

 

[Ryushin]

I'm thinking it would be nicer to have the long wide oil cooler behind the heat exchanger. Air passes through the HE and then through the oil cooler. Though this means the car has to be moving for it to cool the oil. Do you see a problem with not having a fan on the oil cooler?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I'm thinking it would be nicer to have the long wide oil cooler behind the heat exchanger. Air passes through the HE and then through the oil cooler. Though this means the car has to be moving for it to cool the oil. Do you see a problem with not having a fan on the oil cooler?

Mounting it in the fender will be better. There are already too many things mounted in front of the radiator. If you are doing the Silver State your efforts would be better spent on air managment through the radiator and heat exchanger. Yes the oil cooler is the bottleneck for cooland flow, but the real problem is airflow.

The car does not get hot on the open road. It won't need an external oil cooler if coolant temps are kept in check. I have do 110+ for 20+ minutes all the time and the coolant runs 177 and the oil runs about 180. The car could run like that all day.

All I have is a Fluidyne radiator and a drilled factory thermostat. I haven't even shrouded the radiator.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

I'm thinking it would be nicer to have the long wide oil cooler behind the heat exchanger. Air passes through the HE and then through the oil cooler. Though this means the car has to be moving for it to cool the oil. Do you see a problem with not having a fan on the oil cooler?

More air flow through the rad is the most effective cooling mod you can do.

A 2000 Cobra R is like an open track/ road race TRUCK!!!
They run fast and hard all day long and don't get hot, yet have similar power levels to a stock Terminator which will over heat.

I believe the two main reasons for that in this order are...
1. No A/C condenser blocking rad air.
and
2. An air to oil cooler that does not put any additional, and significant oil heat load on the engine cooling system.

Thicker radiators have higher air flow resistance, therefore they will need a higher air pressure differential in order to be effective.

More air I truly believe is the cooling Holy Grail!