Oil Cooler Options - Mk2 2L 16v (finally fitted pics, page 4) Hi All, After the recent trip to the 'Ring with oil temps up to 130 degrees C on the MFA whilst 'cruising' on the motorway I have been thinking about oil coolers. Even around town with normal driving I'm seeing 100 degrees so I wonder if something is wrong with my standard oil cooler? I am swapping my standard KR engine for a 6a, is this engine likely to run hotter because of increased power or will the standard water cooled oil cooler be ok? I will obviously flush it out and check condition before fitting. If not - what are my options for oil coolers? I have a handy little oil cooler radiator which I think is from a Type25 van, presumably I could plumb this in with a sandwich plate and also maintain the water cooled one as well? Would the sandwich plate incorporate a thermostat, don't want the car to take ages to warm up in winter or run to cold you see? Any ideas? What's everyone else using on their Mk2's? One other thing is that space in the engine bay is quite limited due to massive A/C radiator, compressor, condensor etc so can't mount and oil cooler in the usual place - any ideas on that? Help please! Cheers Stu Edited by: Stu
Just been having a search through old posts on the subject and it seems that for road use my car should be fine with the standard water type oil cooler. I wonder if it's currently blocked up a bit or something? I flushed the system and changed coolant fairly recently and I already have the biggest standard radiator available in the Mk2 as far as I know.
Yes you can get a plate with a thermostat in it. Oil still flows through the cooler when its cold, just when its up to temp the thermostat lets it flow more. If you don't think the standard hose kit they supply for the golf will fit. Then you could get some fittings like these and make the hoses the length you want then. I'm using a mocal 13 row x235 in my mk1 2L
I would definitely fit an external cooler if you are fitting a 6A.....the extra power/torque will generate more heat..& it sounds like your O.E water/oil cooler could do with replacing too.... Standard water/oil coolers dont have enough heat transfer to keep the oil cool, especially on hot days or on cars that visit the track .(Water @ 85 degs, & oil @ 100+ degs) whereas with an external cooler the air is at a maximum of 30ish degs so has a far greater cooling effect.... If you are struggling for somewhere to fit it, you can always plonk it somewhere in front of the rad...longer hoses/fittings should be available from somewhere like Pirtek.. My car maxs at about 106 degs. oil temp on track (25degs ambient temp) with the same setup as Oplaii above. The sandwich plate has an internal stat that cracks @ 80 degs Edited by: chrismc
Ok, thanks for the info. I will take a pic of my engine bay and see what everyone suggestions are for oil cooler mounting locations, not sure if it'll fit in front of the rad as the A/C condensor is there. Where did you get the sandwich plate from with a thermostat and how much was it? Would I be best buying a new Mocal oil cooler or similar then or will the one I have suffice? I will post a pic up of it, it's about the same dimensions as the standard fit one from a Mk1 GTI but a bit deeper.
Been out in the garage this evening to have a look at the possibilities of mouting an oil cooler on my car, doesn't look to handy really due to A/C bits. There is very little room anywhere! The only place I can see you could squeeze a small oil cooler is in front of the radiator on the passenger side at headlight level but getting the plumbing to it would be difficult plus it would block air flow to A/C condensor and radiator. I took a few pics - any ideas much appreciated Engine bay - note A/C pipes and larger radiator restrict space quite a lot! View with front grille removed The oil cooler I have, looks similar to a Mk1 GTI one but doesn't look like I have any space to mount it! The 6a with standard heat exchanger type oil cooler, looks like I might have to stick with that for space reasons? Edited by: Stu
Stu, I reckon not only is yr oil cooler in question but maybe the rad too. Folks run a lot more power than yours with a 16v standard set up & are fine & a few track folks dont even use an external air/oil cooler- just the standard water/oil jobbie & are fine My engine runs a lot lot hotter than a normal 180-200bhp 2.0l does but with all my cooling mods & even driven utter flat out on track with up to 30 deg C ambient my oil temps just nudge into the 90degC area- highest I saw on 'ring trip after 3 continuous flat out laps in that heat was 92degC
I've no extra oil cooler on mine, it has a standard 16v rad and the fan isn't wired / switched to run constantly either. Until I had my final drive changed, my car never got hot, even after a 20min session at Donington (with the old DFQ 'box). Last two times I've been on track has been at Cadwell once with the 3.6 FD and the other with the 3.89 , it has gradients unlike Combe etc, oil has got noticeably hotter, but as the gearing is lower, I'm using more revs. As Alex says, with his big rad, ABF 'stat and oil cooler, his car ran really cool @ the 'ring. Suprising as it was running at 7k most of the time. Stu, I think on your car, especially on the way to the 'ring, it was over 30 degs, we were doing a constant 90 or so once we got to Spa, and many uphills AND you had the air-con running, no wonder it got hot, poor thing.
Gary - you are probably right, the trip to the 'Ring was under rather extreme conditions I suppose, no wonder it got so hot! That said, I regularly see 100 degrees or more just driving around town so I think either the oil cooler or radiator is on the way out and requires investigation. Alex - good point, I will move the horn and check out the condition of the rad and cooler when changing the engine and flush everything out and see how I get on. I think the radiator must be okay as generally the water temp never even gets near half way. On the trip to the 'Ring even when the oil temp was around 130 degrees the water temp only went a bit over half way! I think I will leave the external oil cooler off for now and see how I go once I've swapped the engines, can always add it in at a later date if required. Thanks for the info everyone. No doubt more questions to follow once I've got all the engine bits together and start swapping! Edited by: Stu
So will a 13 row 230?mm rad be ok for a 2 litre 16v? Do you really NEED an oil thermostat? Where to buy? Think automotive,Rally Design,Demon Thieves? Anywhere else,cheap? Edited by: GVK
Gary - I put mine all back together with just the standard water/oil cooler for now but intend to get an air/oil cooler before next summer as it's still running a little hot for my liking. Ok for cooler weather but needs sorting before going abroad again. Rallydesign seemed to be the best price when I was looking a while ago - about 130 for the full Mocal kit with thermostat controlled sandwich plate, hoses, fittings etc. My problem is that I don't really have much space to fit the thing in my engine bay so will have to get my thinking cap on!
i reckon the standard oil cooler is pretty good, but only if your rad is uprated. I ran a ABF/polo tdi van radiator, which totally fills the grille, and oil never went over 102 even with silly driving [no track work tho]
Ordered a 13 row 235mm Mocal cooler with stainless hoses and oil-stat from Rally Design 135 inc vat and delivery. If it still runs hot on track I will look into fitting a bigger rad. Good pics of Tris' cooler install on his site http://www.tris.demon.co.uk/dubs/oil-cooler/index.html Edited by: GVK
Sounds good Gary - looking at that link to Tris' pics, do you think it'd be worth putting some mesh/grille wire type stuff in front of the cooler in the bumper? Looks like it could get hit by a stone quite easily in that location?
I wasn't going to bother Stu - It's only going to be a few inches in front of the rad, and we don't worry about stones going through the bumper vents and hitting that I could get some of that lovely green chicken run mesh like the lizard has None of the sites that I've looked at state which size fittings you need so I guessed + ordered a 1/2" BSP cooler, just phoned RallyDesign to check, the guy said that's what I need anyway. Only problem is he couldn't find the order He's going to phone back later.
'Burton Power' is the other comp that tons of people buy bits like that off. (And yes they don't just do ford stuff!)
