are oil coolers still over-rated?

[tb3]

I know this has been beat into the dirt.
but I wanted to get a little extra assurance before I pitch my aftermarket oil cooler.
 
I installed the f body radiator long ago.  I eliminated the stock oil cooler and installed a aftermarket one at the same time since the f body doesn't have the extra cooler built-in.
I've just installed new body bushings along with alot of other work, including removing and painting the fillers, so now is it good time to ditch the aftermarket cooler since I've got the front all opened up.
 
I know its not hurting anything, and I run the bigger filter also, with 160t, so I'm thinking get rid of the dead weight. 
I remember reading one of the many debates awhile back and grumpy pointing out he doesn't run one either.
 
ed, steve, earl, grumpy, pacecarta, turbo dave, etc etc.....lol!
tell me I'll be ok so I can sleap better tonight.  unless I shouldn't get rid of it, of course.
and no, I don't want a alum radiator with both coolers built in like the stock one if I don't need it.

[earlbrown]

The answer is simple. If you're overheating your oil under load, you need an oil cooler.


What's your oil temp under load?

[motorhead]

I don't run one on the auto-x course.  Just good oil and go.  Oil has come a long way in the last 25 years.

[Scoobum]

The bottom of Lake Ontario is littered with oil cooler adaptors and GEN 2's that I've thrown into it over the years. I give the intercooler fans to the kids to use as frisbees.

[PacecarTA]

i dont run them

[tb3]

The answer is simple. If you're overheating your oil under load, you need an oil cooler.


What's your oil temp under load?

I don't know.
I never bothered to add a oil temp guage, just a oil pressure guage.  but I see your point. 
If I'm concerned, I should have a oil temp guage! 
I guess I just rely on the basis that if my water temps are always in check, and I never notice any turbo problems (coking), then whats the point of a oil cooler in my application?
I've wondered to myself....what s the differance between the oil system on 86/87 na engines and the t charged ones? 
the turbocharged ones have a line to and from the turbocharger that cool/lubricate its bearing.
thats pretty much it, correct?
none of the 78-85 turbocharged 3.8's had the oil cooler.  and I'm not aware of any of them having oil heat problems. 
I guess you will  have oil heat problems if you run the car hard in hot temps, and then shut it down without letting it idle first.  but then what good is a oil cooler gonna do you if you don't let the car idle/cool?
I pulled the aftermarket cooler this evening.
thanks guys for replys!
 

[earlbrown]

[

I've wondered to myself....what s the differance between the oil system on 86/87 na engines and the t charged ones? 
the turbocharged ones have a line to and from the turbocharger that cool/lubricate its bearing.
thats pretty much it, correct?
none of the 78-85 turbocharged 3.8's had the oil cooler.  and I'm not aware of any of them having oil heat problems. 
I guess you will  have oil heat problems if you run the car hard in hot temps, and then shut it down without letting it idle first.  but then what good is a oil cooler gonna do you if you don't let the car idle/cool?
I pulled the aftermarket cooler this evening.
thanks guys for replys!

the N/A engines make about 100HP using all 6 holes. That load is spread out over all the mains and all the rod bearings....

A hot GN makes almost that much power (heat) per hole. All that load is one one rod bearing.  And yes, the turbo is introducing head into the oil as well. The bottoms of pistons make pretty good oil heaters too.


Keep in mind that water only cools the engine down to just below the head gasket. Everything below that is cooled by oil. On the stock GN, the factory oil cooler was also an oil heater when cold.

[SuperSix]

I don't see a valid reason to NOT run one, at least for 98% of people.

[tb3]

awesome info, earl!!!  thank you!!
another question.
Is there anybody thats ran a temp guage before and after the stock oil cooler to see how effective it is? 

[Scoobum]

No one...and I mean no one...pounds on their junk weekend after weekend more than I do. When i leave the line my oil pressure is 25 lbs...and when I finish the run...it's 25 lbs. That should tell you something. Change your oil/filter on a regular basis...and get a good nites sleep.

[tb3]

thanks scoobum! 
hey do I read correctly that you don't use the intercooler crankshaft fan?  I can understand getting rid of it with a front mount, but are you saying you see them worthless with a slic also?

[Scoobum]

Nope...don't use the fan either...and I drive my car all over the place.

[tb3]

I guess another data I'd like to see is how effective that fan on a slic is then

[earlbrown]

awesome info, earl!!!  thank you!!
another question.
Is there anybody thats ran a temp guage before and after the stock oil cooler to see how effective it is?

Actually the stock oil cooler is more like a temp stabilizer. Our cars came with a 195* thermostat so if the oil is 200* it's really not going to get cooled any. Since water temps come up faster than oil, the stock 'cooler' will actually help get the oil up to temp faster (same for the transmission)

Funny you should mention the testing. I have a box of badass precision temp sending harness that I built a while back for my solar projects. They have pretty quick response time and accurate to .1 degree.  (really cool actually. They can run off of anything form 3VDC to 36VDC and the temp output is 10mv per degree. Nice and linear) You can make remote temp thermometers with a cheap ass DVM and a 9volt battery

Turns out they are PERFECT for temp logging on a car. As soon as I realized that, it started raining, then it got cold as hell....

Powerlogger only has two aux inputs so I can graph before/afters with oil, IATs, trans fluid, whatever I want. I hope I can get three of them running at once so I can do temp rejection tests and have one in the grill to give me an ambient reading so I can account for deltaT.

[tb3]

if you've already got the gear, that would be awesome to see some data on that !   
I thought about grabbing the laser heat gun from work just for poops and giggles and see what that would tell me, but given I'm only getting the temp of the hose or tube and not the oil, I know it wouldn't be incredibly accurate.