Aftermarket Oil Cooler?

[WhiskeyBottle2]

Hello Everyone...A friend gave me a "pancake" looking thing the screws up to the oil filter mount. It has an inlet and outlet on it for running hoses to an aftermarket cooler. The oil filter screws up onto the pancake so you have your standard oil cooler and filter on our idi's.

The pancake fits our idi's and I was wondering if I install it and run lines to the tranny oil cooler built into the radiator since I have a zf-5 manual...Would it act as another oil cooler in conjunction with the oil cooler on our trucks?

In other words...would that be a good thing and would it help cool the oil a little more?

Thanks for everyones thoughts, opinions, and general advice as to the pro's and con's. I want to try it, but if others have done this without much success or it just creates problems...I don't want to chance it...

 

[sle2115]

Would worry about contamination, water/oil or oil/water. I'm sure it would work, but already having a cooler, I think I'd go with a stand alone add on air/oil type cooler.

 

[SparkandFire]

My van with the 5.4 Triton has one of those on it, I believe it was a factory option. The coolant goes to the cooler from a bypass valve on the lower radiator hose.

I've never had any problems with it...

The van also has an oil temp light on the dash, and it's never come on...

I've never heard of running one on the IDI though, would probably require the use of a standard NON-POWERSTROKE filter. I would double check clearance to be sure.

 

[WhiskeyBottle2]

Yeah I looked at the filter clearance as I use a powerstroke filter. It looks like it would work, but if if won't I could always mount another oil filter somewhere between the original and the radiator and use two filters. As far as contamination goes...are we talking cross contamination from the radiator?

It seems like there wouldn't be any cuz auto trannys never seem to have that problem...just saying...The real concern is will the oil pump be able to make the circuit? I think it would since it is basically a closed system.

 

[160k87F250]

I would be worried about a restriction if you use the trans cooler to cool engine oil. Usually transmission lines are only 3/8 diameter. Also, not sure what pressure the trans coolers are designed to handle.

John

 

[RLDSL]

DONT DO IT! IT IS TOO SMALL PERIOD END OF DISCUSSION.

there is only one filter adapter relocator on teh market that has enough flow for these engines , and it is made by Amsoil for use with a remote filter kit for PSD ( early ones were the same as every one elses just like the one you have and it proved to not have enough flow so they redesigned it, you will find all others on the market are still that small size ).

You can either get the adapterh with teh proper size hoses and then get an external cooler with large enough piping to accomadate it, or if you just want to use the rad, you can tap into one of the block oil ports , there are a few of them and run a chunk of aeroquip hose up to the rad and then braze a return fitting with a restriction in to the little timing cover plate over your pump bolts ( you will need a restriction if it is not returning through a bypass filter on return or you will loose oil pressure, it should be quite small about pin or nail sized )

 

[Black dawg]

I would bet if it fits the idi filter mount that it is probably big enough? I wouldnt use the trans cooler in the rad, but if you tow heavy I would hook it to a big oil cooler.

 

[RLDSL]

I would bet if it fits the idi filter mount that it is probably big enough? I wouldnt use the trans cooler in the rad, but if you tow heavy I would hook it to a big oil cooler.

There are a whole bunch made that fit the filter mounts , but the oil line fittings coming out of them are all too small Inside diameter to handle the flow volume of these engines Amsoil is the only ones that have upgraded teh size of their adapter heads and lines to accomadate the flow volume. All the rest kept everything universal size to what is industry standard for passenger cars for interchangability with common speed shop parts.

 

[riotwarrior]

Robert,

If Whiskey wants to run just a bypass filter setup his current adapter would suffice would it not? I mean seriously the idea is to slowly filter the oil and thus the size wouldn't matter.

However if he wants additional engine oil cooler then yes I might agree it wouldn't be sufficient. I for one would never use the ATF cooler in the bottom of the rad for an engine cooler. That makes no sense since it's just doubling up potential for coolant/oil cross contamination. I would use an Oil/air stand alone add in cooler only!

Just the addition of a bypass filter in and of it's self will add capacity to the system and as well subsequently cool the oil somewhat as it's slowly filtered.

Seems winwin to me to just add a bypass...

And Whiskey..

If you are not goint to use that adapter...I'd be happy to use that adapter...

 

[WhiskeyBottle2]

Ok Guys...Thanks for all the info...I too was concerned about loss of oil pressure and flow rate. According to the 6.9L idi bible our pumps pump 12 gallons per minute...meaning it is a high volume variable pressure pump...The variable pressure comes in at different places internally depending what is getting oiled.

What all this means is...to properly cool the oil using an aftermarket oil cooler (radiator won't cool well) the piping must be at least 1/2" inside diameter with no sharp bends. Anything smaller will force the oil thru the cooler at a higher velocity or pressure which will not allow enough time to do any meaningful cooling. In other words the oil is moving thru to fast. That's why the oil goes thru the oem engine mounted cooler straight from the oil pump before the oil goes thru the filter.

So, RLDSL is right...Amsoil uses a 1/2" inside diameter set-up. Perma-Kool and others use 3/8" even tho they say (perma-kool) will work on our trucks. As for me....It just so happens the adapter given to me utilizes 1/2" id openings so I think I will use it with a remote filter mount and then on to a 1/2" id air/oil cooler and back. This will give me a dual filter and cooler set-up...

The main reason todo this is obvious, but other reason is wifey and I will be towing a 5th wheel full time after this winter...Pray the set-up works cuz we have basically restored our 86 F-250 over the last 2 1/2 yrs.

 

[RLDSL]

Ok Guys...Thanks for all the info...I too was concerned about loss of oil pressure and flow rate. According to the 6.9L idi bible our pumps pump 12 gallons per minute...meaning it is a high volume variable pressure pump...The variable pressure comes in at different places internally depending what is getting oiled.

What all this means is...to properly cool the oil using an aftermarket oil cooler (radiator won't cool well) the piping must be at least 1/2" inside diameter with no sharp bends. Anything smaller will force the oil thru the cooler at a higher velocity or pressure which will not allow enough time to do any meaningful cooling. In other words the oil is moving thru to fast. That's why the oil goes thru the oem engine mounted cooler straight from the oil pump before the oil goes thru the filter.

So, RLDSL is right...Amsoil uses a 1/2" inside diameter set-up. Perma-Kool and others use 3/8" even tho they say (perma-kool) will work on our trucks. As for me....It just so happens the adapter given to me utilizes 1/2" id openings so I think I will use it with a remote filter mount and then on to a 1/2" id air/oil cooler and back. This will give me a dual filter and cooler set-up...

The main reason todo this is obvious, but other reason is wifey and I will be towing a 5th wheel full time after this winter...Pray the set-up works cuz we have basically restored our 86 F-250 over the last 2 1/2 yrs.

Are you positive about those dimensions? What is the final restriction going to be once you get hose assemblies made and fittings installed? This is what fakes everyone out.. The Alsoil kit for the 7,3 has fittings on it that are bored out to accept 7/8-14 fitting going in with a 5/8 jic on the other end eliminating the restriction point. The earlier kits had the industry standard 1/2 in fittings and some oil starvation issues were found and they quickly changed it, but there are still dozens of others out there being made the other way with 1/2 or as youve found even 3/8in hose setups

I'm not trying to be a snit here, just trying to help you out. I've been selling synthetics for about 34 years now and have installed more of these kind of systems than most folks have ever laid eyes on, just want to make sure you dont get in trouble.

 

[RLDSL]

Robert,

If Whiskey wants to run just a bypass filter setup his current adapter would suffice would it not? I mean seriously the idea is to slowly filter the oil and thus the size wouldn't matter.

However if he wants additional engine oil cooler then yes I might agree it wouldn't be sufficient. I for one would never use the ATF cooler in the bottom of the rad for an engine cooler. That makes no sense since it's just doubling up potential for coolant/oil cross contamination. I would use an Oil/air stand alone add in cooler only!

Just the addition of a bypass filter in and of it's self will add capacity to the system and as well subsequently cool the oil somewhat as it's slowly filtered.

Seems winwin to me to just add a bypass...

And Whiskey..

If you are not goint to use that adapter...I'd be happy to use that adapter...

You can't use a full flow adapter to feed a bypass filter. those thilngs will divert ALL oil flow from its original path into the diversion pipe in full flow form and return it as such back into the flow path into the filter ( or filter first and then engine, Im not awake right now ) but it does run full flow. The only way to run a bypass filter off one of those things is with a combination remote head like one of amsoils dual remote systems that puts a full flow filter and a bypass filter both on a remote filter unit, otherwise, to run a bypass, you need to tap into one of the block oil ports to feed a bypass. I have mine tapped in to the little oil port just above the oil filter assembly at the rear of teh block and return it to a fitting that I brazed to the pan when I had the engine off.