How to run my oil line?

[volksbugly]

Ok so here is the deal:

1. I'm full flowed, I'll be running an oil filter and an oil cooler
----a. The filter will be mounted under the fender
----b. The cooler will be mounted in a wing, see here My Turbo Wing
2. Do I run a doghouse cooler or not?
----a. I'm sort of wanting to stick with the doghouse cooler so I will always have a mechanical means of cooling
----b. The easy way to run oil lines is to eliminate the doghouse cooler and run an adapter, then run the oil lines up the firewall into the turbo wing.
----c. This will completely eliminated mechanical cooling and will require an electric fan which I'm leary of, for example, if I have electrical problem, then it just became a mechanical engine problem...
----d. If I run the doghouse cooler I would have to run the oil lines from outside the engine bay and plumb them into the engine bay some how. (and avoid exhaust heat)

Here is what I'm after:
Does anyone have suggestions on how to run the oil cooler lines into the engine bay or have other thoughts?

side note, This will be turboed, but that doesn't really effect the thoughts above.

[volksbugly]

For those who are not sure what I'm talking about check out this video, maybe it will help.


@1:50 he starts talking about the adapter.

[Marc]

Please, DO NOT install an external cooler with filter in series as shown in the above video. Back in the `60s and `70s this setup was all the rage, until someone (Gene Berg) actually did some research which proved it was a LOUSY way to go. Unfortunately, some folks seem to have never gotten the word and continue to foist this "FOOL FLOW" arrangement on the public.

A filter in series with the cooler like this is NOT full-flow, since when the the engine is cold and pressure is highest the stock control valve inside the engine opens up a passage which bypasses that path - so when the most wear particles are generated during warmup, there's no filter. Then, as the crud load builds in the filter its restriction increases and limits flow through the cooler. Even in the best-case scenario, the added restriction of the filter confuses the function of the pressure-control system.

The internal design of the "singleport" (pre-doghouse) fan shroud is based upon the presence of a cooler to restrict airflow to the base of the LH cylinders - remove the cooler to put in one of these adapters and BOTH heads and the RH cylinders will run hotter than with the lowly singleport cooler.

Doghouse coolers have a dedicated air passage to feed the cooler and added vanes inside the main part of the shroud to evenly distribute the air to the heads and cylinders, so removing the stock cooler won't disrupt the cooling of them IF you block off that passage so that air isn't dumped through the gaping hole left when the cooler's removed.

What you want is to leave the stock doghouse cooler in place, and to drill & tap the case for a return fitting from a proper full-flow filter fed from and external-outlet pump cover. The auxiliary cooler in the wing should be plumbed in series with the filter, ideally using a thermostatically-controlled bypass valve so that the oil won't be overcooled in the winter. The bypass could be mounted close to the filter so the length of the run from engine to filter and back when it's open would be as short as possible; then you'd need to route two lines from it up to the cooler. Use no smaller than ½" I.D. lines (#8 AN fittings). If you'll be using a spin-on filter, the adapters come in versions that have straight-in fittings as well as the more common ones with them entering from the side; the latter add two extra undesirable 90° bends and should be avoided IMO. Most come with 3/8NPT threads but you can get them with ½NPT, which also reduces the restriction slightly by using fittings with larger I.D. ...personally I prefer to use #10AN (5/8" I.D.) line from pump to filter since it only costs pennies more than #8.

The Fram HP-1 recommended in the video IS better than a garden-variety filter at resisting blow-outs at high pressure, but it also happens to be a pretty poor at actually filtering - there are much better options. Personally I usually go with a Mann or Bosch filter intended for an early diesel Rabbit, they can take at least the pressure the HP-1 can and contain more efficient filtration media, still at a reasonable price.


http://www.geneberg.com/cat.php?cPath=5_113_2731

[volksbugly]

Thanks for the info Marc!

I'm a little confused,

My case is full flowed, its drilled and tapped. I was planing to run the filter with this pump, and run the cooler from where the stock one is.
I was not planing to do the H style thermostat, but since my engine is controlled from an ECU I plan to have the fan that will be mounted on the cooler to be thermostatically controlled, but plumbing in the H thermostat wouldn't really be a problem.

So the parts I'm a little confused on,
You say don't run external cooler with filter in series, but then down lower you say do.

Did you mean don't run it in series if you are removing the stock cooler and using the adapter?
and
Run it in series if you are truly drilled and tapped?

The other part I'm confused on,

Why would the engine run hotter if I'm removing an obstruction that slows down airflow?
If anything I would think that cylinders 3,4 would run cooler, I'm probably not understanding something here.


Motor spec they "why" I'm looking for additional cooling
2109cc 8.5:1 compression, 7lbs boost

[Marc]

Did you mean don't run it in series if you are removing the stock cooler and using the adapter?
and
Run it in series if you are truly drilled and tapped?

Yes

[volksbugly]

Did you mean don't run it in series if you are removing the stock cooler and using the adapter?
and
Run it in series if you are truly drilled and tapped?

Yes

Ok cool yeah that was my intention. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to run the oil lines into then engine bay.
if I use he adapter on top then its easy cause the lines are already on top, but I loose the stock cooler, I would still have the oil filter running from the pump no-matter what.

[Dale M.]

This is what you probably want to do, thermostat is optional but probably desirable...



Dale

[sideshow]

...I'm a little confused...Why would the engine run hotter if I'm removing an obstruction that slows down airflow?
If anything I would think that cylinders 3,4 would run cooler, I'm probably not understanding something here...

I has to do with distributing, the stock shrouds with cooler in place evenly cool. Removing the oil cooler tends to reduce this efficiency and creates an imbalance. The really odd thing is that in some testing "leaking cooling air" didn't correspond to less cooling.
So in short; the stock oil cooler/shroud works quite well and most improvements have the opposite effect.

Adding the filter is generally good even if you keep all the hoses below the engine compartment seal. Plumbing the hoses into the engine compartment like under you tail would add length/abrasion points but might help in packaging.

[Jadewombat]

I has to do with distributing, the stock shrouds with cooler in place evenly cool. Removing the oil cooler tends to reduce this efficiency and creates an imbalance. The really odd thing is that in some testing "leaking cooling air" didn't correspond to less cooling.
So in short; the stock oil cooler/shroud works quite well and most improvements have the opposite effect.

Adding the filter is generally good even if you keep all the hoses below the engine compartment seal. Plumbing the hoses into the engine compartment like under you tail would add length/abrasion points but might help in packaging.

I concur with Sideshow and Marc, not very often is external cooling needed. In most cases a larger T4 cooler installed in the doghouse will do the trick. Remember, there is no free lunch, pushing more oil through extra lines/coolers/etc. puts more load on your oil pump and in turn more hp to drive this. Have you done some temperature tests or are you adding this as a precaution?

The fender is a good high pressure area to carry hot air away, but try to minimize the amount of footage you have to push this oil through.