sizing oil cooler, biggest or big enough Options

[machina]

Do most people just use the biggest cooler they can jam up front, like a 22x6x2 or is there a way to calculate how much heat capacity the cooler should be able to remove at a given speed?

Those things start to get pretty heavy and expensive. Would one of the more compact fluidynes work on a 2 liter motor in the summer? I noticed paul (mr lightweight) has a relatively small cooler on his car.

Thanks,
dr

[ArtechnikA]

...is there a way to calculate how much heat capacity the cooler should be able to remove at a given speed?

of course. the heat exchanger (oil cooler) people have already done this, you just need to get the heat rejection vs airflow curves.

Mocal and Earl's/SerckSpeed used to show this data, and it's been too long since i looked at FluidDyne's website for me to remember if they did - which is different completely from knowing if they do now ... the feeling here is the FluidDynes are more efficient so you could make a WAG from the Mocal numbers...

and you get to guess how much heat is rejected by the lines, and how efficient your exhaust airflow is, remembering that it's easier to add tape on cold days than a bigger cooler on the very hot days :-) ...

[campbellcj]

I personally went with the "overkill" philosophy as one other point to add to Rich's great comments, is that you never what engine (and usage environment) you or a future owner might subject your car to in the future.

A fairly major project like a "proper" cooling system is not something you want to do twice, if you can help it.

[SirAndy]

I personally went with the "overkill" philosophy

i second that ...

go with the biggest cooler and biggest lines you can afford and run a thermostat.

you never know what you're going to do to that engine in the future and you don't want to have to run bigger lines and stuff all over again.

Andy

[Brad Roberts]

It is very easy to block off the cooler if it keeps cycling the thermostat on cold days. It is NOT easy to try and get the car cooler on a 105 degree day.

In our 4cyl cars I run the same size as I would in a 390hp 6 cyl car. I plan ahead. Most of the 4cyl race guy's I know will got to a six somewhere down the road and they shouldnt have to do another cooler.


B

[machina]

good advice,

I wanted to run the lines down the heater tubes, makes a clean install.

Right now the right side tubes have 2 (-6) ss lines for fuel and the right heater tube has a big battery cable in it.

I don't think 2 more big (-12) ss lines will fit in with the fuel lines and I don't like the idea of ss lines rubbing on the hot lead from my battery. Can I run cloth or rubber (-12) line for the oil so it wont rub through the battery cable and will 2 (-12) fit in the heater tubes?

thanks,
dr

[ArtechnikA]

Can I run cloth or rubber (-12) line for the oil so it wont rub through the battery cable and will 2 (-12) fit in the heater tubes?

sizing i can't help you with.

there are several kinds of sheathing you can add over stainless braided hose, and several people have reported excellent results with hydraulic implement hose. nowadays that stuff is Kevlar sheathed and suitable for pressures we'll never encounter. check the temperature ratings, but my guess is they'll take way more than they'll ever encounter on a 914 unless one sits in contact with a header pipe for a long time ...