Oil Cooler for 2366? Options

[VWTortuga336]

What would be my best solution for adding an oil cooler on the 2366 build I am starting? I've read about coolers that mount under the rear of the car and are cooled with a fan. Is this the right direction?

[Dave_Darling]

Probably not.

The amount of oil cooling an engine needs can vary quite a bit, depending on a ton and a half of things. So just seeing "2366" won't tell us how much cooling the engine needs.

But chances are that it will need a pretty decent amount, and under the trunk floor is far from the best location for the cooler. You ideally want the cooler to get a good supply of cool, clean, high-pressure air. Under the trunk floor it will get an indifferent supply of air warmed up by the engine and especially the exhaust. The fan helps, but only so much.

That setup is a compromise, and is generally used when there are other constraints that need to be satisfied. In my case, for instance, I did not want to run hoses forward in the car, nor cut holes for the air ducting. Mine is almost adequate for my particular 2.0 engine.

If I had to pick a setup for your car, I would say that you need to run a front-mounted cooler. It doesn't have to be a 914-6GT style, but that is a very well known setup. You need to duct air to the cooler, and duct the warmed-up air out from the cooler. You will lose some front trunk space to do it, though.

--DD