914 with 2.6 liter big 4, 1971 914. Just installed the engine back in the car after redoing the heads on it. The oil cooler was mounted under the trunk above the heat exchangers. I didnt feel that was really a good location for it since the heat from the exchangers rises directly up to the oil cooler. I have decided to mount it in front of the cooling fan on the front of the engine, has anyone ever done this before? I know the air being drawn in to the engine will pull cool air through the cooler thereby giving it plenty of air flow. Do you think this will work? I know the 911's have a cooler mounted on the engine lid above the engine so I was thinking this would work the same way. The other option would be to try to mount it to the engine lid in a similar fashion. I just wanted to get some feedback on this and see if anyone else thinks this will work. I have not mounted it yet and was hoping for some input before I do it later this morning.

Actually, none of the 911's have a oil cooler mounted in the engine lid. You are probably seeing AC condensors (big difference).

I personally dont like it. All the heat from the oil cooler is now being sucked into the fan preheating the air prior to its arrival on the cylinders.

You are correct. The oil cooler trick under the trunk is worthless. You gain some oil capacity.. that is about it.


B

So without running new lines all the way to the front, what is another option for this cooler location? I am running out of time and options. What if I mount it higher in the engine compartment? Up by the engine lid vent? The hoses are the expensive steel braided from Earls plumbing and use AN fittings, he spent like $250.00 just on the fittings and hoses and they are not long enough to go to the front. Any suggestions?

If the "la la" appearance of stainless isn't an issue, use industrial high pressure hose from "The Hose Man". It'll do the same thing, but is less expensive. The stainless woven outer was to avoid leaks thru abrasion.

But alas, with industrial hp hose, the fittings are different.

or

go to an aircraft salvage yard - the material will be less expensive, but it is used.

What about inside the rear fender? You'd need a dirt shield, and probably a fan, but it would be a way cooler environment.

This is my 1000th post, I had thought about doing the fender thing and even maybe a fender vent like the MR2. Its not my car though and I cant make that call. I think I am going to try the engine bay for now and see how it goes. I will mount it as high as I can and hope it doesnt preheat the engine air. I will also remove the rain sheild so it gets a little more airflow. I will let you know how it works out in a month or so. Let him drive it for awhile. Thanks for the advice.

At least put a CHT on it if it doesn't have one... I would think trading hot oil for hot heads would be bad, but it could turn out to be a minimal effect.

Skyline, congratulations on your 1000 posts.
Brad may get angry, but we went with the rear finder location for our Earls oil cooler. My son fashioned a set of scoups on the rocker panels to deflect cooler air up through the cooler. I also went with the cloth covered hoses with push on connections. This has been used by my engine builders, Denny and Jack McNutt of Autocraft Engines for years on their race engines with reliability.
L. McC

Hmmm, for some reason, I can't add an image now.

Well, the cooler is 8X12X2 so I am limited on where I can put it and how I can mount it. Here is a picture of it ready to go in the car. As I said, it was mounted underneath the car directly above the heat exchanger on the passenger side. I just dont think that is a good place for it being so close to the heat exchanger. I think it would be much cooler mounted in the engine compartment up by the deck lid opening. I will ty it for now and see how it goes. He has temp gauges so he can monitor it by that. I have another cooler than is just a little smaller with a fan attached to it and can install that one in the fenderwell later in place of this one. It doesnt have the fancy smancy braided lines or AN fittings but it worked fine on my 2270 when I ran it. No leaks and cooled it great. Had the fan on a switch rather than a thermostat. If it started to get too warm, I just turned on the fan and it dropped it by about 40 or 50 degrees in like 5 minutes. But it was mounted where my heater control valve was on the passenger side on the bottom where it got a lot of air flow. We will see what happens.