Okay,

I know this has been gone over and over and over. But I wanted to get a compilation of opinions on where best to vent a front oil cooler. Not for what location is going to net me the best extraction, but which location, and what manner of hole(s) will least compromise the structural rigidity of the chassis.

A big hole in the floor between the Torsion Bar supports would (I would imagine) weaken that area. What about at the back of the trunk near the steering rack? What about the wheel wells? Which would least compromise the strength of the chassis?

Thoughts? Opionions? Suggestions?

Thanks!

-Josh2

Josh,

Several 6 conversions in these parts (perhaps they'll chime in) vent the front-mounted cooler out the front wheels wells, via 4-6in dia tubing in the trunk.
That size hole is insignificant compared with those cut for venting in V8's.

The idea behind this IIRC is that its better than venting it under the car - possibly adding lift.

My own perspective (good or bad) is to mount my coolers (two), one in each front wheel well ahead of the wheels, assisted by fans, and drawing intake air from behind the two horn grills (minus the horns) of course.

simple ...

out the top through the hood ...

- added downforce
- no worries about structural integrity


that's what i'm doing ...
Andy

(...and from the naysayers contingent...)

How is a hole in the hood going to add downforce?

by using the "logic" part of your brain ...

not the hole, my friend, but the nicely upward curved duct to get the air out the top ...

ever seen a GT40?
Andy

When cutting the hole in the front trunk for the GT style cooler, the lower part of the shroud combo is welded to the floor between the suspension pickups. Some fellows add some square tubing to add more strength.

The hole in the hood is not so much adding downforce, but it's _not_ adding "upforce" by venting air under the car.

I've thought about it, but am not gonna do it for a number of reasons. One, sooo not legal to add hood scoops and vents and the like in my class. And I don't like the look. It's cool lookin', but I just prefer the hood as is.

And you gotta watch it if you get caught in the rain....

-Josh2

huh?

are you questioning my duct-building skills? it won't leak, trust me. that part is easy ...
Andy

Something like this, perhaps?

With the bodywork on:

Wheel well option.....

Click to view attachment

Someone said "Aren't you worried about heating up the brakes?" I thought about it for a second and realized it's cooling the brakes (190 degree air is much cooler than brake temps!)

East Coaster,

Did you make molds for those shrouds? Or were they one-offs? I forget. I really liked them. If you have molds, any chance of making another set?

I think I'm leaning towards a modified exit for a GT style setup. Here's my thoughts and reasoning....

The oil cooler is for track events, but my main goal is competing in DSP.
So, the rules in my class don't allow for cutting of sheet metal or ducting of air to or from the cooler. Okay, so I tried to figure out how to mount the cooler into an opening of a front spoiler without cutting metal. Nothin' is gonna work right. So... Mount one up front, pop out the rubber grommets, run the "ultimate" air dam with cutout to force air to the cooler. Add ducting around and behind the cooler inside the trunk, and vent through the floor. When competing in SCCA autox events, pull the air dam and replace with a simple fiberglass LE style air dam, pull the duct work, and screw a cover plate over the hole(s) in the front trunk. I'm allowed to drill holes to route oil lines, so that covers the lines and the mounting of the cooler. And I'm allowed any cooler. As for the venting holes? I figure if I cover them up with a coverplate, not only rendering them non-op, but adding back the weight removed from drilling the holes, I would expect that while it wouldn't 100% protest proof, it'd at least wouldn't draw undue attention, and might be waved off by a protest commitee.

The reason I'm still looking at the floor is that a cover plate screwed over the floor vents would be the least obvious. Venting into the wheel wells is hard to miss.

I would plan to mount the air dam(s) and ducting with Dzus fasteners to make for easy install and removal.

If I opened up the floor with multiple smaller holes instead of one big one, would I be saving any structural integrity that way? I can't weld in a brace, that would be obviously illegal.

What do y'all think?

-Josh2

Like this

Click to view attachment

I built a spare tire cover similar to the stock one.
It's now ........ excess to my needs if ya want it.

JP how did ya run the cooler lines under the car??

this was my dads done by partick motorsports.

they used the air moving through the oil cooler for brake ducting.

-shaggy

like this? 15 1.5" holes in a 8x11" area in front trunk floor.

and this. plugs pulled from front bulkhead and holes drilled in LE air dam corresponding to holes in bulkhead.

25 row Mocal oil cooler with an-10 lines, push on barbed fittings, 1600cfm fan for very hot days. (have not needed it yet) Fan is hooked into foglight circuit. (no more fog lights on a track car). Switch was rewired to be hot when ignition is on, so I can use the existing stock foglight switch to turn fan off and on when needed.

One of these days I'll take a better pic of these oil lines in the interion.
There's a plastic knock-out in the long where the line comes out.

Sorry Josh.......it's a "one off". I posted a thread a while ago on how to make your own. It's not really that hard.

Click to view attachment

Thats sweet Fiberglass moulded piece.
I also like the ducting going through to cool brakes too.
Got to leave enough room for a tire