| Oil coolers are sometimes necessary on tuned and high performance engines. The oil thins as the temperature rises and therefore it's lubricating properties may be reduced. The oil temperature needs to remain at about 80oc or it will lose it's viscosity, there are two different ways of trying to control the temperature, the first is to have it so the system is constantly flowing and the second is to use a thermostat which will try to keep the oil at optimum temperature.
The coolers are made in two widths, 115mm and 230mm. The unions on the coolers are
normally 1/2" BSP or 5/8" BSP but they are also available with a full range of JIC unions.
As a general guide most average sized engines up to 2000 cc run 1/2" pipes and the larger V8's run 5/8" pipes, if you would like to use the Goodridge 200 series unions then you will need to have JIC unions on the oil cooler.
Depending on whether you have enough room or not often the easiest way of plumbing in an oil cooler is to use a sandwich plate between the original location and the filter, we can either supply the sandwich plate with or without a thermostat. Another way to plumb in an oil
system is to use a sandwich plate with a cover plate and make the filter remotely mounted. You can not use a thermostatic plate in this instance as it would prevent oil from flowing round the remote filter when cold. If you want to make it thermostatic then you will need to use an inline thermostat which can either be push on or screw on. Please see the diagrams below for
examples of both systems.
System 1 is where you use a sandwich plate which can either have a built in
thermostat or not. If you are plumbing in your system this way then you will also require an extension bolt. The arrows indicate the direction of flow of the oil.
NOTE: Oil allows flows up the centre of a filter. |
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| System 2 is a little more complicated, again you will need a sandwich plate but this time you won't need an extension bolt instead you will need a cover plate. A remote head will be needed to mount the filter which can either flow from left to right or right to left. It is also available with or without a 5/8 unf tapping for a temperature gauge sender. The different fixings that are available are 1/2", 3/8", 5/8" and 3/4" push on, 1/2", 5/8 and 3/4" BSP male, -10, -12 and -16 JIC male. WARNING: When plumbing in a remote filter make sure you plumb it in correctly depending on the direction of flow. Some oil filters have a non return valve on them and if you have plumbed in your system incorrectly then you will prevent oil from flowing around the engine. |
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The fitting instructions for the thermostat are below:
- Select suitable place for fitting the thermostat away from moving parts and at a place where hoses run parallel.
- With ignition turned off (high tension lead disconnected), turn engine over on starter and note and note which pipe carries the oil supply from the engine.
Connect up hoses as shown in FIG 1. |
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When space is limited it may be a more suitable situation to use a laminova oil cooler which is a much more compact unit which is cooled by the cars own water system. Available with a range of fittings for both the water and oil connections.
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Rover V8 oil pump cover - For use where space is very limited. Very useful where a V8 is fitted into a land rover and when fitting a V8 into a kit car. Minimum oil pressure drop as outlet ports align with pump ports. Uses existing oil pressure valve assembly and pressure switch, ports are tapped 1/2" BSP.
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| The Accusump provides oil to the engine when the oil pump is unable to pick up oil from the sump. The accusump gets plumbed into the system and it is either available with either a manual lever actioned shut off valve or a electronic dash mounted shut off valve. When the accusump detects there is a drop in oil pressure it inserts oil into the system from the canister which is pressurized and is constantly being filled up by the cars own oil when running at normal pressure. |
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A choice of sizes is available, the maximum oil flow though an engine varies from 2 gallons (9 litres or 16 pints) per minute to 12 gallons (54.5 litres or 96 pints) per minute, therefore a 6 pint accumulator could give from 22 to 4 seconds protection, usually much longer at lower RPM. A 2 pint accumulator would be adequate at cranking speeds. Capacity could be increased by mounting an extra reservoir in tandem.
On initial start up the valve needs to be opened to enable the engine to be pre lubricated, this can help prevent engine wear, it has been shown in independent studies that upto 80% of engine wear can occur during start up.
The main body is built from 4 1/4" x 1/8" wall aluminium tubing, roller burnished and hard Teflon coated with aluminium O-ringed end caps and piston. It has a 0 - 160 psi gauge, a schraeder valve for air percentage.
There are different ways of installing the accusump into your oil system.
- Straight into oil gallery provides the simplest method but usually the only available tapping is the oil pressure switch/sender which is too small to allow full pressure to be restored, ideally tap the block when the engine is stripped. When pre-lubricating, an oil filter with an anti-drain valve (most filters have one) will prevent oil flowing back to the sump via the oil pump.
- Use a mocal sandwich plate, modified so that one port is blanked, between filter head and engine. This will provide a full flow but as the oil supply is taken before the filter this cannot prevent some oil returning to the sump through small clearances in the pump in a pre lube situation.
- Use a standard mocal sandwich place with the accumulator teed off a loop and a one way valve to prevent the oil returning through the pump. One way valves tend to be either restrictive causing a small pressure drop or expensive (flap type).
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| 4. Teed off downstream of the remote filter installation. This gives full flow and protection from flow back through the pump if a filter with an anti drain valve is fitted.
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| Usage, the accumulator will operate automatically when installed as discussed except for pre lubing when the control valve must be turned off whilst the engine is at full pressure and turned on again before start up. |