Aftermarket Oil Cooler & Sandwich Install

[Ba11erz]

HiAll,

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on EXACTLY how to properly connect hose plumbing to an aftermarket oil cooler.

I have a Z32 TT in stock oil cooler configuration. I purchased a custom oil cooler, hose, hose ends and sandwich plate that accepts 2 -8AN fittings and (2) 1/8 NPT sensor fittings.

How do I connect the hose(s) so that I include the regulator valve, I/O sandwich plate, and return to oil pan?

Any help on this would be great.

Diagrams or pics would be exceptional.

[NolimitZ32]

Pics of parts please, its usually pretty straight forward.

[evildky]

don't, if you want a larger cooler just add a larger cooler, no need to run an adapter plate when the car is already plumbed for a thermostaticaly controlled oil cooler

[Ba11erz]

don't, if you want a larger cooler just add a larger cooler, no need to run an adapter plate when the car is already plumbed for a thermostaticaly controlled oil cooler

Understood. I upgraded to a larger hose size. -8 AN.

What would be the operational impact if I increase the size of the cooler & the hose?

Thanks.

[evildky]

why a -8? why not a -6, it would be a better fit, yes you can still run the larger hose there is just no benefit

[Ba11erz]

why a -8? why not a -6, it would be a better fit, yes you can still run the larger hose there is just no benefit

You are correct! I was pondering on how to attack this problem and realized whether my car will benefit, as you mentioned, and long-term power build goals.

My DYNO results were 509whp @ 14psi, which I think, is plenty for a daily driver.

Later I may throw in the 740 injectors and 300degree rails so I may see a slight increase of oil temps.

Now after my D-I-Y sandwich and cooler install, I'm well w/i tolerances. On highway around 60mph, my temp reading is <210°. With my 16" Spal fan turned on, it barely tips 200°.

Therefore confidence is high should the decision lead to HP upgrades in the future.

Here are the pics of the “low budget” oil cooler install.

I can add cost, and a comparison analysis for shop vs D-I-Y.
Any feedback is great.

Fan condenser removal, and stock oil cooler mounting plate.



Measuring the stock oil cooler mounting plate (create a jig)


Custom plate cut-out. It still has the rough edges. Just grind down the edges until smooth.


Checking the measurements



Now would be a good time to mount the sandwich @ temp. Be sure to torque the bolt, or leaky-leak!


The wiring is a snap...


Prepping the cooler, paint and mount.






That's it!
I found this upgrade to be one of the least painful mods for a 300zxTT.

[NissanFairladyZ32]

Nice Oil Cooler

[evildky]

your oil temp is supposed to be higher, ideal operating temps will vary a bit engine to engine and oil to oil but generally around it's over 200, GRM did a great article on this a while back, which is why retaining the stock thermostatically controller oil tree is a good idea and why a sandwich plate is useless, if you have simply run a larger oil cooler with the stock thermostatically controlled oil tree you would be able to maintain propper temp without all the extra junk, and without wasting as much money

modern oils are tested to operate at 300 degrees or better

[NissanFairladyZ32]

So do you know how hot the oil was running @ with the stock cooler vs the aftermarket ?

[Ba11erz]

So do you know how hot the oil was running @ with the stock cooler vs the aftermarket ?

Unfortunately that's the data I don't have. I've been paranoid about wondering if the oil temp gets too hot even when I didn't have the appropriate gauge setup. One thing is certain, with the larger oil cooler the capacity is much greater and as a result more oil can flow through the engine. It's my insurance policy for the upgraded turbos.

Additionally, I installed gagues to measure voltage, Boost/VAC, Oil temp, 2x WBO2s, & fuel pressure.

This was done after the engine rebuild. So, it's like I'm creating a baseline after the upgrades. No issues in the cooling/lubricating department for my Z.