Do you really need an oil cooler???

[Boxer132c]

May be a stupid question but mine cracked and wondering if you really need one...what are the negitives?? does it really effect my car with out it??? I have a GST and I know that it cools my oil but why dont the 420a guys have it??? even when 420a guys slap on a turbo kit an oil cooler is not included and I have never seen any of them with them installed...

 

[scottsee]

oil not only helps lubricate, but is another heat transfer agent. do you want blazing hot oil going into your turbo?

 

[HighPsi92GST]

there are a few threads argueing back and forth if you actually need an oil cooler or not. Somone even posted an email from some "reputable" shop that said there is no need for an oil cooler on a turbo car which actually made me think twice about buying any parts from that place.

Basically the threads usually ended with some people saying no you don't need them. Others saying you do need them. And alot of other people saying "there is no way I wouldn't use one"

It depends who you ask, and this thread will more then likly turn into one just like the ones i described.

In my opinion, I would NEVER run my car with out an oil cooler.

 

[Defiant]

You can do without one. The oil will run hotter, and the areas cooled by oil --bearings in the turbo, crank, cam and balance shafts-- will also run hotter. Synthetic oil can handle the higher operating temperatures (as can modern non-synthetic oils). However, particularly in the case of the "horrible" water/oil heat exchanger, the engine won't be at the kind of uniform overall temperature which that scheme provides.
I'm not a big fan of taking away things the factory provided, such as oil coolers, boost limitations, sidemount ICs and balance shafts. True that there are hundreds and hundreds of cars on here that are seriously modified. Also true it that it's here that people ask, "Why are DSMs so unreliable?"
My advice is to replace the cooler ASAP, and my advice is worth many, many times what you pay for it.

 

[scottsee]

in one of my turbo mags several months ago there was an artical about all the diffrent types of oil on the market, guy in the oil business with a modified tunner car explained all the pros/cons of the manny available. i'll see if i can dig it up, scan it, and post a link. from what i reamber many natural oil's breakdown over heat/time making them less effecent, an oil cooler is designed to prolong that from happening prematurly. thats why you should never use sinthedic oil in a breakin process.

the hotter your oil the less effective it is. agian, it breaks down and the hotter it is combined with the amount of friction made inside a well built powerhouse the more important it becomes to maintain oils effency.

the way around having an oil cooler is to change your oil more frequently.

 

[flynavy]

in one of my turbo mags several months ago there was an artical about all the diffrent types of oil on the market, guy in the oil business with a modified tunner car explained all the pros/cons of the manny available. i'll see if i can dig it up, scan it, and post a link. from what i reamber many natural oil's breakdown over heat/time making them less effecent, an oil cooler is designed to prolong that from happening prematurly. thats why you should never use sinthedic oil in a breakin process.

the hotter your oil the less effective it is. agian, it breaks down and the hotter it is combined with the amount of friction made inside a well built powerhouse the more important it becomes to maintain oils effency.

the way around having an oil cooler is to change your oil more frequently.

Which will of course end up costing more in the end...

 

[2-0turbo]

I should have some data very soon for a 6-bolt with Moroso oil pan and upgraded Setrab cooler mounted on the side opposite the sidemount. As others have stated, the oil cools your bearings. I firmly believe I lost my last engine because I was running 15-50 on the roadcourse. I had great oil pressure, but I didn't consider what oil flow I had. I ended up spinning a bearing and I attribute it to high oil temps and breaking down the oil in the bearing, overheating it and then it spun. I'm hoping I can maintain 180 degree temps all day long on my new setup. We'll see soon as I now have digital oil pressure and oil temperature. My capacity is now nearly 7 quarts, so that will skew the numbers somewhat. If my oil temp on the roadcourse hits 250, I'm buying a bigger oil cooler.

You can find a picture on here somewhere of a mostly stock 2G cruising down the highway with 230 degree oil temps (aftermarket gauge install obviously). That is crazy! You get that out on the track and there is no telling how hot that oil will get when you are on boost for 20-30 seconds at a time. I have no idea how hot my oil got when I spun a bearing. Maybe 300? Who knows. If your turbo goes out, consider yourself lucky. That is a cheap fix compared to an engine.

 

[Defiant]

I firmly believe I lost my last engine because I was running 15-50 on the roadcourse.

EGad!

I had great oil pressure, but I didn't consider what oil flow I had.

Thinner oil gets into tight clearances more easily.

I ended up spinning a bearing and I attribute it to high oil temps and breaking down the oil in the bearing, overheating it and then it spun.

I'd more suspect a general lack of lubrication. How'd you ever come on trying 50-weight?

I'm hoping I can maintain 180 degree temps all day long on my new setup.

I think that's too cool a temperature for operation. For all practical purposes, the oil and water should be running the same temperature- one of the benefits of the oil/water interchanger that Buck loves so much to loathe.

We'll see soon as I now have digital oil pressure and oil temperature. My capacity is now nearly 7 quarts, so that will skew the numbers somewhat. If my oil temp on the roadcourse hits 250, I'm buying a bigger oil cooler.

I'd be surprised to see it that high on a stock setup.

You can find a picture on here somewhere of a mostly stock 2G cruising down the highway with 230 degree oil temps (aftermarket gauge install obviously). That is crazy! You get that out on the track and there is no telling how hot that oil will get when you are on boost for 20-30 seconds at a time. I have no idea how hot my oil got when I spun a bearing.

I still suspect a lack of supply, not general overheating. A supply problem will cause a localized overheating which a cooler can't address.

 

[Redmachine]

Most of us N/T guys are lookin into adding an oil cooler. The benefits outway any little negative. One is cooler oil, another is more oil running thru your system SAFELY I don't mean filling up to the brim either, but most oil coolers allow for an extra quart. The reason most of the N/T guys don't install one, is probably lack of information, I bet they'd add one if it were in the instructions.

 

[eclipsegsxccca]

In my opinion running without an oil cooler is stupid. Why not be on the safe side and use one, more oil + lower temps. = a happier motor.common sense