Retrofitting an 2.1L Oil Cooler into a 1.9L Digijet

[windnsea]

Hey group!

I finally got my 2.2L wasserboxer mit digijet fuel injection running properly after putting in a 3-wire O2 sensor!! Mileage is now 19+ in town, ~22 on the open road, and ~26 on backroads @ 50 mph in Central California!

Though I've never had any overheating at all in almost 28+ years as using DAS BOX as my primary driver, and have regularly changed the oil and everything else, I've got a question, which is as follows:

I've got the parts available to retrofit a 2.1L digifant oil cooler to my 2.2L digijet engine. If I was to go ahead I would not do a digifant retrofit to make it a water to oil cooler, but rather I'd route a hose up into the left rear D-pillar to catch it's air flow to be used as the cooling medium rather than doing a rather significant restructuring of the water cooling hoses in the back left side of the engine. I'd make a pressure routing of air with all possible moisture draining without entering the oil cooling duct.

Any comments?? I'd appreciate any feedback that my fellow Sambanistas could throw at this idea!!

Windnsea

BTW, DAS BOX is now approaching 300,000 miles of enjoyed driving, and is starting to whisper as I sleep ( WRX STI, WRX STI,WRX STI,WRX STI)!

Is this like those Canadian Vanagons chanting "Wheetabix, Wheetabix, Wheetabix" ?

I think that those Canuck Vans need more fiber under their wheels!!

Windnsea

[Wellington]

More details on the 3 wire oxy sensor please.
Not sure of your explanation of retrofit 2.1 system, but I'd rcommend 10cents cooler system or your own of the same variation. Chris has put together a kit to same you all the time and trials,

[bquigs]

If I understand you right you would use the water/oil cooler but run air though it instead of water? I don think this would be efficient enough to do anything at all even if you were to get an air flow through there which is unlikely. Water absorbs much more heat than air so the water/oil cooler is small and doesn't have much surface area for heat transfer. What you need is a radiator in the D piller that you move the oil through.
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87 Syncro Zetec

[r39o]

It is NOT an oil cooler. It is a heat exchanger. Or "stabilizer." It will want to make the water and oil the same temperature. Not much gain there when you talk about cooling.

Mount an external air oil cooler. There are posts on this topic. Might start in the FAQ.

FYI: *IF* current engine is running so well, leave it alone. Do as I did and just build up another newer van. I did and love it. The Suby really makes the van fit in with traffic and even more a joy to drive. My $0.02.
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"Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!

1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....

Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently)

[Spinal Tap]

If you want to add an oil cooler, talk to Tencentlife. He has a nice kit for adding cooler to both the 1.9l and 2.1l.
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'85 Westy
'74 MG-B

[Cygnus]

I would also be really interested in the details of adding a 3 line o2 sensor to a digjet with a 2.1 because my single wire sensor is out I believe and I have that same setup.

Thanks,

-Brian E.

[Captain Pike]

It will not fit with a 1.9 exhaust.Done.

[Wildthings]

300,000 miles without needing it! Why would you want to add anything that isn't necessary, adds complexity, and has a failure mode? If you are worried about the oil being negatively affected by heat, run synthetic instead of dino.

[Cygnus]

[klucz]

[r39o]

[Ahwahnee]

[Cygnus]

Ah Thanks, didn't mean to derail the thread. I will go ahead and get a 3 wire.. My 85 runs pretty hot - I have looked at those oil coolers but it seems a bit too fiddly. I am going to start by going after my radiator - I suspect it is getting clogged.

-B