Remote oil cooler mounting options

[icy80123]

I have a Sandwinder buggy. I am looking for opinions on the best mounting location for a remote oil cooler with fan. (thinking a Setrab because of its compact size) I am limited on mounting locations due to available space. the easiest spot I can find to mount it is on the left side firewall. It would have plenty of space and airflow. Downside is that I would have to run approx 6.5' of hose each way. Obviously it would require a good bit more oil to fill the system, (doesnt seem like a bad thing, more oil = cooler running temps) question is, will that be too much line? Im assuming I would have to install a oil pressure regulator to maintain a steady pressure, and a thermostat bypass to facilitate warm-up.
my other clever option would be to mount it in a well behind the driver seat ( its similar to the battery well) and engineer a vent system to pull air in from the side of the buggy and vent it out the back ( Im leary about this because it would vent right by cylinder 3, adding more hot air blowing on it)

thoughts?

[mightymanx]

I am not sure exactly what a sandwinder looks like where you are talking about puyying iy but I had the same problem with my manx. I tried a 72 plate between the wheel and battery but it would fit but very tight and hard to attach the lines and the 10 inch fan would not work. I had to go with a smaller fan at 500 cfm. After messing up two coolers I changed location and mounted a smaller but thicker cook from Earl's. I mounted it below the seating area and behind the battery well using the smaller fan. Last year without the cooler I was constantly over 240 degrees. This year with it I hsve not gone over 195. I am also also running the doghoyse cooler. I bought everything from Summit Racing and made my own 8 an teflon lines with the pieces from them also.I should have said earlier that cooler sits about an inch from the body and the fan sits below the cooler and pulls through it. Hope this helps.

[Dale M.]

Typically its mounted in space between torsion bar and axle on driver side....

Dale
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“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns"
"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[clonebug]

Here's how I mounted mine....

No fan is used.
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[icy80123]

@Clonebug, that looks great but there is a bulge in the body tub right there. could get it in there but I dont think it would get any airflow.

[vwracerdave]

Lets talk about why you think you need a cooler. Most buggys with an exposed engine do not need them. Many fools install them because others say they must. I have a 2165 in my Dunebuggy with about 160 HP and I do not need an auxilary cooler. This is both street driven and drag raced. Post some pics of your engine and more details about the engine.

What size engine do you have?
How hot is your oil getting now?
What oil temps do think is too hot?
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[icy80123]

its a regular 1600cc, running on the road at 60 over heats it. last time it pegged out the temp dipstick. I plan on rebuilding it this winter and adding a full flow system. I dont think im foolish for looking into improving it cooling system.

[vwracerdave]

If your 1600 is overheating you have other problems and a oil cooler is not going to solve them. If your engine is running hot cooling the oil will not cool the heads. Post some pictures of your engine and give us some details about it.

What transaxle gearing do you have?
What rear tire size are you running?
what rpm are you turning at 60 MPH?
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[icy80123]

Tires: 235 55R17
transaxle gearing unkown
no tac at 60 mph maybe 3500-4000?

Kadron/Solex twin carbs, new plugs, wires, pertronix ignitor II with flamethrower coil

[oprn]

[vwracerdave]

Your oil temp dipstick could be out of calibration. do you have another source to verify oil temps?

What is your actual oil temp?
What do you consider too hot?
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[wythac]

No fools allowed here. Only the inexperienced or misinformed.

A few things to look at, in addition to those already mentioned:

Use a meat thermometer in your dipstick hole to confirm temps.

Get a flashlight and look at your cooling fan intake. I once had a motor overheat because an overzealous Oregon gas station attendant had checked my oil (without asking and while I was in the head) and left a rag in the engine compartment of my bus. Said rag found its way to the fan and wallpapered it to the point it wasn't passing any air over the cylinders....

Use the same flashlight and see if the two pieces of tin that go between the underside of the cylinders and the pushrod tubes are in place. They are needed.

Pull the plugs. Are they chalky white? Running lean, which will make the engine run hot. Oiled up? Motor may be tired and having to work hard to keep up, which creates extra heat too.

If you don't discover the source of your extra heat, and cant correct it, consider waiting for a winter rebuild anyway. I would simply regulate the engine temp with your right foot until you can pull the motor and refresh it.

Edit: one other thing occurred to me to check, though this is harder to do without some disassembly; if stored for a long time, critters can build nests inside these motors, blocking the cooling air from the fan.

[icy80123]

@ vwracerdave. its a GB temp dipstick (new) it was maxed out, im not sure exact temp but i can say it was way to hot to touch the oil when i checked it.

I consider anything over 200 to be too hot. here in the northeast i doesn't get too hot for very long so ambient temp shouldn't play THAT much into it here. (it was 89 deg that day)

@ wythac you were right there wasn't any tins between the pushrods and the cylinders, good call. also it looks like the hoover bit is missing as well.

plugs look good but they have less than 30 miles on them at this point

nothing blocking air intake

[YDBD]

Is that a power pulley on there? It looks small, what's the diameter?
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[wythac]

If memory serves, the GB dipstick is set to activate your dummy light at 212F or 100C...boiling point of water. That is one way to check calibration...put it in boiling water.


200-210F isn't excessively hot however. Try the meat thermometer thing to gather some more precise readings, you can get a cheap one at a grocery store for less than 10 bucks.

Those missing deflector tins are a problem. If you wanted to deal with that right away you could buy a full set of "emergency" pushrod tubes, designed to be installed without removing the heads. You could then remove your rockers and pushrods, then cut your tubes free to install the tins, install the new tubes, etc, and be on your way. Before doing that I'd want go be more certain that is the only issue....you could go to all that trouble and not really move the ball much.

OR: Run it more and worry less. Winter will come soon enough, and you can get a good look at it then.

[icy80123]

@ YDBD its a standard 6 3/4" pulley, the angle i took the picture might make it look smaller.

[icy80123]

@wythac that good advice. i will see what i can do. Honestly it will probably drive me nuts and it will become a late summer project lol. ill see if i can get an actual temp. also getting a cylinder head temp sensor as well. that should help monitor it.

[YDBD]

I was able to put the tins back in without removing the pushrod tubes. Just bent the clips that clip onto the studs down, slipped it in there and used good ol' baling wire to hold it in place.

The external oil cooler may be a good idea if you have just a an old style stock oil tower, not the doghouse one that sticks out the back of the shroud.

I'm going to think the chrome doghouse shroud has no fins inside to direct flow, which usually works ok.

Another thing to thing about is chrome does not help with cooling, there was a reason Dr. Porsche had everything black due to it's ability to radiate heat faster.

Someone did a test just on the valve covers and stock valve covers ran cooler than the aluminum ones--but I'm running those too, but don't have heat problems and I have an external cooler as well with an aluminum slant shroud that pretty much sucks for cooling. I just like the look of it....
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[vwracerdave]

The oil companies say that 210-220 is normal and safe oil temps to use their oil. Of course 220 will burn your fingers if you touch the dipstick. There are far too many people on these VW forums that somehow think 200 degree F oil temps are too high when the oil companies that make their product say it is safe. You need to panic when oil temps get above 235 degrees F. That is when the oil companies say their product will start to break down. You need to get a meat thermometer or an inferred gun and accurately measure your oil temps. I'm guessing your engine is safe and should have nothing to worry about. 235* will not effect the heat treatment or metallurgy of any metal part in your engine.

The berg dipstick is only intended as a simple warning device. It is very easy to get them out of calibration. The wire contact is very easy to twist and misalign causing an inaccurate reading. Berg sets them at about 227*F so to check, stick it into a pot of boiling water and the wire needle should not contact the electrical connection.

From looking at your picts I do not see any missing tin that is necessary for an exposed engine in a Dunebuggy.
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[joescoolcustoms]