GTRoger Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 As you can see the oil cooler on my PI is fitted on a position which isn't ideal. Now I want to relocate or maybe remove complete. What do you think? Do I need one? Where have you fitted yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 That really is terrible positioning, I couldn't think of a more vulnerable route for the pipes to take.. :-(The one on the car I had was in front of the rad, much higher up, but it was a Mk2.I would do without initially, safer than having a pipe ripped off or the oil rad punctured.It should be possible to mount it vertically to the LHS in frint of the rad I think, if you do keep it.CheersColin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Hello Roger,I have mine exactly where Colin suggests, however for all the years I've had the car the oil temperature indicates that I don't need the cooler, I've just never bothered removing it.Alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I'd say that unless you are towing, live in a very hot place or are racing/rallying, you don't need an oil cooler.Take it off, measure the oil temperature from the filter housing, just before it goes back into the engine, and if it's not higher than 100C(212F), sell the cooler.Where it is now is, as Colin suggests, a disaster waiting to happen.John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzer Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I agree with John you probably wont need an oil cooler, but if you want to fit one in a safe spot here's a pic of where I fitted it on my rally car... tested recently when I took out a dry stone wall! There is a line of thought which says the oil cooler must be in direct airflow. However just fitting one will increase the capacity for cooling wherever you site it.Why did I fit it there? Because there was a space and the pipes reached! That was over 40k ago now and the engine bay is no longer as pristine as the photo.Darren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzer Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 here's the photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgetone Triumph Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Agreed as above the oil cooler is not really needed unless you do an awful lot of hard out racing, however if you do want one (and of course how cool is that :-/ ),you could try fitting it where the oil cooler goes for the automatic MK1's, they utilise the lower grille space under the front bumper, give you a good excuse to fit a stick on number plate on the front panel then 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAJ Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I had an oil cooler and oil temp. gauge on a turbocharged Lancia, oil temperature was always the same, summer and winter, whether driven hard or not. The only time the oil temperature ever rose was (as JohnD said) when I was towing a caravan on very long motorway inclines. The rest of the time the oil cooler was superfluous. As an aside, if you do keep the cooler, I hope it has a stat inline to regulate flow, overcooling a decent oil will do more damage to the engine long term than the oil getting hot. The engine will never reach a proper operating temperature.Colin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Gosh, dazzar, that is a bit bodged!That wouwld be a great place, but the way it's fitted there will be zero airflow through. Even with a turning vane to make the air go through a right angle, the back is up against the side of the rad! You must get as much cooling from that as from the piping carrying the oil there and back!A pair of simple right angled brackets, sawn and drilled angle iron, would put it in the right place.John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 So if oil coolers aren't really needed unless on the track, what does that say about my driving when mine gets used on the 15 mile commute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzer Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Thanks John... Its served well for multiple rallies and it does cool, honestly. It may look dodgy but it does the business, I was going to angle some cooling towards it but I now have a dirty great pipe and a bilge pump blowing air at the inlet manifold next to it as well. That could also be construed as a bodge but it works. Two years running top of our class in the HRCR series... that's my excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it.CheersDazzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Sorry, dazzer, for impugning your rally prowess!But I think that you have cool oil on the rally stage despite that cooler, not because of it!Try an experiment and disconnect it for a rally or a track session. If your oil stays cool, QED!You can the lighten the car by the weight of the cooler and the piping - and the oil in them - with shall we say a light heart!It it gets too hot, I'll eat my shorts!But please, at least make it look as if you have thought about it for a moment and turn it 90 degrees with those brackets!JOhn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTRoger Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Thanks for the input, haven't deceided yet what to do but it will definate not stay at it's current position.Another curious thing, the lower air intake has no grille fitted, leaving the bottom part of the radiator unprotected. Is this as it's meant to be by Triumph or are there some bits missing from my car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beans Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I know it's not a saloon, but is there room in front of the radiator for this solution?Has been a fine location on my cars for many years, just make sure both radiators are as close together as possible without actually touching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esxefi Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 a stat is essential for oil to air cooling but,if your pocket stretches the best bet is an engine coolant to oil heat exchanger.much more efficient as the heat is dissapated by the engine cooling system.there are bespoke ones off the shelf but i'm sure a decent engineering/welding shop could knock one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 GTRoger wrote:Another curious thing, the lower air intake has no grille fitted, leaving the bottom part of the radiator unprotected. Is this as it's meant to be by Triumph or are there some bits missing from my car? Thats how they were made. I think the bumper obscures the hole normally, but you can alway put some stainless steel wire mesh across there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzer Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 JohnD wrote:Sorry, dazzer, for impugning your rally prowess!But I think that you have cool oil on the rally stage despite that cooler, not because of it!Try an experiment and disconnect it for a rally or a track session. If your oil stays cool, QED!You can the lighten the car by the weight of the cooler and the piping - and the oil in them - with shall we say a light heart!It it gets too hot, I'll eat my shorts!But please, at least make it look as if you have thought about it for a moment and turn it 90 degrees with those brackets!JOhnIt could look a bit more professional I agree and the other peculiarity that the oil cooler causes is with regard to capacity. Fitted (perhaps in this elevated position) I have to keep the oil level above half full on the dipstick, I usually overfill half as much again over the top mark. Otherwise the oil pressure fluctuates when cold for the first few minutes of running. In theory all wrong, but in practise the engine thrives on it. Oil pressure on this original engine has been phenomenal as well, the engine now 40k in and regularly abused has a slight tendency for piston slap and a bit of crankcase compression, but goes like stink. Oil pressure hot is 70psi over 2500 rpm and 30 psi tick over. (even with the old original pressure relief valve spring fitted). It's strange how engines develop and when you would normally consider rebuilding them they surprise you with performance. A friend who develops engines and gearboxes for track use told me recently to leave well alone as the slap and comp indicated it was just run in and in its prime for competition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzer Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 JohnD wrote:Sorry, dazzer, for impugning your rally prowess!But I think that you have cool oil on the rally stage despite that cooler, not because of it!Try an experiment and disconnect it for a rally or a track session. If your oil stays cool, QED!You can the lighten the car by the weight of the cooler and the piping - and the oil in them - with shall we say a light heart!It it gets too hot, I'll eat my shorts!But please, at least make it look as if you have thought about it for a moment and turn it 90 degrees with those brackets!JOhnIt could look a bit more professional I agree and the other peculiarity that the oil cooler causes is with regard to capacity. Fitted (perhaps in this elevated position) I have to keep the oil level above half full on the dipstick, I usually overfill half as much again over the top mark. Otherwise the oil pressure fluctuates when cold for the first few minutes of running. In theory all wrong, but in practise the engine thrives on it. Oil pressure on this original engine has been phenomenal as well, the engine now 40k in and regularly abused has a slight tendency for piston slap and a bit of crankcase compression, but goes like stink. Oil pressure hot is 70psi over 2500 rpm and 30 psi tick over. (even with the old original pressure relief valve spring fitted). It's strange how engines develop and when you would normally consider rebuilding them they surprise you with performance. A friend who develops engines and gearboxes for track use told me recently to leave well alone as the slap and comp indicated it was just run in and in its prime for competition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Hello Darren, I would say your initial oil pressure fluctuation is due to the oil cooler draining down at rest, so requiring the oil to refill it before good oil pressure is achieved. Either fit it below engine oil level or fit check valves in the oil lines?Alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzer Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Sounds feasible Alec. It does have a thermostatic valve fitted and it only does it if the oil drops below the half way point. I cant fit it in front of the rad in the traditional position as it's just asking for trouble (the recent altercation with said boulders/wall has reduced this area somewhat anyway!) when I eventually remove the engine I'll try some experimentation to one side I think.CheersDarren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Bancroft Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Roger,I have one on the saloon and have fitted it off the cross member and angled down towards the ground to collect air, would go out and take a snap, but its blasted chilly tonight!!How long before we see the Pi over here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTRoger Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Cheers Tim,I'm affraid that could take a while. Wish I could do some UK events, if only there was more time and money... Would love to do HCR one day. It will be on the 10CR though ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Borris Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 http://www.laminova.se/products/oil-coolers/could have the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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