Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 15:23:17 EDT
Reply-To: FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: [TDI-conversion] What is the best location for an external
oil cooler?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
David,
On the issue of external oil cooler placement, I addressed this at length for
my various conversions including the 1.8L gas digifant, the 2.0L turbocharged
Audi 3A and the 1Z/AFN TDi. I had tried the Mazda RX6 oil cooler above the
transmission w and w/o supplemental air fans, the RX^ and a commercial
multiplate as in your image mounted to the frame ahead of the trans with an entry air
scoop, and finally, the Audi 5000T external oil coolers mounted behind the rear
passenger tire. The last location was/is clearly superior to all the others.
This is described in the vanagon archives, but quickly, I opened the floor in
the rear compartment to the right of the battery (82 diesel configuration),
then mounted two Audi oil coolers (one above the other with a 1 inch gap between
and sealed the pair to the edges of the body opening. On the bottom of this
stack, I mounted a Daewoo radiator fan (small) to draw air through the stack.
This assembly is mounted inside an aluminum fairing that is fully enclosed save
for the entry at the vanagon air port and is open directly to the rear of the
van. This fully shields the oil coolers from mud and debris from the tire,
exhausts to the low pressure zone at the back of the vanagon and draws air from
the passenger side vent. I have also added a plastic cover over the battery to
make this an enclosed compartment, free of engine heat and ventilated to the
rear. I use and identical approach to mount a SAAB intercooler on the drivers
sidevent compartment (hole in the base, intercooler bolted to edges of hole,
Daewoo fan and rear exhausting fairing of aluminum). I run the fans
independently off a thermostatic switch connected to the oil cooler or intercooler body
set for a switch-on temperature of 110F. A moderate fabrication hassle, but
clean and space efficient. I used the two oil coolers in two different circuits
on the turbo install. One was plumbed into the thermostatically switched
external oil cooler/filter flange from the 5000T and the other was inline with the
scavenging oil pump I used to clear the turbo oil return. On the TDi, I use
them in parallel with the hottest oil (from the block) going to the lower cooler
and then the cooler oil to the top cooler, then back to the block. No flow or
pressure drop problems observed.
Frank Grunthaner
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