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Date:         Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:13:50 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: I am considering installing an auxiliary oil cooler
Comments: To: camping.elliott@gmail.com
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"; reply-type=original

hi .. it's not about overheating in the conventional sense.. as in 'cooling system'.

it's about oil getting to hot and 'breaking down' .. non-synthetic oils don't perform like they should at higher temps.. like 250F is 'redline' . I'd say 230F is as high as you want to normally see oil temps.

oil temp will automatically get up to coolant temp after a while.. even in gentle cruise. Coolant temp is about 180 ..so after an hour of driving ..so is oil temp, then you go up that long, L O N G long grade at 90 F ambient in 2nd gear ..... the oil temp is going to climb quickly.

and imagine what the oil temp is in the little bit of oil that's in the exhasut valve guides .. way above failure point I bet.

the cooling system can keep the coolant at say, max of 200 F ..but oil temp will continue to climb under hot conditions and high loads.

the result of too high oil temps is shorter engine life. Synthetic oil can withstand higher temps much better. it would be good to study up on that .. wikipedia might even have entries about 'engine oil temperatures'.. or oil coolers etc..for sure lots to say about 'synthetic engine oil' .

generally ....oil temps above about 230F or so are 'bad' .. and too hot oil starts failing to do it's job well.....the result is increased engine wear.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@gmail.com> To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 4:44 PM Subject: Re: I am considering installing an auxiliary oil cooler

> Well, does anyone know whether the Bus Boys kit at > > <http://www.bus-boys.com/oilcoolingremote.html> > > is as effective as tencentlife's kit? For the 1.9L? > > tencentlife's kit is quite a bit more expensive than the $132 that BB > wants for their ZAP-11705 kit. > > Finally, is putting on an oil cooler worthwhile? I mean, sure, it's > awesome and cool and all that, but will my engine notice? I've gone up > some mighty steep grades on very very hot days without overheating. > > > -- > Rocky J Squirrel > > > On Wed, 2010-09-15 at 15:33 -0700, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote: >> any decent air type oil cooler system.. >> will have oil flow controlled by a thermostat. >> >> like when cold, the oil isn't cooled by the oil cooler at all. >> >> I just put a super nice air type oil cooler onto a 91 Syncro with 2.1 ( >> actually 2.2 ) waterboxer engine . >> >> this came from tencentlife on theSamba .. >> Chris Corkin . >> comes in 3 versions I think , his kit ...1.9 wbxr, 2.1 2WD and Sycrno. >> I installed the top grade syncro one. >> nice black oil radiator, about 8 or 10 inches sqare, >> fits right behind the right tail light, comes with parts on it to make it >> fit perfectly there. >> >> has a sandwich plate adapter at the oil cooler .......which is where the >> t-stat is. >> the deluxe syncro version has a temp triggered electric fan on it. >> >> and nice blue oil lines to connect it all. >> the deluxe version I think is over 500 bucks though if you buy this >> ready-to-bolt on kit. >> if you buy the indifvidual parts online yourself and build it, costs less >> I'm sure. >> that it's all figured out, tested, and with very good instructions is >> sure >> nice though...getting a kit that's all ready to install. >> >> for a first step on my own vans I'm going to monitor oil pressure and >> temp >> .. >> and if I find the oil temp getting to ...like pushing 250F ..then I know >> it >> needs a real oil cooler for hot conditions. >> >> a manual valve is not right. >> do it right. Thermostat controlled oil coolers have been around for a >> long, >> long time. >> Every air-cooled Porsche 911 has one, built right into the block. >> >> the water heat exchanger on 2.1 wbxr engines is a little different .. >> it serves to help warm up the oil first, them when not serves to keep the >> temp down a little I beleive. >> >> some people fit bigger water type oil cooler/heat exchangers ... >> like on tdi engines ...instead of the normal size we are used to on 21. >> wbxr's .. >> they put on a much taller one from a Tourareg or various Audi models. >> >> but for 'real' oil cooling , for high temps and loads.. >> I'd say ..thermostatically controlled air type external oil cooler ..and >> mounted inside the body of the van, with decent air flow to it. >> >> they are another possible failure point, but done really well, there's >> not >> that much risk. >> The kit I put on sure looks solidly done. >> >> scott >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET> >> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> >> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 8:13 AM >> Subject: I am considering installing an auxiliary oil cooler >> >> >> > on my "91 Volkswagen Vanagon GL Campmobile 2.1 waterboxer. >> > >> > It occurred to me that if the oil cooler works well, the oil might run >> > too >> > cool when ambient temperatures are relatively low. Is it possible (and >> > practical, reasonable) to install a valve in the feed line for the >> > cooler >> > (and maybe another in the return line) that could be opened and closed >> > depending on need? I realize that this would create an additional >> > complication -- that it would be another point for possible failure. >> > Or >> > am I just trying to over engineer something? Anyone with experience >> > with >> > an auxiliary oil cooler might know if I am trying to solve a problem >> > that >> > doesn't exist. Maybe the oil would have no problem running hot enough, >> > even with the extra cooling capacity. >> > Thanks, DMc >> > -- >> > David McNeely >


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