oil cooler location?

[silkvw]

My '70 Ghia is set up to go straight for one mile, as fast as possible. For my birthday, I received a gift of a one day road course driving school, most of the time is with my car on the track. So, I'm thinking I better add a remote oil cooler with a fan just to be safe. My 1776cc turbo engine has a full flow remote oil filter, and dog house oil cooler. But I'm wondering where is the best place for the remote cooler? Any suggestions from your experiences?
Thanks for your help, Greg

[helowrench]

True racecar? Then probably a NACA duct below the rear window, use the space behind rear "seat", above the trans, exhaust the air in the trans space.
driver car? Usually done up front, mounted on/near front beam, the lines can actually be used to add cooling as well.

Me personally? I would utelize the nostrils, into a plenum, then exhausted out into a lower pressure area(measurement required)

[Max Welton]

For a swing-axle I like just behind the tube on the left side.

If you'll pardon the TOS links ...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... 23#4821523

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... 35#1197135

Max

[silkvw]

Thanks for the help! I read all the Samba links, lots on info there. I do have CV joints, so will have to do some adjusting.

[silkvw]

FJC, any comments from your racing experience?

[FJCamper]

Hi SilkVW,

My 1973 IMSA SuperBug (in 1975-76) had a six-pass cooler in the nose, under the front bumper, behind the air conditioning grille. The cooler was fed by a common adapter off the case top. I had long heavy duty half-inch ID sheathed hydraulics lines made by a truck garage, and that system was the most efficient I've ever had and the least troublesome.

Just the trip from the rear to the front and back again kept the oil at 200° to 220° F. under racing conditions. On cooler days, I had to tape off the grillework. That means February at Daytona.

As I got older and wiser (coolers in the nose are highly vulnerable to impact) , I began to place my coolers in what used to be the luggage area behind the back seat (Ghias and Bugs), and eventually settled on the cooler being under the body sheet metal, and the fan above, blowing down on it through a hole. You have to get your ducting right and tight to make this work.

I have learned not to use rubber lines, and on each relapse, paid for it. Keep your lines short, and use braided hose and AN fittings.

FJC

[juki48]

that's good advice on the oil lines. rubber hydraulic hose is typically only rated for 212°F so even if you have good fittings crimped on the lines will break down and fail if you are running at 220°F.

[E_bug]

How about compression fiitings and copper lines ( 1/2 inch?) for the most underpan route?
I figure that about 6m of hose will radiate a lot of heat.

[juki48]

while copper does conduct heat well, it work hardens and becomes brittle after time. many have used copper for fuel and oil lines with no problems but between the cost of copper and the risk of failure I think you would be better off using steel tubing.

[silkvw]

Thanks FJC, juki48 and E_bug. I'll be ordering some parts soon.

[Fiatdude]

5/8" Thick wall aluminum with compression fittings -- this is for fuel, but would work for anything --- I have the oil cooler with fan next to the transmission driverside and the innercooler radiator (smaller oil cooler) on the passenger side

[silkvw]

I ran a 3/8" dia. steel fuel supply line for my new EFI system, and it was a real pain to bend and route. So, I used 3/8" aluminum for the return, and it was much easier to install.