using an intercooler as oil cooler........

[3T-Rona]

just wondering if a cut down plate and bar intercooler would be effective as an oil cooler, either engine or trans......
hav the remainder of an intercooler that was cut down wonderin if it would be any good or would it flow to freely?

[xsspeed]

They are both effectively cross flow heat exchangers, but oil is more viscous than air so they are designed differently, also an oil cooler may operate at a higher pressure so heat is lost due to friction through the tubes, but an intercooler you could want to have as little pressure loss as possible, otherwise itd defeat the purpose.

size, mounting, inlet/outlet positions would be your other worries.
Also if the lines can handle hot oil, as oppossed to hot air. Hot oil will be hotter and has a beter surface contact, so more heat transfer than what air would.

best bet would be to compare the intercooler you have to an oil cooler.

That being said, only one way to find out

[RomanV]

Since oil floats on top of your water, just relocate your radiator top hose to about half way, make some new radiator inlets/outlets at the top and half fill it with oil.

P.S. wouldnt an intercooler have a fairly big volume inside it? IE too big?
All oil coolers that I've seen have had a fairly small volume, it is possible to overcool your oil afterall. (which is why a lot of oil cooler kits have a thermostat/bypass)

[cr1mnl]

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm pretty sure it wont work for a number of reasons

1. i would imagine that due to the size of the tubes, an intercooler would create a massive pressure drop in the lubrication system which is not good. you would need a massive oil pump to maintain correct oil pressure.

2. excessive cooling of the oil due to volume of oil in the system and size of heat exchanger

3. time it would take to get oil to operating temp once again due to volume of oil in the system

[xsspeed]

pretty much what i was attempting to say.

intercooler - larger tubes - for minimal pressure loss of AIR due to friction

oil cooler - smallish tubes - maintains pressure, aids cooling by surface area and frictional means.

remember cold oil isnt good, the purpose of an oil cooler if i am right is to maintain it within its operational temperatures, ie not too cold or hot.

[3T-Rona]

firstly it is the leftover of a cut down cooler, so no big 2.5" in/outlets new in/outlets would be welded in, its the normal (trademe intercooler) width and about 150-200mm tall but can be cut down more, was also thinking of putting a partition in it and using it for both engine oil and auto trans cooling.......

[salival]

Hi Guys,

I actually manufacture alloy intercoolers and oil coolers..

First of all, bad idea.. Xsspeed is right on the money, intercooler tubes are big in diameter, oilcooler small..

Plus, if it's bar in plate, it will have turbulators down the length of the tube, these are great for getting swarf stuck in them, Are you going to risk getting this in your motor?

Spend $100 buy a decent oil cooler on trademe, enough said.

Thanks,
Scott @ A1 Radiators.

[bluemaumau]

re: oil thermostats.

i dont understand this.

if you compensate for your lines and cooler (say 1l extra) then when your engines cold its going to be overful


but say you run the standard 4l then when your car gets warm your not going to have enough oil?

[matt dunn]

re: oil thermostats.

i dont understand this.

if you compensate for your lines and cooler (say 1l extra) then when your engines cold its going to be overful


but say you run the standard 4l then when your car gets warm your not going to have enough oil?

Not really, while the car is running the lines are still always full of oil so it not extra in the sump,
just that when cold there is no or next to no flow through the cooler.