I used a piece of aluminum sheet, cut to fit around the cooler core, and held on with heavy-duty velcro in the colder months. Otherwise it won't come up to temp during normal driving (34 row). Total cost is like $15. I painted it matte black and you cant even see it when installed.
And yes, even with a thermo plate it never comes up to temp without the block-off plate. I get the impression it never really closes completely. Also the placement of the stock sender certianly has something to do with it. I'm sure the oil temp coming out is significantly higher than coming back in, so I take it with a grain of salt.
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