Quote:
Originally Posted by ResIpsa
I don't mean to interrupt the current discussion, but I was hoping this thread could be a source for all of us with oil coolers in cold climates.
I can say with experience that blocking the air flow allows oil temps to rise like it did without an oil cooler. The only difference is that oil temps will not go higher than 210 or 220 degrees even when blocked.
Can someone come up with an eloquent, easy to install and remove solution?
|
OK! Here we go. This took all of 15 minutes to cut and lay-out and should take no more than 10 minutes to install or remove....
Cost should range from $0 to a few bucks for the metal.
Lets start:
First, remove the plastic shroud between the bumper and the radiator (pop out the push rivets...5 minutes). You can then see and reach your cooler:
Now, depending on how much blockage you desire cut a piece of sheet metal to cover X amount of inches of the cooler. This will vary depending on your cooler size and whether or not you have fittings on the top that need to be compensated for. I sized mine to cover about 1/3rd of my 24 row cooler, essentially turning it into a 16 row. I used some flashing I had laying around for the experiment, but I think doing it in a sturdier aluminum would be better:
Bend into a "U" shape on a Bending brake if you have it, or you could just bend it over a 2x4. Most coolers are 1.5" thick:
Now just reach down and slip it over your cooler. You could even put a handle on the top to make this easier. Adjust your bends so it hugs the cooler to stay in place. About 1/3rd of the 24 row cooler is blocked here:
From the front. I think you'd want to stealth it with a little black paint, but this is just for proof of concept. Snap your shroud back into place and you're done until next summer.
(oh yeah, clean off the bugs while you're in there!)
No driving on this yet but I will over the weekend (supposed to be cool here) to see the results. I suspect it will work just ducky!
Final with Stealth paint job now in winter mode...:
