DIY: Oil Cooler Cover
 

I just got finished installing an oil cooler cover with a friend and had a breakthrough that's worth sharing.

My initial plan was to use some 1/16" aluminum from Home Depot (heating/AC section) which comes in 12" by 36" sheets for about $10. I have a Setrab cooler which came with two L-brackets for mounting. Since I only used one bracket, I used the second bracket for the cover (mounts to the top of the cooler since the top and bottom cooler mounts are identical). The issue was that I was initially planning to bolt the aluminum sheet (cut to size) to the bracket and bolt it to the cooler. The problem was that there is no way to remove the cover with the bracket attached unless you remove the front bumper.

***The breakthrough was Velcro. Instead of screws, we Velcro'd the aluminum cover to the perimeter of the oil cooler. Voila! Simple installation and removal from above via the engine bay. No more L-bracket required. No bumper removal for initial installation

Installation time <10min

Materials:
1. 12"x~10" (measure your cooler) aluminum sheet (thin is fine)
2. Heavy duty Velcro
3. Dremel or metal shears

Instructions:
1. Open the hood and remove the push-grommets that hold the black plastic cover just behind the lip of the front fascia and before the radiator. There are ~6 grommets in the front fascia and ~6 more in the black plastic cover you're removing.
2. The black plastic cover then pulls out, but you have to gently lift straight up to release two tabs from the leading edge under the fascia lip.
3. Look up the size of your cooler or measure through the front grille. Alternatively you can pull the fascia to facilitate things, but it's not necessary.
4. Cut the aluminum sheet to fit the front of the cooler. File the edges a bit to remove any sharp areas.
5. Apply Velcro to the side edges of the cooler via the access you got by removing the black plastic cover in the engine bay. A few 2-3" strips on each side edge and the top edge is plenty.
6. Apply the opposite Velco (hooks vs loops) to one side of the aluminum cover you've cut to size. Try to align them as best you can. If you've measured the cover well, you can simply combine the Velcro strips, apply one side of them to the cover and then apply the cover and exposed Velcro backing to the cooler all in one move.
7. Replace black plastic cover and grommets in reverse order.
8. Admire your work and warmer engine temps.

Images:
1. Cooler cover from front with fascia removed (not necessary but simplifies cover placement). Notice the cover overlaps the edges of the cooler a bit so the Velcro has a good landing zone on the cooler edges. It won't stick as well to the cooler grille.
2. View from above through the opening after removing the black plastic engine bay cover. Flush fit against the cooler face. I used the second Setrab bracket but it's not necessary.
3. View from side with front fascia removed.

very nice idea.. I will be needing to do this shortly... I purchased mod shacks oil cooler from him and he gave me a half cover than goes over the top, but in this NY winter I may need something a bit larger to cover the cooler.. thanks !

I would prob paint it flat black so it doesnt stand out in the fang area though.

Paint job is next weekend :tup:

That is sooo much easier and more efficient that the bracket method, I was holding off on the cover since I wasn't sure how to mount it but this is such a simple solution that I feel like kicking myself for not thinking of it myself haha.

Great DIY! Good job!

wow thats a really good idea spearfish. +rep

Easy, breezy, beautiful, covered oil cooler.

Awesome!

Here is a rep point for you!

I'm going to do this tomorrow, thanks for the writeup! It's been getting a bit chilly in Florida.

Why not install a Thermostatic Sandwich Plate Conversion Kit. this plate keeps the oil in the engine until it reaches 180 and then opens up to cool above that. I have one installed and it works great. cost is about 150 and mounts between the filter and housing. It also kept me from drilling holes in the oil pan because it is already plumed to open and close by temperature. my 2 cents.

Have one. They bypass about 80% of the oil flow. In 32F or less weather, 20% flow is more than enough to keep the engine temps under 160F at all times. Thermostatic sandwich plates don't cut it in sub-freezing weather.

I'm keeping your two cents too :).

The problem I see here is you driving in sub freezing weather. someone needs to call Z protective services on you for treating your baby that way. But really I have never seen a problem with the plate. The temps stay at 180 during normal driving but if I begin to get on it I will see a rise to maybe 200 before the Oil cooler starts to kick in and brings the temps back down. (I have the big 34 row mama jama and run only royal purple) but I have never seen the temps drop below 180 once the car is at operating temp. I know you can get the plates that only open up at 200 as well if you want a higher operating temp. Now I am going to take my 2 cents back to make that phone call to Z protective services, you said you name was??????

I bought a piece of 12"x18" Aluminum and it cost me $21! Steel was about half that, but I thought it would be better to use aluminum since it weighs less (easier for the velcro).

Oh, and stupid me, I forgot how much room the Stillen G3's take up, so I had to remove my bumper anyway. Doh. Not a big deal though, takes about 10-15 minutes to take off and put back on.

Good write-up spearfish! This would be so easy to do for anyone that hasn't installed a cooler yet.

Found another way to install the cover, in case others want to do this that have the G3 Intakes. You can just remove around 4-5 bolts that attach the bumper to the plastic undertray, and then pull it down a bit, then slip your hands in there to remove or put on the cover. You'll probably still need to take off the bumper once just to get the velcro on good, but after that, you won't have to remove the bumper.

Used this advice to make my oil cooler cover and install today in about 30min flat.
Went to my local OBI(German equivalent of Home Depot), purchased metal shears/velcro and .8mm aluminum piece to make my cover.

Have a good friend here who is also my Audi mechanic/dealer rep.
Z1 sent me the precise measurements in mm of the 25 row Setrab I have. 284mm wide and 184mm tall. Measured, cut and smoothed the cover piece.
Went to the car with my mech friend and pulled the cover after simple removal of the push rivets(black plastic).

Applied the velcro on the cover - both pieces and used the long end of a screw driver to press the sticky side of the velcro on the cover in place after lowering it in(plenty of room with the cover off). So far so good and the temps are good now. It was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy toooooo low for Germany now that has cooled off. Will be monitoring the changes but a quick test had the temps up to 200+ where they should be for optimal lubrication.
I cannot thank you enough for this write-up DIY! :) :bowrofl:

This is really good and simple idea to control the temp but out of curiosity, would it be better to have a ball valve to adjust the amount of oil going through the cooler thus increase or decrease the amount of cooling? On top of that, the valve junction can also include ports for temp gauge as well. Of couse, this would would cost a lot more to make with the need for the valve and connectors along with the need for a bypass line unless with a thermostatic plate only. The upside, IMO, there is infinitely more control to the desired amount of cooling.

Is this a good option for those with the nissan motorsports cooler that doesnt have a thermo option?

I re did my oil cooler block off plate. I am utilizing a stainless steel piano hinge to jb weld to the oil cooler. Also am utilizing some parachutte cord so that I can raise and lower it from under the hood via a drilled hole in the radiator air shroud. all in all cost me 50 for supplies.

Any pics on that would help. TIA

Workin on it as we speak.

Well I pulled off the front fascia today and started to mount the cooler block off plate with a top hinge and by the way that I was going to set it up it wouldn't work but I figured out how it would and am not goint to do it but will tell you how it would work.

There isn't enough room for the entire plate to swing up and down to open and close for hot and cold months. BUT what WILL work is if you fabricate a plate that will hinge half way up the plate. I was going to initially jb weld the top hinge to the mounting bracket but the cooler sticks out farter than the top bracket so thats a no go. so I used a couple of zip ties to hold the top hinge to the bracket and put approx 6 in velco strip along the vertical portions of my cooler. Hope that this helps with anyone else trying to fab up a decent plate.

If it did "fold up" as you originally planned it would block off your radiator when ambient air temps are higher and it is folded.

most of the radiator is open. Only about 3 inches or so (looking from the front of the fascia is acually covered) is being blocked. It wouldn't affect that much of the radiator. You should check out the pics in my album and you would see that it would still allow for air flow just would be much more if the bottom half would have folded up so that the oil cooler woule have more flow.

For those that have used the velcro method here - have you had issues with the velcro/adhesive giving out or losing its stick? Any other issues?

I like this method over the magnets and may be able to install/remove without taking too many parts off.

It needs replacing once a year or so. Nothing terrible.

good to know, thanks. been trying to figure a way to fix some sort of slots to the sides so I could just side the aluminum sheet down into it.. but i can't weld and not sure that would even be a good idea not knowing what exactly is behind the sides of the oil cooler..

i think i need to learn how to weld. :icon17:

So far, so good with the velcro cover. I'm really surprised. :) I used some heavy-duty, ultra-mate velcro that is supposed to be indoor/outdoor. Working great so far.

What kind of temps do you typically see with the cover?

I just fabbed a oil cooler (25row Setrab, Mocal 169F thermostatic sandwhich) cover and I still cant get my temps above 200 during highway driving when the ambient temp is in the 60s. Before the cover on the interstate with ambient temps in the 60s the car barely got above 160F. This cant be good for the motor.

Do any of you all use a 0W20 or 0W30 so that the engine gets better lubrication under normal driving conditions and then switch to a 5/10W30 for a event? I am interested in finding out if these low temps with a 5W30 oil will lead to premature bearing wear.

5-30 is the factory oil here and in the US. I see 200-220 with the cover on now since its autumn. I use the factory book for Germany - 5w30 synth Castrol and 15000km changes. No worries.

Cover off in cool weather the oil might not hit 180. 160 is too low. I use the cover Oct - April off all other months.

Did some interstate driving last night. Ambient temps 50F and 65 mph, hit and stayed on 190F with the cover on, about 20-30F warmer than with no cover.
Without the cover on extended downhill coasts (~3 miles) the oil would go to 150F, with the cover it only went to 160F.

Does your cover go on both sides of the cooler, or just the front?

I always use 5W30 Castrol Syn also, but that was when the temps were normally around 210F, where its the proper viscosity, but 5W30 at <180F is too thick and may not allow proper lubrication, is what I am worried about. And I think a 0W20/30 would be better for that temp.

We get fairly cold here in South Germany. The shops stick with 5w-30. You can go to a zero-# oil and Im sure the world will turn. I would not lose any sleep over 0 vs 5w.