DIY: GT Motorsports Oil Cooler Kit Install/Review

rackley

I recently ordered the GT Motorsports Oil Cooker Kit (GT Motorsports*::*ENGINE EXTERNALS*::*GTM HD OIL COOLER FOR VQ), having had problems with oil temps since I purchased the car. Recently my oil temps have been hitting 240 regularly in the 95-100*F weather of the South, so an oil cooler was arguably a necessity rather than an option.

I wanted to do a cooler with the ports pointed downward so I could drain the oil out of the cooler at oil changes. This ruled out the Stillen kit since the way their mount is fabbed, it will only point the openings upward.

The kit is very well priced since it includes a Setrab cooler. In fact, I doubt I could buy the parts individually for what the kit costs. So in that sense it's a bargain. +1

Customer service: I sent an inquiry via their web site regarding a tracking number since I didn't sign up for an account when checking out. I received a tracking number fairly quickly and also got a voice call (!) from them making sure I had received the tracking number. +1.

It came via Adult-Only Signature UPS, which was a bit of an annoyance. Since I'm on temporary active duty two states away and my wife works, that doesn't really work out so good. I called and inquired if they could contact UPS and change the delivery option as I live in a very safe neighborhood, but they politely explained it was their policy only to do adult-only signature deliveries due to past issues. Inconvenient, but understandable.

I make it home on the weekends, so I had UPS hold it at their facility. The UPS facility is on the north side of Charlotte, a 40 minute drive from the south side under ideal traffic conditions (and there is no such thing as ideal traffic in Charlotte). The compound is fenced with a variety of barbed and razor wire since it's not in a very good neighborhood. It vaguely resembles a FOB with the exception of sandbags and roving patrols, but I digress. So I grabbed by trusty M&P 9C and went on a trip to get the cooler.

(stock picture)


Two hours later I was back home. Yay.

Unboxing:


As I unpacked it I noticed it was exceptionally well packed. Everything was individually bagged, all hose ends were bagged/taped, and everything was wrapped in at least one layer of bubble wrap, usually two.



Everything shown on their web site is included, including the Setrab mount, which fits well on the car (more on that later). One thing I noticed missing was any type of mounting hardware to attached the Setrab mount to the vehicle. Another thing I noticed missing was directions/instructions. There were none. A kit with no install instructions? Even for a simple oil cooler.. -1.

Install:

Mixed. Modshack's install (http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...ttsa-pics.html) helped significantly. If I had not seen his install and had been a novice car modder, this could have been a potential problem area, one where install instructions would have helped immensely. I've done some major surgery on quite a few cars though, so with Modshack's trail blazed I didn't have any reservations.

As stated above, I wanted to do a ports-down install so I could drain the oil from the cooler at oil changes. So I proceeded to mount it very similar to the way Modshack did his. However, I ran into a fairly significant problem - the 45* angle adapters on the hoses causes the hoses to dip too low to be safe.







Needless to say, since the belly pan already has scuff marks from hitting the road on it, having the oil line fittings FIRMLY bulging it outward makes me very uncomfortable. All I need to do it hit the road once for either the fitting or cooler to break, a potentially disastrous scenario. Verdict: -1

Next oil change I'll get a pair of 90* fittings for the cooler so the 45* fittings on the lines can bow out to the front instead of down. That should fix the clearance issue without needing to replace the lines completely.

Tools used:
Philips screwdriver (powered)
4mm Allen wrench
10, 13, 14mm sockets
14, 22, 27mm wrenches
Loctite Blue

Parts used that were not included:
(x2) M8x16mm hex head bolts, zinc plated
(x2) M8 nuts, zinc plated
Zip ties (heavy duty, high temp rated)
~2 feet of 5/8" coolant hose to prevent chafing

Full picture album with comments:
Picasa Web Albums - Ray - 2009 370Z GTM...

Overall:
It's not really a kit so much as it is a box of parts that work. It wouldn't take much to throw in a few M8 bolts/nuts, some zip ties, a foot or two of coolant hose and a few pictures to show you how to do the install, which would make it an actual kit IMHO. If the hoses had 90* fittings instead of 45* it would have been even better. Of course, they may have intended it to be installed in a different configuration where the 45* lines would work, but there were no directions to indicate anything to that effect. Overall, not bad, but could be better with a few minimal parts and some install directions.

nogoodname

not bad, looks like it turned out well.......i think it's 380 for that kit you got

37Z

Did the 45 degree AN fittings come with the kit?

What are your temps running after the install?

rackley

The fittings are attached to the lines, but they are just *barely* long enough to reach, so I doubt I could cut them off and put new ends on and still have enough length. I picked up a pair of female to female 90* adapters and a pair of male to male adapters (the cooler has male connections, hoses female) which should do the trick next oil change.

I took the car for a shakedown drive yesterday - under 50mph, varied city driving, mostly slow (looking at houses in the area) and my temps got up to about 205 but seemed to go down to about 195 when moving faster, which is expected...Still hard to tell though. Oil is definitely flowing through the cooler as it is very hot. I'm driving 3 hours on the freeway tonight back to Ft. Gordon, so I should know a little better how faster driving fares tonight.

37Z

I am curious on the oil pressure with this oil cooler. Did you install a oil pressure gauge?

Modshack

If anything the pressure will be very slightly higher because cooler oil has greater viscosity retention...Temps also look very similar to mine with the tru-cool cooler

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rackley

Update: I'm seeing about 195-200*F in 80mph freeway cruising at about 90*F ambient temperature, so about a 20*F drop. When I fight traffic on the way back into the city I'll post an update on what temps are then.. That's when I saw it going from 220 to 250+.

Shunya

^wtf....

SAM@GTM

Thanks for taking the time and posting your Input it is greatly appreciated

FYI we did switch the 45" lines to 90 " let me know if you need me to supply you with the replacement parts

Sam

XwChriswX

Even with the hoses at the bottom, how easy is it to get all of the oil out without using some kind of siphon? Say if I were to take it to an oil shop to get it done, will they give it enough time to let it ALL out or no?

Or is not doing oil changes yourself complete FAiL?

I mean I'd love to, but I don't exactly feel like laying on concrete/asphalt thats been sitting in 110* sun all day... No fun whatsoever.

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rackley

I appreciate the offer, thanks. I actually picked up some 90* elbows online so I'm just waiting for the next oil change to pop them on. Thanks though!

rackley

IMHO it'd be pretty easy to pop off a line to let it drain (I'd do it at the cooler). However, I don't trust any teenager at the local quicky lube to change my oil, cooler or not.

Equinox

Hey guys, I went ahead and installed this on my car today. The cooler came as a kit this time - with hose mounts, 10mm hardware to mount the oil cooler, and all the fittings. Was an easy install, and I didn't have to take the front bumper off. I just removed the underskirt on the front of the car as if I was changing the oil, and installed the oil cooler that way. One word of caution for those with the NISMO, you will have to take off your front lateral stabilizer bar to fit the oil cooler from GTM, if you mount it the way that gun toting rackley, and I did.

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dcrew1x

Did you have room to put the front damper/stabilizer back on or is it pretty much permanently off the car as long as the oil cooler is there?

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Equinox

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