Oil Cooler - Is it really necessary?
 

Hey all,

Please don't thump me too hard. I've been reading alot of posts about oil coolers. I understand there is definitely a place for them when tracking a car and also on FI cars. But here's my question....Is it something I should consider when my Z is driven mainly on weekends with some occasional spirited driving?

Like alot of Z owners I'm never going to track my car nor will I ever put any type of FI on it. I do have a Gen 3 Stillen intake and full Stillen exhaust with hi flo catalytic converters but that will be the extent of my engine mods. My oil temp is the usual 210 or so when driving. Occasionally I do have some fun on the TN mountain roads where I live but mostly it's just enjoying the drive.

So is an oil cooler worth the bucks? After reading it seems the Z1 is the most well thought of and I would probably do the 25 row with setrab cooler, thermostat, etc. I live in East TN so I imagine on a sunny 90 degree day the oil temps would run 180 - 200... Only guessing. Is it really that big of an advantage or have the Nissan engineers taken care of things pretty well? Thanks in advance for any input.

Given your driving description, I would say not necessary for you.

You have one without the factory oil cooler, so you'll most likely see 240+f temps in the summer in traffic. Get the cooler. Err on the larger side, since you can cover some of the rows in winter. You can't add rows in the summer if the 25 row isn't enough.

You can probably get by without one...but its a good idea to add it (hence why Nissan added one). Your oil will last longer, and your motor will stay healthier.

Some folks remove their OEM water cooler when they add an aftermarket air cooler - if I were in your position I would probably consider buying someone's take-off and just figuring an easy way to route coolant through it. Doing a full OEM equivalent install is probably not feasible because your coolant hardlines won't include the necessary ports.

The air cooler will get the temperature lower, but there are benefits to the water cooler as well - oil will come up to temp faster, you will not need to cover/uncover for seasonal changes, and you won't risk your engine oil being pumped out in the event of a minor fender bender.

I am far from stock and my OEM water cooler handles it just fine for DD and spirted driving purposes.

On a 90 degree day here in California, your car will probably be at 200 just sitting at idle. One highway pull will probably push your temps closer to 220. In traffic and warm weather i've seen temps as high as 240 and the car feels sluggish.

Same conditions in the canyons with a serious driver who likes to carve those corners, you'll hit limp mode. The main reason we buy oil coolers is not because our oil is going to break down and the engine will suffer for it. We buy oil coolers because the ECU limits revs once temps reach around 265 and what used to be your fun sports car, now drives like it's running on two cylinders, at least until the oil temps have dropped and you've restarted the car. Just my $.02, hope that helps. But it really depends on what kind of driver you are.

I'd also say that an oil cooler system is a huge upgrade for the VQ37 engine. Keeping those oil temps down is important whether you daily drive or track your Z.

Fast Intentions produces a 34-Row Oil Cooler Kit for the 370Z.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

- Kevin

I appreciate the replies. I know excess heat is not your friend so the question that comes to my mind is; How well is the 370Z engine engineered to handle the 210-220 temps during "normal" daily driving and do so over a long period of time? Look into your crystal ball. :icon17: I mainly drive Spring - Fall, temps range 65 - 95, interstate, mountain roads or small amount of stop and go traffic. I live in a small town area. If I installed the 25 row cooler what could I expect my oil temps to drop to? Same question for a 34 row? From what I've read the oil temp should not be lower than 180. Thanks again. Trying to learn.

Not necessary if you dont drive as hard as most people does around here in the forum.

If your fine seeing your temp goes to 240F while driving then your good.
It bothers me though specially when I drive it hard goes up to >250F

Bought a stillen 25 row gold series. The highest wss 210F spirited hard driving in summer.

Its engineered well enough to run 210-220 without issue. The ECU hits limp mode around 265 to prevent damage, so if Nissan programmed it to kick in at that point you have a lot of room for error.

Assuming you get either oil cooler your temps will drop but will not stay lower than 180 if you get it with the thermostatic sandwich. The thermostat will only open once you hit 180, allowing the cool oil to now flow through the lines and into the engine. If you're still concerned about it getting too cold, you can place a block off plate in front of the oil cooler to further prevent it from cooling.

Temp drops are usually around 20 degrees during normal driving. So taking my example from earlier, 90 degrees in traffic w/o oil cooler...240. Same conditions with oil cooler, 220 at most. Difference between the 25 row and 34 row is not how much of a drop in temps you'll see, but rather how much longer it can keep the temperatures from rising.

It only makes sense if you added a Gen 3 Stillen intake and full Stillen exhaust with hi flo catalytic converters. If you think about it you didn't even need to get that. I'm guessing you did it because you like it. I say go for it.

:confused:
What do cold air intakes and a stillen exhaust have to do with an oil cooler?

Get a 25 row at the very least. Heat is the enemy. My driving style and being in CA called for one. I got a 34 row and the car was happy. One of the best mods for the Z.

When you add more power; You can generate more heat.

I highly doubt a CAI and exhaust would affect oil temps much. I didn't noticed a change in temps since I installed CAI, HFC's or test pipes. Just to put that into perspective, I had issues with oil temps before I even threw those mods on the car, it was stock.

This is my situation only, so it may not be relevant for others...

I occasionally track my car, drive spirited (think Dragon) and use as a DD during the Summer months. I have never experienced oil temps high enough to go into "limp mode", so I do not have any type of oil cooler. However, with that being said, I am still thinking about putting in at least a 24-row, mostly as an insurance policy in the event I ever run into conditions that MAY raise the oil temps to unhealthy heights.

Better to have and not need than need and not have...just my $.02 :)

As-far-as adding mods like mine (CAI, CBE, HFC, tune), I think the car actually runs cooler because it is now more efficient and does not have to work as hard...