allegro Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 I am about to order a C43 Mocal oil cooler. It is the heat exchanger unit that pipes oil round a water way and helps warm when cold and cool when hot. Can anyone who has already fitted one of these give me some purchase numbers and or any advise on fitting. I have only seen these in DT page 230, is there another source ? What about additional fittings required ? Thanks Andy Mac C7 GON 😬 Team Langoustine. Hard Core Prawn here 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Bucket Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 I am in the process of fitting one of these to my x/flow. Space is tight but we are trying to fit in the top radiator hose (using the heater bypass hose is also a possibility). Try Think Automotive for an alternative source. Finally, I had problems with a back pressure on the dry-sump system when using the smallest of these coolers - have now gone up a size, but haven't yet fitted it. The back pressure on a cold engine was sufficient to blow the seal on the oil filter Good Luck Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 I've got one, started with the medium size one, C43-180, then changed to the shorter one for ease of packaging reasons, C43-90. This keeps my well tuned Vx engine cool but I'm only sprinting not racing or track days. Most people use the 180 sized one. What car's it for? The Caterham seem to use a smaller than standard water hose (if you're plumbing it into the radiator hoses rather than the heater supply). The coolers come as standard with a water side connection that's too big. I ordered mine with, from memory, 38mm connections and it's a snug fit in the water hoses (or was it 38mm standard and I had 32mm....). My dry sump return pipe is -12 which means the oil side connections were non-standard too. I got mine from Think Automotive, specified what length, what water hose diameter and what oil pipe connections and it was supplied built like that with no extra cost for the non standard fittings. Very helpful and flexible people. They're at http://www.thinkauto.co.uk/ Mines plumbed into the main radiator outlet pipe between the bottom of the radiator and the water pump suction. This maximises the oil cooling (as it's cold water) but I guess the oil warming effect is reduced as the water / oil delta T is lower. Really I did it that way as there a long stretch of water pipe in that location on the Vauxhall engine and it's just above the dry sump pump so also a convenient location to plumb into the oil system too. Works a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Baby Bucket - if you're blowing seals then your cooler is in the pressure circuit. I think it's universally recomended that the oil cooler goes in the return leg from the engine back to the dry sump tank. Thats certainly where mine is. This minimise the pressure drop in the all important high pressure circuit. Of course with wet sump you don't have this opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Durrant Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Allegro Take a look on Dave Andrews website http://hometown.aol.com/DVAndrews/index.htm as there is a picture and description for a K series Good Luck Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allegro Posted January 21, 2003 Author Share Posted January 21, 2003 Sorry, should have said. Mines a VHPD SLR. Does not have a dry sump yet, but has the oil/air separator. Cause I'm useless and will get it wrong, what sizes are the oil fittings and also the I/D of the water hoses ? Andy Mac C7 GON 😬 Team Langoustine. Hard Core Prawn here 😬 Edited by - ALLEGRO on 21 Jan 2003 10:16:59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnty Lyons Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Just ring Think they have supplied dozens of these for Caterhams, so will know exactly what to give you, and can supply the oil hoses as well. I have just fitted mine to the top hose for rapid engine oil warm up, jj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Durrant Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 I also got mine from Think Automotive and mention your a club member and they will even give you a discount. 😬 Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxy Smith Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Just about to fit one of these myself. Not very clear in my head about nomenclature of the oil side fittings. What for example are the standard Caterham fittings on the oil hoses of Caterham dry sump on a Vx, they are male and the thread fits the threads of the Mocal unit which are unfortunately also male. Root dia is 3/4". Need to sort this out in my head before getting some ne oil hoses made up. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allegro Posted January 21, 2003 Author Share Posted January 21, 2003 Just spoke to Mathew at Think and they have a K series kit with all necessary fittings and hose. Small discount for club members and it's in the post. Thanks for the help. Andy Mac C7 GON 😬 Team Langoustine. Hard Core Prawn here 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Think Auto's catalogue (picked up at the Autosport show) is very specific in saying that these devices should be placed in the pressure circuit and not in the scavenge or return circuits (IIRC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyR Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Andy, How much? if you don't mind me asking. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Bucket Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Chelspeed, Nope it was fitted in the return line - I think that we were using the small cooler with 20-50 SAE Oil, which is fairly gloupy when cold. Through a search on here, I found someone with a similar problem (i.e. blowing oil seals on the filter) due to the return pipes being to small. I am interested in Peter's comment - has anyone asked Think why they recommend the presure side ? I would have thought that the pressure drop would be significant. Thanks Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Peter - do they say why? There's nothing on the Think webpage. Mines been in the scavenge side for 5 years without problems. SBD sell them and their fitting instructions say fit in the scavenge side so there must be loads of others, plus all SBD's own engines, out there in the scavenge side as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allegro Posted January 22, 2003 Author Share Posted January 22, 2003 Tony, I paid £181 all in. This includes the oil hose, fittings and VAT Andy Mac C7 GON 😬 Team Langoustine. Hard Core Prawn here 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyR Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Thanks, Andy. I will definitely put one on my upgrade list 😬 Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now