I am getting a radiator from an ATX car, and installing it in my MTX equipped car.

Since the ATX radiator is a dual core ( one for coolant and one for ATX fluid ), do you think that I can use the ATX core as an oil cooler WITHOUT any ill-effects?


When thinking this over I see 2 potential problems:

1. Oil pressure, and the oil pump not being strong enough to push xtra oil through the core.

2. Our cars take the normal 4.5qts of motor oil. When adding the XTRA oil to fill the core ( oil cooler ) will the excess drain above the normal 4.5qts into the oil pan cause a problem?
Affect the crank position sensor?

AND/OR would you just watercool the turbo instead as some others have done?


Any thoughts, and other potential problems?

Thanks
Jon

That's not a bad idea. I don't see any way that could cause a problem.

Go for it IMO

I think the only problem I can see would be the extra oil in the system? I mean its not like they don't make regular oil coolers for cars right.So in theory It sounds like it should work with no adverse affect imo. Maybe putting a backflow preventer of somekind on the feedline close to its output source, so when there is 0 oil pressure on shutdown it doesn't return back to the pan and your starting the car on a overfilled pan of oil. Like I said its not like they don't already have them for cars and I can't really see any reason besides above why it wouldn't work. But I'm going to think some more about it and do some research to help in your quest because if it would work I think that would be cool as ice man. and heres a universial oil cooler link.....

http://www.perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page07.html

this is interesting i to have the ATX radiator, i'm gonna look into this as well. not a bad idea.

also keep in mind that it depends on how you run your plumbing. if the large radiator does drain, think of how long its going to take to fill back up and possibly starving other things of oil because of it.

i personally say get a real oil cooler. i run a dual circuit oil cooler and bumped up to a 6.5 quart system and its a tad too much. when i let the car sit for awhile and all the oil drains, the dip stick shows way over full obviously.

I have the Perma-cool oil cooler made for our cars. I did see a substantial drop in oil temps.

Well I would plumb it so the oil that is going into the radiator actually comes from the oil return barb on the turbo. Then out the radiator, and into the return line to the oil pan.

Oil feed line -> turbo -> radiator -> oil pan.

If you are at 6.5qts, have you experienced any problems?

BTW: Dino is the one who mentioned something about this when I bought the radiator from him, so he gets the cedit.

i haven't had any problems with it thus far.

i think your idea for plumbing is a little screwy. if you run it like that you are definetly going to over fill the oil pan. i wouldn't do it. i think its too much oil. granted more oil is better, but i think its overkill and might cause more damange down the road.

Originally posted by siueclipse
i haven't had any problems with it thus far. i think your idea for plumbing is a little screwy. if you run it like that you are definetly going to over fill the oil pan. i wouldn't do it. i think its too much oil. granted more oil is better, but i think its overkill and might cause more damange down the road.

Maybe I am not completely understanding what you are saying. You seem to backtrack on what you think is a good idea and not.

You said that when your car sits, the dipstick reads way over full. This due to the oil draining into the pan in excess cause you are now at 6.5qts.

Then you said that you have not had any problems, BUT that you wouldnt do it????? CONFUSION!

sorry i should have been more clear.

i dont think you sohuld do it with such a big tank. i think it will allow too much oil. you might be at like 8 quarts or something.

Originally posted by siueclipse
sorry i should have been more clear. i dont think you sohuld do it with such a big tank. i think it will allow too much oil. you might be at like 8 quarts or something.

The second core in the ATX radiator is nowhere near that large.

Jon, plumbing it in such a manner wuill only back up oil into the turbo and make it leak. They're GRAVITY DRAIN!

Buy a sandwich adapter for the oil filter instead.

Originally posted by 95greenhrcgs
Well I would plumb it so the oil that is going into the radiator actually comes from the oil return barb on the turbo. Then out the radiator, and into the return line to the oil pan. Oil feed line -> turbo -> radiator -> oil pan. If you are at 6.5qts, have you experienced any problems? BTW: Dino is the one who mentioned something about this when I bought the radiator from him, so he gets the cedit.

Backflow preventers on both lines closest to the input and closest to its return back to the pan or where ever, will keep the extra oil in the system and not the pan. But there might be some other issues like starvation in colder climates(winter use) where the oil would take some time to warm in the radiator before it would circulate properly. But then again that is just a guess on my part as a "what could go wrong" But thats what were all here for right ? lol to build on eachothers ideas and help one another out for the greater good of the 2G.

You guys never thought of this before?

Like Dino said, the oil comming from your turbo return line goes into your pan with the aid of gravity. It is not a high pressure source. If you try and plum it through your radiator from the turbo and then to the pan, there is nothing there to push the oil along other than gravity and the weight of the oil.

Only way around this that I can think of is a second reservoir with a pump. TOO much trouble IMO.

Get and adapter like Dino said, when you find which one is is let me know lol.

Yeah I see what you guys are saying about the gravity drain etc. I may try to look for a sandwich adapter for the oil filter as Dino said.

Thanks for the thoughts guys!

Jon

Originally posted by 95greenhrcgs
Oil feed line -> turbo -> radiator -> oil pan.

:wary...

the point is to cool the oil BEFORE it gets to the turbo...cooling it before it gets to the pan is nice and all, but its heated right back up to the same temp as the rest of the oil in the pan as soon as it drains back

i say run a sandwich adapter off the oil filter housing

Originally posted by turbo8u

Originally posted by 95greenhrcgs Oil feed line -> turbo -> radiator -> oil pan.

:wary... the point is to cool the oil BEFORE it gets to the turbo...cooling it before it gets to the pan is nice and all, but its heated right back up to the same temp as the rest of the oil in the pan as soon as it drains back i say run a sandwich adapter off the oil filter housing

Yeah, I had a dumb moment, and I have not even recieved the radiator yet, so I was just brainstorming some ideas before even seeing how things are set up.

If you were to do this, I would definitely buy a proper sandwich adapter. Don't use the turbo drain. They include a bypass "valve" that circulates the oil after it warms up. You can buy a short filter like PL10193 to keep your ground clearance similar. There is a great unknown here...the internal design of the A/T trans cooler built into the radiator. How much volume does it really hold? What flow rate was it designed for? What pressure drop will you experience with the new flow rate and fluid? How much heat transfer will you really get? Look at the connections on the radiator...they are rather small. A purpose built oil cooler will have much larger connections. This is an indication of the flow rate they were designed for. This might make you worry about the pressure loss when its hooked up to a different system. Personally, I would just suck it up and pay for a proper oil cooler. Remember, I design heat exchangers for a living...I could hook you up with a real nice oil cooler like this:



Corbin

'95 ESI-T
Now with more power and fewer leaks



Gimme fuel...Gimme fire...Gimme that which I desire

Originally posted by Corbin
I could hook you up with a real nice oil cooler like this

Can I get one of those for my cruise ship?

Originally posted by Corbin
If you were to do this, I would definitely buy a proper sandwich adapter. Don't use the turbo drain. They include a bypass "valve" that circulates the oil after it warms up. You can buy a short filter like PL10193 to keep your ground clearance similar. There is a great unknown here...the internal design of the A/T trans cooler built into the radiator. How much volume does it really hold? What flow rate was it designed for? What pressure drop will you experience with the new flow rate and fluid? How much heat transfer will you really get? Look at the connections on the radiator...they are rather small. A purpose built oil cooler will have much larger connections. This is an indication of the flow rate they were designed for. This might make you worry about the pressure loss when its hooked up to a different system. Personally, I would just suck it up and pay for a proper oil cooler. Remember, I design heat exchangers for a living...I could hook you up with a real nice oil cooler like this: Corbin '95 ESI-T Now with more power and fewer leaks Gimme fuel...Gimme fire...Gimme that which I desire

I'LL TAKE IT!!!!


Thanks for the insight man.

Originally posted by Corbin
If you were to do this, I would definitely buy a proper sandwich adapter. Don't use the turbo drain. They include a bypass "valve" that circulates the oil after it warms up. You can buy a short filter like PL10193 to keep your ground clearance similar. There is a great unknown here...the internal design of the A/T trans cooler built into the radiator. How much volume does it really hold? What flow rate was it designed for? What pressure drop will you experience with the new flow rate and fluid? How much heat transfer will you really get? Look at the connections on the radiator...they are rather small. A purpose built oil cooler will have much larger connections. This is an indication of the flow rate they were designed for. This might make you worry about the pressure loss when its hooked up to a different system. Personally, I would just suck it up and pay for a proper oil cooler. Remember, I design heat exchangers for a living...I could hook you up with a real nice oil cooler like this: Corbin '95 ESI-T Now with more power and fewer leaks Gimme fuel...Gimme fire...Gimme that which I desire

ok, I changed my mind...do what ever Corbin said :P

well well there's a nifty idea there Corbin, you have another money maker right there, maybe you should design stuff for us ;)

You could remove the 7 miles of power steering cooling pipe and use the radiator for that.