Oil Cooler Fitment

[Adam Blackaby]

I'm sure that this has been asked many times before, but where is the best place to position an oil cooler on the TR4. It was simple on an earlier car, it bolted onto the inner lip of the front apron.

Nothing so straightforward on the 4.

Any advice, pictures of instalation etc would be much appreciated.

Car is LHD but that shouldn't make a difference.

Thanks

Adam

[RobH]

This doesn't answer your actual question Adam but according to previous threads on this subject, the best place for an oil cooler on a road car is to leave it on the shelf in the garage.   The consensus was you don't need one unless you are going racing or do track days - oil barely gets up to the correct temperature in normal driving. 

A rather 'animated ' discussion from a few years ago: 

 

[Adam Blackaby]

Thanks Rob,

Yes, I've read all that and understand the logic.

However, I've always been a fan of oil coolers ever since I had a Bristol 400 with a D2 engine (as fitted to the 404 engine). A modification recommended by the Captain at Aston Service Dorset .

Whilst some of my driving is a lowish speeds around our country roads, I'm contemplating a trip to Stafford this year (1200 kms each way and all motorway) Whilst I don't expect to be able to cruise all the way at 130 kmh as I would be able to do in the Peugeot 508sw, there will be constant high speed/revs for sustained periods, so its a belt and braces job.

An oil cooler is much cheaper than a blown engine.

[Lebro]

If you must fit one, make sure you fit a thermostat to control the temperature 

Bob

[Adam Blackaby]

Yes, its a thermo kit despite what others say!

[stuart]

Personally I still wouldnt bother fitting one, Ive thrashed my 4a up and down the country including long periods sat in the fast lane sandwiched between the BMW and Mercs cruising at 90+ and even on really hot days oil pressure has remained steady. Decent oil changed frequently is your friend.

If you must fit one then upright next to the rad with a custom shroud is the racers preferred position.

Stuart.

Edited July 19, 2022 by stuart

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Hi Adam,

I took the oil cooler off my 3A 5 years ago and the only thing I have noticed is a marginal drop in oil pressure at tickover (5psi) after a spirited drive.    So tickover pressure, even parked on the M25 for any time is still above 20 psi.

Changing the oil filter with my old Lawrence-Tune oil cooler adaptor, the type that has the hoses screwed onto both bowl and alloy head, was fiddly and never oil proof.  Always had to remove the hose from the bowl to get the filter out and clean.

I guess the spin on kit with thermo, from Mocal would be easy so long as the thing did not leak.   If you do go that route I think I have a NOS boxed ARO9809 13 row oil cooler rad made by Oxford Radiators lurking somewhere.

As has been stated use quality oil and change regularly.  Buy a quality oil filter too.

 Perhaps … See Terry Smith at the International and get some of his Motul 20/50.  Keith and I are both pleased with its performance and price.  Previously we had used Millers/Penrite.

Peter W

[monty]

Up to a year ago I was running both a TR4 & 4A. The TR4 had a oil cooler fitted by the previous owner & the 4A has never had one fitted. Using both cars pretty well under the same driving conditions including the odd track day & longish trip to France with each car I have noticed absolutely no difference at all in oil pressures or temperatures, so would agree that a cooler is probably not needed unless racing, hill climbing or rallying etc. As others have stated I change the oil regularly (with very low mileages in between changes) with a quality oil & filter. Currently using Classic Oils Heritage 20/50 & a K & N filter. One unfortunate incident was a stone puncturing the cooler on an organised run & leaving all the contents over a car park & TR4 on the back of a breakdown truck!

 

[Andy Moltu]

The preventer for a punctured oil rad is to carry a 1/2"bsp male to male connector in the boot.

You can then join the pipes end to end if you have the misfortune to collide with a badger.

[Andy Moltu]

The preventer for a punctured oil rad is to carry a 1/2"bsp male to male connector in the boot.

You can then join the pipes end to end if you have the misfortune to collide with a badger.

If the oil stat opens that might indicate the cooler is doing a job.

Fit an oil temp guage and it will tell you if your oil is getting hot enough to need a cooler.

[MichaelH]

When putting my 4A engine together again I thought that an oil cooler was not necessary- so I left it out

However I went down the Foss  dual carriageway to get some wild flower seeds and everything got hot and bothered and the oil pressure disappeared completely at tickover.

Revs restored some pressure. After a stop and cool down I returned more slowly and got home with a more usual 25ibs at tick over.

As I was planning to go to north Scotland in the TR, I put the oil cooler back  mounted on  a some angle iron welded to the front radiator protection shield, the rad has a shroud from the hole (TR5 style) in the lower valance see Photos. All bits I used in road rallying days so quite resilient.

Went down the Foss again and was happier with 50lbs on tickover

PS notice the front ARB, and the mount for the sump guard. anyone know the wheel in the back ground?

regretting not seeing all at the IWE

MichaelH

[Popey]

On 8/14/2022 at 10:07 PM, MichaelH said:

When putting my 4A engine together again I thought that an oil cooler was not necessary- so I left it out

However I went down the Foss  dual carriageway to get some wild flower seeds and everything got hot and bothered and the oil pressure disappeared completely at tickover.

Revs restored some pressure. After a stop and cool down I returned more slowly and got home with a more usual 25ibs at tick over.

As I was planning to go to north Scotland in the TR, I put the oil cooler back  mounted on  a some angle iron welded to the front radiator protection shield, the rad has a shroud from the hole (TR5 style) in the lower valance see Photos. All bits I used in road rallying days so quite resilient.

Went down the Foss again and was happier with 50lbs on tickover

PS notice the front ARB, and the mount for the sump guard. anyone know the wheel in the back ground?

regretting not seeing all at the IWE

MichaelH

Hi Michael

I'm thinking of fitting a cooler with thermostat for the same reason.  I've always had good oil pressure when running and at idle even after a 'spirited' drive, but after a 15 min track session at Castle Coombe my oil pressure was low to non-existent at idle, but still healthy when running at say 2000rpm.  Similarly, all back to perfectly normal after a short cool down, and has never been below about 30 psi at idle since. As I plan to do further track days it feels like a must have.

Cheers

Dave

 

[MichaelH]

Sat in my brothers 4A, caught a late boat from Dover to Calais, so set off for Le Mans about 2 am (it was dark anyway). Brother driving with usual enthusiasm (don't forget this was 50 years ago). After a hundred miles or so say 150Km as we were in France when Phillip was forced to stop as the car had no oil pressure..... at all.

We sat quietly leaning on the wings for a period, checked the oil level was normal and after a while we resumed our travel towards Le Mans

The car has since been fitted with an oil cooler and the problem did not recur, even when Phillip took up racing 

.MichaelH ( & Brother Phillip)

[tim hunt]

On 8/14/2022 at 2:39 PM, Andy Moltu said:

The preventer for a punctured oil rad is to carry a 1/2"bsp male to male connector in the boot.

You can then join the pipes end to end if you have the misfortune to collide with a badger.

Great tip Andy, thanks. When my oil cooler rad failed a while back I just removed the hoses from the inlet and outlet of the thermostat and linked these together with another short length of braided hose. Your suggestion is much better!

[tim hunt]

I bought a suitable connector today from Screwfix for the princely sum of £1.59. Their item number 71087.  It's now in the boot, just in case. Thanks again Andy for the suggestion.

Tim

[Malbaby]

This is what I did on my project car...Cut out two strengthening frames from steel sheet... [Note they need to be slightly different sizes due to the curves]...The outer frame is plug welded to the valance, inner bolted on over the steel mesh...Also welded 3/8 steel rod onto the bottom edge of the valance to strengthen.

Oil cooler is now bolted onto the front valance behind the opening.

Edited August 24 by Malbaby