Prewar Buick Oil Cooler ???

[FLYER15015]

While sitting here in Buena Vista, waiting for the snow that never seems to come, I had a thought....

We have often discussed the "overheating" issues of our prewar cars, and many have come up with the standard and the novel approaches to this age old problem. You know such as, different fans, CLR flushes, rodding and replacing radiators, auxillery fans, etc.

However I would like the Prewar group to consider "oil coolers" to help keep the underhood temp's down.

Years ago power steering systems had small coolers on them, and even today transmissions have coolers in the radiator, and I have an auxillary Tx cooler on my '02 lincoln (from Summit racing).

So why not tap into the bypass oil filter system and hide a small oil cooler down under the filter can, in the air flow comming off the fan. Which for me is a Hayden 6 blade flex fan.

For those who live in the hotter climates, and have "drivers", this would seem to be a good idea.

What do you think ????

Mike in Colorado

PS; A great subject to discuss when it's 16 degrees outside, huh ?

[Barney Eaton]

Engine oil coolers can certainly help/assist the radiator. It would take someone smarter than me to determine if there is any benefit on a straight 8 Buick. The concern I have is the small amount of oil that goes thru the line that lubes the rockers (and oil filter if equipped) Someone probably knows the ratio but my guess is maybe 5-10% of the pump output.

If you could cool it to the ambient outside temp, that amount would not drop the hot engine oil very much. It would be a different story if you could run all the output of the pump thru the cooler.

[jenz38]

And when you let more Air in your Engine room ? Maybe with underside "Airspoiler" on both sides of the Oilpan, or

new cold Air Intake Holes on both sides of the Radiator and additional Louvers in the inner Fenderwells for hot Air outlet ?

(Sorry, I haven't this Problem because i drive very easy without Sidepanels :cool: )

[Mark Shaw]

The original "oil temperature regulator" both heats and cools the oil as described in the Specifications & Adjustments Manual. These regulators still get their cooling from the radiator.

Any additional cooling either for engine coolant or oil would help to minimize overheating. However, keep in mind that older engines run better hot than cold. I think it is much easier to hide an extra thick radiator core with a thermostat. I think it would be hard to hide an add-on oil cooler. Are thermostats made for oil coolers?

[FLYER15015]

Years ago, and maybe they still do, J.C.Whitney sold/sells wrap on aluminium fins for our bybass filter cans, and ign coils too, that you attached with a aircraft clamp. Don't know how much good they did, but they were promoted as looking "kool" as well as cooling stuff down.

Jenz,

I have found on my '40, that she runs cooler with the driver's side lower splash pans removed. Exhaust pipe has been wrapped with "asbestos" heat tape from the heat riser block, all the way back to the muffler, which keeps the heat off the steering sector, clutch equalizer, and mastercylinder.

Haven't thought about ducting an exhaust fan out the port holes, but might in the future, as heat rises.

Mike in Colorado

Edited April 18, 2013 by FLYER15015 (see edit history)

[Brian_Heil]

Your current oil pump flow rate is not large enough to dissipate (carry away) enough heat energy to see a significant change. Your thinking is sound, your stock pump is just not up to the job. And if you route is wrong you could starve oil flow to the lube system and drop pressure and have even bigger problems.

The most common issue is years of non use, often without anti corrosion coolant that has caused two issues. Reduced heat transfer within the engine and radiator because everything is covered with 'insulating' corrosion and also reduced flow because the small passages in the radiator are signicantly plugged with corrosion.

Having been on both sides of this, I can report first hand that 1923 Buicks, with a clean cooling systems can run hard all day in 100F heat including the Blue Ridge Mountains with cooling margin to spare.