Factory oil cooler stay or go??

[87BuickMan]

Should I do away with the factory oil cooler set up on my 87 GN? I have heard that the lines get cloged after years of useage and there isn't a way to totaly clean the oil cooler system out. My car has 88,000 miles and I am puting a fresh engine back in it, and want to make sure no old crud gets back in. I plan on running a turbo luber oil filter set up for the oil going to the turbo. I have read where some people just did away with the oil cooler, will that make the oil to hot?

 

[hboost]

Just take it off and run the bigger filter, it'll be Ok. We eliminated the oil cooler setup on my buddys 86 GN and we had no problems.

 

[BlackBandit]

Is there any particular reason you're worried about this? If not I'd leave it alone. The only reason I can think of to eliminate the cooler would be if it's clogged or if you pumped metal through it. I did the latter and now I run without a cooler, but only for now. I'm going to set up an aftermarket cooler soon. If there hasn't been any mechanical problems then the only reason I could see the cooler clogging up is crappy maintanance in which case you're probably got a ton of other stuff wrong. I mean, there are allot smaller passages the oil has to get through along with non pressure passages that would be more likely to build up crap first. If everything is in good order I'd leave it. GM didn't spend money on it for fun.

 

[Mark E.]

I removed mine for the debris issue.

Oil temp sender in pan. Only went up a few degrees. Nothing significant IMHO.

 

[87BuickMan]

Just take it off and run the bigger filter, it'll be Ok. We eliminated the oil cooler setup on my buddys 86 GN and we had no problems.

Whats the # of the bigger filter?

 

[Boost231]

keep it. whats the point of taking it off?

 

[vacuum 6]

RJC Biggie Oil Filter Adapter

I took mine off and no increase in engine temps. Make sure you get the correct one. If the engine is running hot look at the radiator.

 

[boostingbuick]

Near stock turbo will not hurt oil temp as much. But when you start running a large turbo the oil temp will rise alot. I have put on a aftermarket cooler to keep my temp in check.

 

[johnnyttype]

Near stock turbo will not hurt oil temp as much. But when you start running a large turbo the oil temp will rise alot. I have put on a aftermarket cooler to keep my temp in check.

where'd ur high beams go!? i like the oil cooler idea, and scoop. just hope no big rocks come its way!

 

[cabech984]

Is that a PF47 in place of your high beam?

 

[johnnyttype]

thats his performance battery cooler hole! AC delco i think!

 

[boostingbuick]

Its a damn PS intercooler. I works, but you need to notch out the high beam buckets. The header was no good anyways, so I tried it. I will be buying the RJC one soon. And since I only go to the track with it I don't have the screen in front of the oil cooler. But I use the factory cooler block and an fittings. Works good.

 

[Project TNX]

The passages for the oil cooler aren't small, I don't see them getting clogged unless your car has had some serious issues or neglect.

 

[2QUICK2B6]

The passages for the oil cooler aren't small, I don't see them getting clogged unless your car has had some serious issues or neglect.

He might of heard someone talking about the turbo oil feed line getting cloged ?

 

[johnnyttype]

Its a damn PS intercooler. I works, but you need to notch out the high beam buckets. The header was no good anyways, so I tried it. I will be buying the RJC one soon. And since I only go to the track with it I don't have the screen in front of the oil cooler. But I use the factory cooler block and an fittings. Works good.

cool, do what u gotta do! i here the RJC is awesome unit...and massive! nice car

 

[boostingbuick]

Thanks. I've worked hard on it.

 

[turbota440]

He might of heard someone talking about the turbo oil feed line getting cloged ?

That's true for turbo line, but in the case of the oil cooler it's not the lines that get clogged but the cooler in the radiator and it doesn't clean well.

 

[BlackMetal]

When people bypass the stock oil cooler and say "no biggie, temps only went up a degree or so", it doesn't mean your car doesn't need an oil cooler, it just shows how useless the factory cooler is that it only makes a degree or two of difference.

Surprises me that so many people like to get rid of the cooler and say they don't need it, it's a TURBO CAR, battling heat is the name of the game.

If you're worried about the lines being clogged get a B&M cooler and some -8 or -10 AN line.

 

[Phoneguy]

Its a damn PS intercooler. I works, but you need to notch out the high beam buckets. The header was no good anyways, so I tried it. I will be buying the RJC one soon. And since I only go to the track with it I don't have the screen in front of the oil cooler. But I use the factory cooler block and an fittings. Works good.

Whos cooler are you using? and what length hoses did you get. I like your setup, looks very good. I just " milk-shaked " mine so I will be adding an external cooler in the next couple of days. Got her torn down already and cleaned up, ready to install the new heads, cam and lifters.( Thanks Cotton!! )
Thanks
Bryan

 

[87BuickMan]

I am more worried about what is in the actual cooler in the radiator rather than the lines. Its got 20 years of gunk in there that I don't want going back into my new engine.