Mounting Trans/Oil Coolers in Wheelwells

[Shane]

I have an issue of Hot Rod where they list "25 Trick Things You Can Do To Your Car" or something like that. One of the things was mount a Trans Cooler in the wheelwell, above the tire.

I like this idea. Does anyone see any advantages or disadvantages? I think it would get plenty of air flow but it would flow into the plastic wheel well.

 

[phillyturbosix]

Well I don't have that set up but it would get some air flowin! I do know someone who had a oil cooler in the wheelwell and one of the bolts came loose.. the cooler fell down on the wheel and tore a hole in the line and all the oil all came out and went down the side of the car. He found out when the oil light came on while driving down the highway.. looked at the oil pressure and it was at 0 he shut the car off and pulled over and the passenger side of the car was soaked in oil! So be careful!

 

[Shane]

Whoa, that's a heck of a story. I'll bolt the crap out of that thing, and lockwire the bolts

 

[salvageV6]

Might make for some interesting turning and stopping if it leaked.

I don't like the idea for a driver, and probably a worse idea for a fast race car.

 

[disco stu]

This is how I did mine. I thought about what Salvage said, but with a FM, there aren't too many other options. For engine oil.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?show_all=0&id=4290474365&start=41

 

[John Larkin]

That's a good setup behind the pass front air dam. That's where I have my trans cooler. Even without a fan, it gets airflow.

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by Shane
I have an issue of Hot Rod where they list "25 Trick Things You Can Do To Your Car" or something like that. One of the things was mount a Trans Cooler in the wheelwell, above the tire.
I like this idea. Does anyone see any advantages or disadvantages? I think it would get plenty of air flow but it would flow into the plastic wheel well.

Coolers need ALOT of air flow.
In front of the tire is a slight high pressure area, and the read of the tire a low pressure area. So above the tire would be about neutral. So how/why would there be any real air flow thur that region?.

Anything less then having a cooler face the oncoming air, is not going to be very effective, on a GN, IMO. ie by the radiator.

 

[Turbo T/A 1543]

Porsche has been stuffing oil coolers in the wheelwell openings forever, I'm assuming because of a lack of frontal area, but it must work. I'd have to take a look to see exactly how it is ducted though.

 

[Black Box]

I have my trans cooler mounted in front of the pass side tire, underneath the battery. Nice clean installation, no worries about contact with the tire.

I was thinking about moving it to where the stock IC is when I get a FM, just to 'fill up' the engine compartment, but I'm pretty happy with it where it is.

http://community.webshots.com/album/92459141TuKMfN

Steve

 

[Shane]

Whoa, I really like where you have your Cooler Mounted. It would be easy to do a cooler on each side, with a little extra tubing.

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by Turbo T/A 1543
Porsche has been stuffing oil coolers in the wheelwell openings forever, I'm assuming because of a lack of frontal area, but it must work. I'd have to take a look to see exactly how it is ducted though.

They've been stuffing coolers in front of, and behind the wheel well openings, from what I've seen. Just some of the ducting actually runs thur the wheelwells, from the ones I've seen.

Most usually the Pors, have a blister or bulge for the wheel opening which again generates a high pressure area in front of the tire, or low pressure area behind it. And they're designed for much higher cruising speeds then allowed in the US.

A quick read on angles of convergance, and divergance, along with scoop design sheds alot of light on what actually goes on.

Some cars have had fans mounted behind the rims so as to extract air from the inner well openings/ engine compartment. And some have used the spoke design of the rim to act somewhat as a fan/ extractor.

Not to mention some designs are just meant to fake people out as to what's really going on.

You want lots of cool air blowing on a heat exchanger for it to work. Less then that, and it's just for looks, or acting as a thermal flywheel.

 

[2quiktocare]

From everyone I have talked to, the tire well thing is a problem waiting to happen. One, you don't get a full flow thru effect which actually defeats airflow. The other is as related above. You will be mounting to plastic and anything can happen. The other thing is tires pick up and throw a lot of trash from the road. That means a big change of getting something slammed thru your cooler.
The under the battery on the r/s is a sweet set up and works well to remove all the restrictions of mounting in the well itself.
Just my opinion though.

 

[S10xGN]

I stuck my tranny cooler on the inside of the pass side frame rail in the crossmember area. It's made specifically for that, being 2" x 4" x 30" long. Seems to be doing OK so far...

 

[strikeeagle]

If you use a fan pack - a cooler with a built in fan or fans - a lot of the problems cited in this thread might go away.

Personally, I wouldn't put a cooler in a wheel well. I don't think my engineering is up to Porsche's, and I doubt most folks' coolers are as well engineered (and as pricey) as Porsche might supply.

 

[Red Regal T]

Now you know why I don't have a subscription to Hot Rod Magazine.

 

[Crazy87GN]

the spinning motion of the wheels cools the cooler so the faster you go the cooler it is.............

 

[Maltman]

Here's where I stuck mine...and trans temperature barely moves on a hot day (usually around 160 if I remember right)...nor do I have cooling issues (but it isn't a stock radiator). It is sitting in the path of the old stock intercooler intake mounted at about a 30 degree angle.

 

[Black Box]

Maltman,
That's where I was thinking of mounting mine when I get a FM, except that I was going to mount it straight upright, and leave the stock IC ducting in place to feed it with cool air. That, combined with the fan on the cooler would provide cooling at rest or if the car is in motion.

Steve

 

[Maltman]

If my temps climbed too high, I planned on making some duct work to force the air up and through....otherwise, there isn't much direct air going through it right now.

However, my temps are very respectable, so I choose the lazy road of not having to build the duct

The stock duct sits too far back ...did you plan on mounting your cooler "behind" the radiator?

 

[Black Box]

Yeah, but I don't know how much space the FM tubing will take up, and how much room will be freed up when the stock IC fan on the crank pulley is removed, so I kind of have to wait until I get the FM to see if the cooler will fit right.

Do you have a fan on your cooler? I have one of the Perma-Cool ones with the fan on it.