Winter will be here soon - starting to think oil cooler thermostats again

[ERA Chas]

Doug,
I posted this last time you asked-NOTHING will keep temp in the oil below 50 degrees ambient at 60+ MPH-including NO oiler cooler. Ask how I know. If you want to give your precious NOS parts longevity, forget driving in those conditions. Period.
Also forget heaters, seat heaters, tops, hot vests and all the other junk for cold driving. No originals had them except tops-it's not what they were about. You say you don't want complexity and needless expense.
It's your money and your car. I will not join in after the torrent of nonsense that will follow.

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Doug,
I posted this last time you asked-NOTHING will keep temp in the oil below 50 degrees ambient at 60+ MPH-including NO oiler cooler. Ask how I know. If you want to give your precious NOS parts longevity, forget driving in those conditions. Period.
Also forget heaters, seat heaters, tops, hot vests and all the other junk for cold driving. No originals had them except tops-it's not what they were about. You say you don't want complexity and needless expense.
It's your money and your car. I will not join in after the torrent of nonsense that will follow.

Yeah, maybe I was hoping for a better (different) answer this time. Kills me to park the car all winter.

As for heaters, seat heaters, blah, blah, blah, I don't subscribe to any of that. The only heat I get is from the 427. The rest is just clothes.

[Jim Kellogg]

Doug,
Last year I finally bit the bullet and purchased the complete adjustable remote filter setup from Beaumont Metal Works.
http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/oi...lve-final.html

I had been blocking my cooler off (with cardboard) during the winter months the last several years. I still get just about the same effect now during the dead of winter (it's impossible to get the oil up to full temp after the outside temps drop below 40 or so). Forget about trying!

When I upgraded to the Beaumont unit, I also went from AN10 to AN12 lines for more flow, and changed the oil cooler to AN12. The Beaumont unit DOES make a big difference in the spring and fall, as I can adjust the flow to the oil cooler on the "cool" days to keep the oil temp up. For that, it is well worth it.

During the dead of winter, when temps drop below 20, I just run it a "little" easier, to minimize any damage from the colder oil temps.

It's a trade off. Do you want to "save" your Cobra replica for your kids/grandkids, or do you want to DRIVE it!

I choose to drive :-)

If you would like to see photos of my setup, let me know and I will post them for you.
Jim Kellogg
Breesport, NY

[DonC]

Take a look at the Canton unit. A little on the spendy side by a very good performer.
DonC

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by DonC

Take a look at the Canton unit. A little on the spendy side by a very good performer.
DonC

Too much bling in the Canton products for me.

[cobrarkc]

Originally Posted by dcdoug

Too much bling in the Canton products for me.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. The Canton unit is black and could be placed on the oil cooler side of the frame. The Bueamont unit is all polished and shiney, very blingy.
http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/...ion&key=22-480

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by cobrarkc

I'm not sure what you mean by this. The Canton unit is black and could be placed on the oil cooler side of the frame. The Bueamont unit is all polished and shiney, very blingy.
http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/...ion&key=22-480

It is hard to tell from just a pic, but it just seems like it will look very out-of-place to me. It is also bigger, which doesn't help.

I think with a bit of steel wool I could matt down the Beaumont piece and it wouldn't be that noticeable being just a block of mono-alloy.

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by Jim Kellogg

If you would like to see photos of my setup, let me know and I will post them for you.
Jim Kellogg
Breesport, NY

I'd love to see some pics.

Doug

[cobrarkc]

Originally Posted by Jim Kellogg

Doug,

When I upgraded to the Beaumont unit, I also went from AN10 to AN12 lines for more flow, and changed the oil cooler to AN12.

for you.
Jim Kellogg
Breesport, NY

If the port coming out and into your engine is 1/2"npt that is -10an sized. How will going to -12an give you more flow? It is only going to give you a pressure drop. This is basic plumbing, if you have a 1/2' feed in you house and feed your shower with 3/4" the pressure drops can flow more than the smallest point. I don't think anyone has 3/4" oil ports on these engines, especially internally.

[pusherfans]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Doug,
I posted this last time you asked-NOTHING will keep temp in the oil below 50 degrees ambient at 60+ MPH-including NO oiler cooler. Ask how I know. If you want to give your precious NOS parts longevity, forget driving in those conditions. Period.
Also forget heaters, seat heaters, tops, hot vests and all the other junk for cold driving. No originals had them except tops-it's not what they were about. You say you don't want complexity and needless expense.
It's your money and your car. I will not join in after the torrent of nonsense that will follow.

I had a feeling this was the case, since taping off my oil cooler did not help. But why does that happen, if there is no cooler?

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by pusherfans

I had a feeling this was the case, since taping off my oil cooler did not help. But why does that happen, if there is no cooler?

Several factors. Pat just wrote one-the surface area of our oil pans. Most Cobra noses are full of holes-the grill, side vents, hood scoops and no belly pans like modern cars. A 60MPH, 50 degree or colder breeze is a very effective heat remover. Plus the length of oil lines running to and from a cooler-even a blocked one- act as fins on a radiator. One year as a test I capped the cooler lines so that all the oil stayed in the motor. NO difference at all, oil temps never got above 140 and the water barely stayed at
thermostat temp.
All the tape, plexiglass, aluminum covers, billet t'stats-it's all BS. Any doubters should do the only litmus test-cap the lines and run on oil in the motor only.
We all 'love to drive our cars' but I think you need to get mature enough to figure that you can cause gradual destruction of your expensive toy. Set your priorities-drive it every day 'cause 'it's only a replica' or have something you worked hard to build for a long, trouble-free time.

[pusherfans]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Several factors. Pat just wrote one-the surface area of our oil pans. Most Cobra noses are full of holes-the grill, side vents, hood scoops and no belly pans like modern cars. A 60MPH, 50 degree or colder breeze is a very effective heat remover. Plus the length of oil lines running to and from a cooler-even a blocked one- act as fins on a radiator. One year as a test I capped the cooler lines so that all the oil stayed in the motor. NO difference at all, oil temps never got above 140 and the water barely stayed at
thermostat temp.
All the tape, plexiglass, aluminum covers, billet t'stats-it's all BS. Any doubters should do the only litmus test-cap the lines and run on oil in the motor only.
We all 'love to drive our cars' but I think you need to get mature enough to figure that you can cause gradual destruction of your expensive toy. Set your priorities-drive it every day 'cause 'it's only a replica' or have something you worked hard to build for a long, trouble-free time.

Very interesting. So would switching to a synthetic help, since the oil will run cooler and synthetics flow better in the cold? I was thinking about the amzoil one, since they claim high zinc. I am currently running the vr1 20w50, per my engine builder's recommendation.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by pusherfans

Very interesting. So would switching to a synthetic help, since the oil will run cooler and synthetics flow better in the cold? I was thinking about the amzoil one, since they claim high zinc. I am currently running the vr1 20w50, per my engine builder's recommendation.

It helps in the sense that it allows easier cold starting given lower viscosity. But 'better flow in the cold' still means you have cold oil. You want heat in the oil-any oil-to better keep contaminates like fuel, moisture and debris in suspension and not accumulate on bearing surfaces.
One of the worst practices to cause damage in winter is the starting and idling for 10 or 20 minutes then back into the garage. Really helps the moisture content of your oil.
I have found that the best regimen for engine and component life is no driving below 50 ambient and if a lay-up of several weeks or months is needed, rotating the motor by hand to relieve the valve springs and not starting at all is best. Then a spring drain of the oil for fresh and a priming of the system by removing the distributor before cranking.