Oil Thermostat

Ant · #1 (**permalink**) 08-30-2003, 05:34 AM

Oil thermostats, several manufacturers make these to go inline with the oil cooler system, are they worthwhile or unreliable?

Ron61 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-30-2003, 07:23 AM

Ant,

The one that I used seemed quite reliable but talk to Roscoe. He has a really great setup and has been running it long enough to tell you anything that might help you.

Ron

Roscoe · #3 (**permalink**) 08-30-2003, 07:30 AM

I believe it is a Mocal and provided by Canton Racing, Pegasus Auto Racing and Racer Parts Wholesale.

http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com
http://www.racerpartswholesale.com

It opens at 180 degrees. Not good to have the oil too cool.

MOCAL thermostats are designed to prevent engine oil from flowing through the oil cooler until the desired temperature is reached. Prolonged use of engines in conditions that oil cannot reach optimum working temperatures will cause sludge formation and crankcase oil dilution, leading to excessive wear especially in the cylinder bores. Thermostats combat this by regulating oil flow to accelerate warm up. This in turn reduces drag, helping to yield optimum engine efficiency and performance. The proven design and reliability of the MOCAL thermostat make them the choice of automotive and marine racing teams world wide. They are also well suited for industrial and aviation applications..

Roscoe

Ant · #4 (**permalink**) 08-30-2003, 04:57 PM

Ron, Roscoe

Thanks for the information, I have a Mocal 16 row cooler (heaps big enough for SB) so thats great!

I have posted on radiator size for 500bhp SB Ford, you may, or may not have a recommendation on sizing as I don't want to put a big 3 X 1" core, when a 2 X 1" core will do? The guy here also has a 4 row X 14mm core, dont know whether I like small passage ways!

Cheers

SuperHart · #5 (**permalink**) 08-30-2003, 06:54 PM

The thermostat Roscoe shows is very good and absolutely necessary on the street to keep the oil at a minimum temperature. Mocal also makes another nifty unit which is what I am using. It is a sandwich style oil cooler adapter that mounts between the oil filter and the mounting boss on the side of the windsor block. This sandwich adapter has 1/2" NPT female threads for your hose fittings as well as a built-in thermostat. This adapter restricts oil flow to the cooler until the oil temp reaches 180*. I know it works because I run 60 lbs of oil pressure until the thermostat opens. Then the pressure dips to 55 lbs. If you are concerned about oil filter clearance using the adapter plus the standard FL1A oil filter, there is a shorter filter, the FL300 available. The adapter is approximately 1" thick installed.

Ant · #6 (**permalink**) 08-31-2003, 05:24 AM

SuperHart,

Looked at the Earls sandwich style that go between block/filter, I don't think I have enough room (4") so the setup needs to be about 3.5" for clearance!

That idea would be great if I could use it, as I am trying to avoid all the plumbing, and expense, as I will need a main oil gallery block, in place of filter, to take my pipes to a remoter filter, then to the thermostat, then to oil cooler and back to main oil gallery block!

How long approx is the FL300 filter, or what make is that and I can check it out.

SuperHart · #7 (**permalink**) 08-31-2003, 08:29 AM

The numbers FL1A and FL300 are Ford Motorcraft part numbers. The FL300 is a shorter version of the FL1A. Supposedly, if you use the samdwich adapter and a FL300 filter, the overall length of that assembly approximates the length of the FL1A filter alone. I would imagine that any auto parts store carrying Ford Motorcraft filters would be able to obtain measurements for you.

The setup I use is quite simple. From the sandwich adapter I used 1/2NPT to -10 hose adapters. I needed one 90* adapter and one 45* adapter. The reason for this is there isn't enough room to be able to use two 90* adapters and still be able to screw them into the adapter. I then ran -10 braided steel hose to the Mocal oil cooler up front. Works like a charm. See the photos below:

<center><img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/superhart/cobra05-26-01d.jpg" ></center><P>
<center><img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/superhart/cobra06-21-01d.jpg" ></center><P>

SuperHart · #8 (**permalink**) 08-31-2003, 08:37 AM

By the way, I forgot something. If you have clearance problems to the side of your motor but you are running an electric fuel pump in place of the mechanical one shown in my photos, Ford makes an adapter that turns the filter towards the front of the motor and also has the 1/2NPT female fittings for the oil cooler lines. This adapter will not work if you are using a mechanical fuel pump. This adapter also does not have a built-in thermostat but something tells me that Mocal makes a thermostat unit that will install into the bypass valve housing in these and other adapters. If you can use one of these adapters that should solve your filter clearance problems. I see these units all the time on eBay for sale.

Cheers.