Mocal oil thermostat mounting

Gunner · #1 (**permalink**) 12-22-2009, 12:18 PM

I started the changeover yesterday, since my TOP expired and I can't drive 707 until January. One line remained the same but I wanted to change out the hose ends (from red/blue to black anodized). The used ends of the hose were as used ends usually are - pinched, braid fraying out, etc.

As I have *never* been able to assemble braided lines without much sweat, blood, cut fingers, and paint-peeling cussing, I was happy to drop $30 on a #10 Koul Tool for this job.

All I can say is that the damn thing is worth its weight in gilded platinum. I had more trouble pulling the old hose collars off than threading the used hose into the new collars. All hail Koul Tools!

Gunner · #2 (**permalink**) 12-25-2009, 04:53 PM

Well, we had a relaxed Xmas and my BIL is coming to visit tomorrow, so I wanted to get the Cobra at least running. An hour or two's work, and the oil thermostat installation is basically done. I need to put the side shroud, splitter, and front beauty bar back on, and start on fabricating a support bracket, but the plumbing is done and I'm really pleased with the result.

...I can't seem to find any way to include a link to one of my gallery photos. It's in my gallery. Lousy photo, hard to shoot a combination of black and shiny, but shows what I did.

The AN-12 hard coupling supports the cooler and will be reinforced with a bracket attached to the oil filter mount. A short straight line returns oil to the Mocal block adapter. Two straight connections couple the cooler lines to the thermostat. Finally, a looping line goes from the Mocal adapter around the front crossmember to the oil filter.

Net, I cut a foot off the cooler lines and replaced two 45* couplers with straight ones. I added about a foot to the block-filter line. The 90* hard coupler and the oil thermostat are the only new additions to the circuit, and both have huge flow. I'd have to do an item-by-item audit but I think I am no worse off in terms of loop length and number of bends than before. By looping the block-filter line around, I gave it a smoother bend and kept it from rubbing on several things. (One cooler line also rubbed on the steering shaft - no more.)

I fired it all up, expecting at least one hose end to blow (I'm just lousy with braided hoses) and at least one or two fitting leaks.

Not a one. Warmed it up for twenty minutes, until the short oil loop lines were hot and the cooler loop still quite cold. No leaks, no signs of problems. Had it so nicely warmed up, and 707 was in part an early Xmas present, so I had to drive around the neighborhood (shh - expired tags!). Parked in the cleaned-up garage... and then noticed the trail of drips up the driveway. Looked under to see a dripping puddle. Oh, no... ah. Slight overfill on the coolant, nothing more. No leaks.

I will post more pics as I get the details of the installation completed, which will include removing that rusting bare-metal filter bracket (!), fabbing a second bracket to support the thermostat and getting both coated.

I think this is a fantastic solution - perhaps a little more complex and bendy than an optimal mounting with all smooth bends and straight connectors, but no worse than the base remote filter/cooler setup. I won't know precisely how it works until I can drive in January, but my starting oil pressure was noticeably higher, and the oil temp came up to 60* in just 20 minutes of idling and a short drive in 50* weather.