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Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich plate
Currently building a 84x89 b18c to upgrade from my b16a for more torque and better driveability. My b18c block has no oem oil cooler. My current b16a does, and water temps tend to be hotter than I like (225-230). I am wondering if I should move this over to my new motor or is the extra plumbing, increase in coolant temp and the decrease in oil pressure worth running it? I also run a sandwich plate which I wonder if the extra weight on the cooler also a potential weak point. I’m not planing on adding an external oil cooler in the future, but I’m not against adding it .
re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich plate
They are worth running. Not specifically B series related but I run an H22 oil cooler on an F20B that never came with one(and on a JDM H23A before that). They do help keep oil temps more stable and inline with water temps. It's actually fairly difficult for me to get my oil temps above 210-220F during peak summer time even after back to back WOT pulls or doing some hard canyon driving. Without it they would be 230-240F by the end of my hard driving which caused oil pressure and oil life to suffer. The thing is you need a cooling system that can handle the task of running it. With your current coolant temps it sounds like your cooling system isn't quite up to it. Personally I would run it but I would look at upgrading the cooling system as well if possible. I run a sandwich plate on top of it and it's fine, no issues there.
re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich plate
Originally Posted by Aradin
They are worth running. Not specifically B series related but I run an H22 oil cooler on an F20B that never came with one(and on a JDM H23A before that). They do help keep oil temps more stable and inline with water temps. It's actually fairly difficult for me to get my oil temps above 210-220F during peak summer time even after back to back WOT pulls or doing some hard canyon driving. Without it they would be 230-240F by the end of my hard driving which caused oil pressure and oil life to suffer. The thing is you need a cooling system that can handle the task of running it. With your current coolant temps it sounds like your cooling system isn't quite up to it. Personally I would run it but I would look at upgrading the cooling system as well if possible. I run a sandwich plate on top of it and it's fine, no issues there.
Thanks for the response, I’m glad you have real experience, that makes sense and I forgot as the oil heats up you loose viscosity and thus pressure. Ya I have been wanting to upgrade my cooling but room is a premium, I run the fullrsce half rad in a crx, which I had more coolant capacity also, going to reinstall my heater (now I Iive in Minnesota) to help. Do the oil coolers have a life span? I know oem is discontinued.
re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich plate
I would think that the oil cooler itself is not a wear item and therefore wouldn't have a life span. They should last the life of an engine and then some. The coolant hoses and o-ring are another story. The o-ring should be replaced at minimum when moving it to a new block as they love to leak when they get old.
re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich plate
DO NOT STACK A SANDWICH PLATE WITH THE OIL COOLER. You will break that oil thread from not just the weight, but the vibration as you're driving. This is from first hand experience. If you decide to run an oil cooler, use an Air-To-Air setup, or even a Laminova oil-water setup, if you plan to use a sandwich plate as your oil feed line.
My recommendation is to keep the oil-water cooler, run the oil feed line from the oil sending unit, and run a better radiator and fan to get the water temperatures down. Running an oil-water cooler may increase water temperatures,but only by about 4-5 degrees. The temperatures you're experience are NOT NORMAL, and seem to be focused on a Radiator / fan / air-access issue. Not the oil cooler.
Re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich pla
I can see how stacking them could potentially cause issues under some circumstances. Especially in such cases that involve incorrect installation, applying too much torque to the main bolt, etc. Personally I've had no issues in over 30k miles of hard driving with 70A PU mounts and balance shafts deleted on my personal car. I always take extra care during installation not to over-tighten the bolt and I only tighten my oil filters by hand so that may be another variable there. An aluminum sandwich plate doesn't weigh all that much though. I actually recommend a plate over a brass fitting in the oil sender location on every turbo install that I do. I've seen more than a few brass fittings that crack/snap/leak from fatigue or vibration and I have never once seen a sandwich plate/filter thread fail if installed correctly, even when occasionally stacked. But as always YMMV OP, Shodan's personal experience is certainly valid too.
Re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich pla
Thank you both for your replies!
I too have run the (GReddy) sandwich plate for years without issue, but have heard them breaking, one of the reasons I Initially questiononed it. I did have a brass t snap off from the sending unit with the oem sender on it once, it wasn’t a good time and trying to avoid these events. So definitely going with the oem cooler, the next problem/issue where to plumb the turbo feed and oil sending unit?
i have seen once an adaptor off the oil pump for a turbo feed, the only down fall is the oil isn’t filtered going to the turbo. To run an oil pressure gauge (non oem idiot light) I currently have my vdo sending unit (autometer tupe size) directly into the sandwich plate. Could I just relocate this to the oem spot (with the correct bspt adaptor).
Now I wonder if I should be using a aem 3.5 bar sensor (compact, lighter and more accurate)?
Re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich pla
Found an interesting solution and wanted to see if anyone has some feedback, it seems it’s more refined than your standard brass T. I prob
can remote mount a decent oil pressure switch from this also. ,
Re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich pla
Originally Posted by TheShodan
That's possible as long as you have the right fittings. Beter than stacking plates.
i agree and you can even plug the dummy oil pressure switch with a BSPT plug (included), not to mention the locking but has to help more than the Chinese brass T’s of the past. Time to remove this sandwich stack...
Re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich pla
Originally Posted by Boosted Chemist
i agree and you can even plug the dummy oil pressure switch with a BSPT plug (included), not to mention the locking but has to help more than the Chinese brass T’s of the past. Time to remove this sandwich stack...
sight know about the whole "chinese brass" thing, (I've had the same brass tee since 2002,) but sure, I get your point.
Re: Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich pla
Originally Posted by Balor_Gr
Yeah a chinese Brass TEE broke in my engine too... It was not running when it happened thanks god.
Agsin, how do you know it was a "chinese" brass tee?.. Chinese steel or aluminum, sure, but those factories you all are generalizing aren't know bbn for manufacturing or distributing brass. I think that is more material selection on the wrong tissue, and not that it's cheap brass.
12-20-2018, 10:04 AM
Suggestions/Dilemna: Using the B18C1 Oem oil cooler in addition to a sandwich plate
