front mounted oil cooler or not?

[blee]

i don't know what you guys think. i've been told that if you track the itr you probably need an external oil cooler because these car run pretty hot and we risk warping the head. i know the car already has an oil cooler but, isn't it mounted by the block. doesn't seem like a lot of cool air would get to it. anyway do you think it's a worth while precaution and how many of you have already done it?

[Trey]

This isn't a normal modification for track day cars but isn't a bad idea at the same time. It isn't really needed but it certainly helps. It is something I would consider if I weren't lazy and poor

[kabob]

The stock ITR oil cooler is fine. The last time I AutoX'ed, I did 6 runs in 80+ degree whether and my temps didn't budge from normal.

[Aj]

The stock ITR oil cooler is fine. The last time I AutoX'ed, I did 6 runs in 80+ degree whether and my temps didn't budge from normal.

Yeah, but 6 runs only lasting a couple minutes at most is nothing compared to three or four 25 minute lapping sessions around a track almost always in vtec throwing the car around long sweeping turns where all the oil sloshes to one side of the motor.

The oil cooler in an ITR stock is a donut style coolant to oil cooler, ant to answer your question, not only is it close to the block, but it's actually bolted to it, and you're right, acomplishes very little.

An oil cooler is a good investment, in addition, you may want to relocate your filter while your at it, to put it in a location making it easier to change, your best bet is to call up like racer wholesale and get like a mocal oil cooler and put the kit togather your self, save a couple hundred bucks that way. It's not something you need for a street car, and it's one more thing that could go wrong, but as long as your careful, it's a worth while investment when it comes to track day.

Good luck,
Aj

[ITR 98 1162]

I kinda like the Jackson Racing oil cooler myself, too bad I don't have the money for it. Does anyone have pics of what the stock oilcooler looks like? I've always wondered but never actually looked for it.

[Aj]

It's the little donut looking thing between the oil filter and the block that has the coolant lined hooked up to it.

I'd think it would be pretty hard to get a camera back there, but it looks just like the sandwich adapter that comes with most oil coolers.

Later,
Aj

[Jan Niemi]

Do not install an oil cooler until:
A. You know more about motor oil
B. You know your baseline oil temperature (Install a gauge!!!)

regular motor oil likes temps below 230 F, synthetics 270 F
If you are not exceeding these temperatures, do not waste your time.
On a hot trackday (dragstrip) my oil temps have never exceeded 210 F
(I run Syntec)
You want to keep your oil temp on par with your coolant temp.

[blee]

hey thanks for all the useful info. yeah i had a feeling that the stock oil cooler doesn't do too much. it's kind of worrying when i go to the track and it's in the 90's (degrees) and we're doing 5 twenty min sessions in vtec. i guess first things first. i got to install some kind of oil temp gauge to see if i am indeed exceeding 270 degrees and then decide if i need one. don't you guys think that at the race track (not dragstrip) that it would be fairly easy to go past 270 degrees when it's over 90 degrees outside? i'm just guessing.

[kabob]

Aj, good points, I hadn't thought of it in terms of long track session on a road course as most people don't race or only AutoX their Type R's. Good discussion

[Aj]

Do not install an oil cooler until:
A. You know more about motor oil
B. You know your baseline oil temperature (Install a gauge!!!)

regular motor oil likes temps below 230 F, synthetics 270 F
If you are not exceeding these temperatures, do not waste your time.
On a hot trackday (dragstrip) my oil temps have never exceeded 210 F
(I run Syntec)
You want to keep your oil temp on par with your coolant temp.

No need for an oil temp gauge, when your on track, you're very unlikely to have the opportunity to look at it any way, further, rule of thumb, the cooler your car is, oil or water, the more power you make, and in the case of track days, the less oil you burn. Also, the drag strip never puts anywhere near the punishment of almost 2 hours of track time. Our track car, which we happen to have an oil temp gauge on, even with a three row oil coller is pushing well into the 3's when we run enduros, and for shorter, like 20 min track sessions, the high 2's low 3's. Either way, it's never a bad thing to have, just make sure you do it right the first time, otherwise it could be a very expensive mistake.

Well, either way, good luck,
Aj

[Jan Niemi]

Keep in mind that both synthetic and hydrocarbon oils need to be above 150 F, here in Michigan, on a cold day my oil temp takes almost 20 minutes of driving to even climb past 150 F. On the other hand, if you know you are exceeding 230 F, cooling the oil will also have the benefit of cooling your coolant. The best way to cool the oil is to run a thermostatically controlled oil cooler (not as exotic as it sounds) they are pretty easy to find.