Oil coolers, Oil lines & coolant hoses

GreatOldOne · #1 4th January 2008, 11:48

Whilst I'm waiting for Marlin to come out of hibernation, I may as well get on with some other jobs.

I know that most of you have gone with mocal oil coolers... 13 Row ones if i recalll correctly. Where did you source them, and how long did you make the lines to it?

Also, best place to purchase coolant hoses?

Ta,

Jason

MartinClan · #2 4th January 2008, 12:08

Got mine directly from the manufacturer. This is their URL http://www.thinkauto.com/

Spec as follows:

1 x Mocal oil cooler 13 row x 230mm 5/8bsp male connections
1 x 5/8 id standard black pipe with right angle 5/8 female connector swaged to ONE END ONLY. 1m length
1 x 5/8 id standard black pipe with right angle 5/8 female connector swaged to ONE END ONLY. 1.5m length

I re-used the BMW fittings at the engine end attaching the hose with DOUBLE jubilee clips (belt 'n' braces). I checked the suitability of doing this with thinkauto and they said it was fine.

I think Patrick used a similar arrangement - his pictures are better though!

Robin

GreatOldOne · #3 4th January 2008, 12:20

Thanks Robin.

Patrick · #4 4th January 2008, 13:15

As above, I used 180 degree bends out of the cooler though, pictures:

http://www.msportster.co.uk/detail.asp?cat=7&offset=144

GreatOldOne · #5 4th January 2008, 16:11

Thanks again - just ordered the cooler and lines from think auto. Should have them by Tuesday.

Also had a reply from my email to Terry with my order for my stage 2 bits - looks like she'll try and start to fulfil it once the new factory roof is on and the building is watertight; they can start unpacking then...

It'll be nice to get back in the garage!

GreatOldOne · #6 6th January 2008, 21:19

Ok, I am now officially confused.

I've been trying to piece together what coolant hoses I need to order, and which need to be cobbled together with big bore copper fittings (ala Peter's cunning adaptor to clear his steering column)

I believe that my engine / thermostat / original radiator setup was somewhat different to all of yours.

In most of the pics I've seen, you seem to have a metal pipe that bolts across the front of the engine, which takes coolant from the thermostat down to the lower position inlet on the rad. I don't have one of these.

Looking back at the photos I took when I began dismantling the donor, it shows both the inlet and outlet of the radiator as being on the same side - and I had pipes running to it from the thermostat accordingly.

The top hose seems to be the same as everyone else's (stat to pump) and the header tank fed the lower inlet on the pump.

As I now have the same radiator as you lot, I guess I need to somehow route a pipe across the engine without it being caught or rubbing on rapidly turning pulleys - but I'm not sure how.

Did any of you have a similar layout in the donor? How have you routed your pipes? Or do I have to think about changing the thermostat & pump?

My original rad:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...18&hg=17&fg=05
Header tank
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...21&hg=17&fg=05
Overview:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...68&hg=11&fg=35

I'm guessing this is what yours look like:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...67&hg=11&fg=35

Patrick · #7 6th January 2008, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatOldOne

I'm guessing this is what yours look like:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...67&hg=11&fg=35

Yeah that's it.

Here's my top hose:

This is the other side, instead of using the metal pipe on the front of the M20 I used a single flex pipe from the thermostat down the engine bay to the bottom connection (this has a 180 degrees pipe on it to connect it to the rad:

The connector in the middle of the top pipe (with the return pipe to the header tank) I had made by car builder solutions.

The 180 degree connection:

This is an early pic:

I've not got photos of the engine bay with the pipe in place, but here's a photo with the pipes off:

GreatOldOne · #8 7th January 2008, 07:04

Thanks Patrick - that makes much more sense now. The flexible hose looks like the way to go!

MartinClan · #9 7th January 2008, 12:10

I managed to use standard BMW hoses throughout - I just had to lengthen one of them using length of copper pipe which also took the thermostat for the electric fan. But I think I am using a different radiator - I am using a standard pre-facelift 325 rad. It has a feed for the expansion tank on the top hose fitting.

There are some pictures on the first and second pages of my website.

The advantage of using BMW hoses is that, A. they are cheaper and B. you can buy them at any BMW garage. They don't look so pretty though :-(

Robin

peterux · #10 7th January 2008, 12:50

I took the same route as Robin, trying to use standard hoses since those silicon ones work out at a lot of money. If you don't have the metal 'hose' that goes across the front of the engine, you might get one from a breakers yard or maybe on eBay.
You can see it here....
http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=...7011861&size=o
My header tank take off is a standard part from CBS with a Facet fuel pump elbow stuffed in the top. Seems to work OK.

Patrick · #11 7th January 2008, 12:58

Yeah the silicone stuff was expensive, but pretty

GreatOldOne · #12 7th January 2008, 13:30

The only problem with getting a metal hose is that there are no mounting points for it on the timing case:

As you can see, my water pump has two hose inlets as well. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to change the pump to the newer style, and then sort out an inlet for the header much like you guys have done (I quite like Peter's solution - mainly for the ease of ordering!

). Then I'll get standard BMW hoses for the rest, except for the a long flexible pipe ala Patrick to the lower rad point.

Don't think I'll splash out on silicon for that though - CBS have similar hose but in good ole fasioned black rubber.

On inspecting it all last night, I think I may have to get a new thermostat housing as well - I seem to remember one of the outlets had a plastic nipple pressed into it, and that seems to have gone missing during cleaning. I'm betting that they don't sell those on their own...

GreatOldOne · #13 8th January 2008, 19:40

I picked up a new water pump and thermostat from GSF today:

Only the one inlet on it, as opposed to my old one:

The new thermostat housing had some port holes that need plugging (I only realised this once I got home and hadn't bought the plugs. Luckily, I had some plumbing blanks in my box which fitted.)

The most important bit - the missing spigot!

GreatOldOne · #14 11th January 2008, 10:11

Can anyone remember off the top of their head what the ID of the hose should be from the stat to the bottom of the radiator? I forgot to measure it last night, and was going to order some flexible pipe from CBS...

Also, I've been looking at Peter's pics again (well, they're so good

)

The header feeds into the heater pipes, according to the pics on RealOEM - Is that the case with yours, Pete? If so, I'll have to put a tee piece into my pipe and then run the header feed into it.

I've been wondering about the over flow pipe going back to the header tank. I was thinking that instead of putting a joiner in with the elbow and then running pipe back to the tank, I could just open one of the ports I've blanked off on the stat housing and get a suitable elbow and screw it in there... Can anyone think of any issues doing it that way? It saves the expense of the joiner....

Also, the other blanked off port - I could use that as a rad fan switch point, couldn't I? Or (thinking about it) would it be a bad idea as it's on the 'hot' side of the stat?

Patrick · #15 11th January 2008, 11:40

Sorry don't remember the hose size off the top of my head - regarding the header return I think has to be in the highest point of the system so you can bleed any collected air out of it so I guess as long has it goes up high end it should be OK

peterux · #16 11th January 2008, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatOldOne

Also, I've been looking at Peter's pics again (well, they're so good

)

The header feeds into the heater pipes, according to the pics on RealOEM - Is that the case with yours, Pete? If so, I'll have to put a tee piece into my pipe and then run the header feed into it.?

Yes, that is correct. I used the standard BMW hose and had to cut it for an elbow to get it back to the header tank.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...7011861&size=o

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatOldOne

I've been wondering about the over flow pipe going back to the header tank. I was thinking that instead of putting a joiner in with the elbow and then running pipe back to the tank, I could just open one of the ports I've blanked off on the stat housing and get a suitable elbow and screw it in there... Can anyone think of any issues doing it that way? It saves the expense of the joiner....Also, the other blanked off port - I could use that as a rad fan switch point, couldn't I? Or (thinking about it) would it be a bad idea as it's on the 'hot' side of the stat?

I think the overflow pipe needs to be the radiator side of the thermostat, but your idea might work?
My rad fan switch is mounted in the radiator fins near to the top hose. This was the instructions from the rad fan manufacturer.

On the hose ID, probably best if you measure yours as everyones seem to be slightly different configurations.
cheers

Peter

MartinClan · #17 11th January 2008, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatOldOne

I've been wondering about the over flow pipe going back to the header tank. I was thinking that instead of putting a joiner in with the elbow and then running pipe back to the tank, I could just open one of the ports I've blanked off on the stat housing and get a suitable elbow and screw it in there... Can anyone think of any issues doing it that way? It saves the expense of the joiner....

I would be a bit careful in changing anything in the cooling system "architecture" cooling is frequently the achilles heel of kit cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatOldOne

Also, the other blanked off port - I could use that as a rad fan switch point, couldn't I? Or (thinking about it) would it be a bad idea as it's on the 'hot' side of the stat?

Normally the thermostatic switch is placed in the top radiator hose. There are plenty of adapters about or you can DIY like I did with a length of copper pipe. I think you might have problems regulating the temperature if you put it on the hot side.

Regards

Robin

Patrick · #18 11th January 2008, 13:03

One thing in the 450 miles I've driven. I would get a bigger fan than the 12" that Marlin supply. Once the weather warms up I may get some serious overheating issues. The stainless 6 branch I've got doesn't help and that I have no louvre holes. I'm planning on sticking a second 12" fan on that I've got in the garage and putting some holes in the bonnet above the exhaust manifold so more heat can vent

GreatOldOne · #19 14th January 2008, 10:23

I had a productive weekend - I installed the oil cooler and the new pump.

Had a bit of a moment with the oil lines, as it looked as if the 5/8 hose was too big for the metal pipes from the oil cooler, but the double hose clamps has tightened it up around the metal nicely - no leaks, even after spining the oil pump with a drill to get the oil through the system.

I've measured the OD of the outlet of the stat & the bottom rad inlet. They're both 36mm. Which leaves me with a question - the largest flexible pipe CBS carries is 32mm (and that's the size of their 180 deg bend pipe as well)

Will the hose be sufficiently stretchy to get over the fittings? Or should I find somewhere that stocks 35mm hose?

peterux · #20 14th January 2008, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatOldOne

I've measured the OD of the outlet of the stat & the bottom rad inlet. They're both 36mm. Which leaves me with a question - the largest flexible pipe CBS carries is 32mm (and that's the size of their 180 deg bend pipe as well)

Will the hose be sufficiently stretchy to get over the fittings? Or should I find somewhere that stocks 35mm hose?

Good to see you making progress again.

From my experience, I doubt if the hose will stretch that much.
Merlin motorsport do a Dunlop cooling hose that is 1.5 inches ID which might do? Or you might have to go for that fancy blue stuff after all!
cheers

Peter