oil cooler install, inlet & outlet on the side?

[SA E30]

I've got a quick question I have to install my oil cooler sideways in my car. I just need to ask which would be the inlet and outlet? I tend to want my inlet to be the lower one as I'm I assume that would stop draining back to the motor with a thermostat installed?

Speaking of which I plan to use a Porsche type inline t-stat, yay or nay?

M10 turbo motor btw.

[SA E30]

Bump, with pictures describing what I mentioned







Inlet at the bottom outlet at the top, inline Porsche thermostat.

[GOFASTT]

It a pressurized system- doesn't matter. What is the Porsche t-stat rated at? Also might consider not installing one unless your concerned about not reaching operating temp.

[TOOLEAN]

For reference: the e30 325is oil thermostat opens at 195F, I just installed a slick setup that I found from the boys over at spece30.com, then confirmed the oil cooler at Mid Ohio.

Edit: I would also add a shroud to duct the air in.

[SA E30]

It a pressurized system- doesn't matter. What is the Porsche t-stat rated at? Also might consider not installing one unless your concerned about not reaching operating temp.

I have contemplated not running one, but its a dual duty car. Then again it is a turbo car. So it might be a non issue.

[osborni]

Logic would suggest that the oil should flow bottom to top with no opportunity for air bubbles to form. But as gofastt suggested, it's a pressurized system and people that mount them with the fittings on the bottom don't seam to have issues. Lower mounting would also seam to be a good idea to prevent draining, but again, there are race cars that have the oil cooler mounted above a radiator without issues....

When I first installed mine, I primed it with ~1qt of oil to reduce the amount of air in the system. To do that the fittings need to be on the side or top.

I use a Setrab 625, which is too much cooling for street use (I duct tape 2/3rds of it), but keeps oil temps under 230 for the track. I bought it cheep, but a 612 or 619 would be a better choice.

[SA E30]

I never did think to just duct tape the cooler if it's cooling too much. That would be a simple fix too change too, as I would just need to remove the kidney grill and remove or re install the duct tape. I think I will try that before the porsche thermostat (they come in different temps depending on which model you get it from)

I was actually contemplating getting a larger cooler as this is a discarded differential oil cooler that we didnt' use on our race car, I figured I had it and it had a 1.2lt capacity so it wasn't all that small, but not that big either.