Oil cooler

[Stewart]

I'm thinking about installing an oil cooler next week when I'm home Socal guys if you haven’t already you need to build your ark now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif and I'm wondering what I'm going to need anything beyond the kit and where to mount it. I'm looking at moss's 235-990.

 

[chris roop]

You need the two oil lines, the cooler, the two grommets for where the oil lines pass through the radiator surround, and 4 bolts of appropriate size. My catalog is at home, so I don't know what is contained in that kit. Be sure to not over-tighten.

 

[Alan_Myers]

Hi,

The Moss oil cooler kit may be fine for your car. I have no direct experience with their MGB version.

However, my experience with a Moss kit I bought for my Triumph was not good and I never fitted it.

The oil cooler takeoff/sandwich plate they provided was incorrect (threaded for later TR4/4A, not the early TR4 version I ordered). Could be a simple error, but a hassle none the less. That part doesn't look like it's included in the kit you are considering, probably is sold as a separate, but essential, item.

I opted for stainless steel braided hoses instead of rubber. The hose they provided is good quality, but one is way too short to allow mounting anywhere that makes sense.

The fittings throughout the kit I got are BSP (British pipe thread) and, although this is probably more "correct" for our LBCs, it's not easy to find compatible parts in the U.S. should you need to lengthen or in any way modify the hoses.

The kit's BSP hose fittings are crimped on, not interchangeable without cutting (and shortening) the hose. The BSP fittings on the cooler are also not interchangeable.

And, I wasn't excited by the fact that the crimped hose ends can't swivel, so if used they are quite tough to twist into position and will put a lot of constant torque and strain on the cooler fittings. A solution in my case would have been to add some 90 degree fittings on top of the oil cooler. But figure $25-30 each for two of those, if they can even be found in BSP 1/2" size.

The crimped, non-swivel hose ends might not be a problem with rubber hose, which is a lot more flexible than large diameter stainless braided hoses.

The BSP 1/2" fittings provided on the take-off/sandwich plate *are* interchangeable with any other sort of standard 1/2" NPT adapters.

Another consideration... An oil cooler really should have a thermostat to prevent oil flowing to the cooler until it has reached operating temp. This is both to protect the cooler from higher pressures at startup and to prevent over-cooling, which can be bad for an engine. It doesn't appear a thermostat is included in the Moss kit and it would be tough and/or expensive to find one with BSP fittings to add to the system.

Soooo, what I ended up doing is shelving the Moss kit and buying the individual parts elsewhere. Mocal is the manufacturer of the Moss oil cooler, and it's pretty easily available with fittings more common in the U.S., such as NPT (National pipe thread) or AN (Aeroquip/aircraft). www.racerpartswholesale.com and www.pegasusautoracing.com both carry the line of Mocal coolers. Larger sizes are availble, if wanted, but a ten row cooler is likely fine for your car unless it's raced hard, driven extensively in a very hot climate or has a lot of engine performance modifications.

Parts for hoses can be made up from individual pieces also available at Pegasus or https://www.summitracing.com, and elsewhere. There is a choice of rubber hose or stainless braided. The latter is more expensive, but more durable and burst-proof.

Mocal also now makes a sandwich plate/takeoff that has a built-in thermostat, which is much more expensive initially, but saves extra plumbing and additional cost of a seperate one. That works out cheaper in the long run and less likely to develop a leak due to fewer joints. This thermostat/sandwich plate is supplied without hose adapter fittings, but they are widely available in a choice of sizes.

Whatever route you go, if your car has a cannister-type oil filter, I think you'll need to install a spin-on filter adapter first, then stack a sandwich plate/oil cooler takeoff on top of that. I am not all that familiar with MGB, so maybe some fittings were provided, but the above adapters are necessary on most older LBCs. And, if space is tight, you may need to use a shorter spin-on filter, since the spin-on adapter and oil cooler take-off/sandwich plate together add more than 2" to the overall length.

Typically oil coolers are mounted in front of the radiator, although there are certainly other options. It looks like the Moss kit you are considering might have "through the core" nylon mounts intended to "hang" the cooler on the front of the radiator. That's not my favorite way to mount anything around a radiator (it's often used for aftermarket electric fans, too) and a pain if you ever need to change things out, when you'll need to cut the nylon mounts and find replacments. I fabricated a couple brackets that position the oil cooler about 3 inches in front of the radiator, and mounted the cooler with rubber bushings under it.

There are other possible mounting points, depending upon the car. Hopefully some folks with more experience adding a cooler to an MGB will pipe up and give some specifics. A ten row Mocal cooler is pretty compact and easy to fit into even a crowded engine compartment.

Mocal does recommend some vibration proofing, such as rubber mounting bushings, and reasonable care when handling and mounting the cooler to prevent any cracking or damage.

Price out the individual parts and you'll see the Moss kit appears to be a good value, provided it fits your car well. But, you'll need to allow some extra for a take-off/sandwich plate, and possibly a spin-on filter adapter and a fabricated mounting bracket(s).

Hope this helps!

Alan