Re: cooler!

[bearbvd@domain.elided (Greg Hermann)]

>O.K.,
>So having spent a long summer watching the temp needle sweep past the
>midpoint, and an exasperating winter waiting for the temp needle to
>get to the mid-point, I've been cursing Italian engineers for not
>installing an oil-antifreeze heat exchanger in my 164.  I mean, my
>1985 Porsche had one, you would think by 1991......
>
>Then, while perusing the tech manual, I found reference to just such a
>unit on "S' cars.
>
>Can anyone provide me with prices for installing the components (they
>appear to be minimal), and the logistics of running the heater hose?
>
>Thanks very much!!

If the price of the "S" parts is too impressive, there are nice little
units known as fuel oil heaters which are installed on some heavy trucks
and heavy equipment, particularly when such stuff is specified for
operation in extreme cold climates--they use engine coolant to warm up
their diesel fuel, so as to keep it from gelling.

Believe me, the mfgr's of such equipment are _VERY_ sensitive to not
getting coolant into the diesel fuel, it would raise H*LL with the
injection system, so the heat exchangers they use for this application are
high quality.

I have found appropriate size units at (the right sort of) garage sales for
as little as $5. I am sure they are readily available at heavy truck and
heavy equipment graveyards.

The rest of the job is just a bunch of plumbing.

It's usually best to plumb the oil side of the oil to coolant heat
exchanger directly after the oil filter. Then plumb the oil to an oil to
air cooler, if you are running one, and finally plumb it back to the
engine. Perma-Cool, for one, makes an oil thermostat, pre-set to 180=B0
=46.--available from Summit. Such a stat between the oil to coolant heat X
and the oil to air cooler will bypass the oil to air cooler appropriately
in cold weather. Thus--you get a steady flow of 180=B0 oil to the oil
galleries in the engine, regardless of weather, and quick warm-up of the
engine oil, also regardless of the weather.

If running an oil to coolant HX in series with an oil to air cooler, as
described above, it's best to plumb the coolant side of the oil to coolant
HX just like a heater core--so that it gets supplied the hottest coolant as
is leaves the engine, thus letting it warm up the oil as quickly as
possible.

It is not a good idea to run engine oil any cooler than 180=B0, as one of th=
e
by-products of the combustion in the engine is water, and some of this
water inevitably finds its way into the oil. A 180=B0 oil temp contributes
greatly  to keeping the engine oil dried out.

Regards, Greg
>
>-Steve

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