This is itself is good but I'll see if I can search it.

I have gotten a few recommendations for the proper sizing of a stand-alone cooler from a few vendors that has given me an idea of how big one of these should be.

I've also learned that one of the advantages of a water-cooled oil cooler, like that incorporated into our OEM radiators, is that it keeps the oil from getting too cold. This is remedied by using a thermostat controlled by-pass valve that will recirculate the oil back to the engine while it is below a set-point (~195'F), above which the oil will be sent to the cooler.

I am close to making my final decision on this and will post what I decide to buy and how I will do the installation.

 

I'm of the opinion that the oil cooler should be incorporated into the coolant tank like is done on our trucks to aid in cold starts like Christine states. I know a lot of the Police Interceptor vehicles that see higher engine loading also benefit from an external air type cooler also. The transmission can run an external only cooler. This will aid in the longevity of the transmission Everything I've read on them states that the cooler the trans runs the longer it will last because trans fluid breaks down quickly at elevated temps.

 

Update:

So, my initial estimates of installing an extra oil cooler got upwards to $235.00 to $275.00. This system would have a high quality cooler but that would only cost about $50 to $75. It is the thermostatically controlled engine oil bypass valve ($55) and the hoses and fittings (the AN type that can take high pressures) that got the price high.

Although Holley recommended to me a system that was only about $80, I did not like it because the fittings to the cooler itself did not look like they were designed for higher pressure applications. (https://www.holley.com/products/driv...rs/parts/70255) This system would still ideally need a thermostatically controlled by-pass hose and extra fittings for it.



Then I realized, I wonder if I could add to the new radiator an internal cooler like on the OEM ones. This would allow a stock install and perhaps be cheaper. I was able to find such a cooler for about $30 in TX (https://www.thermprocesses.com/produ...oducts_id=2595) but to use it would mean having to cut open the side tank the radiator on the drivers side and have it welded back up again.


It is this last step that has been hard to find someone to do. One of the local (~30 miles away) shops stopped doing such work over a year ago and another shop directed me to a place that does work on the aluminum jet-boats that are built in the area (Lewiston-Clarkston Valley). Unfortunately they are closed today and I will have to call Monday. I then looked in Spokane (90 miles from me) and found a radiator shop that does repair work but not on aluminum. But the guy there suggested contacting a place that does heli-arc welding. The person who answered the phone at the heli-arc place said that they should be able to do the work but could not give me a price.

One of the radiator shops suggested I have Griffin Radiator build me a radiator but when I looked into that, it was $800 at least which is a bit rich for me.

Finally one of the radiator shops asked if the oil cooler was even necessary. (Any thoughts on that??)

So, at the moment, I'm going to have to wait to contact the welder in Lewiston (30 miles from me) and see if the cost would be very high or not. I will also consider installing a smaller version the system I originally specified for myself using a bit smaller cooler and no thermostatically controlled bypass, relying on the larger radiator to compensate for any loss of cooling of the oil.

Whew...

And in case you are interested, here are some pictures I took of my old bad radiator to see how the internal cooler was mounted:

The cooler removed from the radiator. It appears to be made of steel.



Side view showing the feed-through. There is an o-ring on the inside that mates with a smooth flat surface on the inside of the radiator.



The front-facing side of the radiator. The top of the radiator is to the left. I used my Dremel tool to cut away the plastic.