More on oil coolers

Think you for telling us about your new Setrab oil cooler. 

What size engine are you running and what is the model number for the Setrab cooler you install?   I am definitely interested in knowing more about them and if they are as good as advertised. 

Setrab has been the number one supplier of oil coolers and heat exchangers to the professional racing industry since the 1970s and are OEM suppliers to Rolls Royce and Ferrari.  Being lightweight, efficient and very reliable, they offer low pressure drop and are considered to be the best in the business available.

It would be interesting to know if any other members of this forum are using a Setrab cooler. 

Cliff,

I think you'll find that a majority of the folks on here are using Setrab Oil Coolers. They are, IMHO, the best on the market. I've been running one on my car since shortly after I got it. The needle on my car was often well past the halfway mark and was sometimes just left of the last mark before the red zone. After I had it installed with a 180 degree thermo-switch my needle looks like FPCOPO's now. Best investment I ever made.

Robert,

I really appreciate your input.  

My car has a 2110cc engine and I'm all for taking whatever steps are necessary to prolong its life as long as possible.  What is the model number for your Setrab oil cooler?

Cliff

My car also has a 2110. Pat Downs built my engine and advised against a larger engine in a Speedster. He said the 2110 cools best with its 90.5 cylinders.  I also switched to 3.44 X .93 gears which I was advised could possibly cause the engine to run hotter because of lower cooling fan speed but that doesn't seem to be the case.  I did lose some acceleration but it still has enough to suit me. Now at 75 mph it seems to be just cruising. The cooler I used is number FP119M22I.  It is $290 at Pegasus Racing. Check the net, you may find it cheaper elsewhere.  Comes with its own cooling fan which runs pretty quiet. The best thing about this cooler is now the fan cycles instead of staying on all the time like my old one did.

That is wonderful information to know.  

So you too have a 2110cc engine, and Pat Downs built it.  I'll be ordering a new Setrab oil cooler tomorrow and hopefully, this thread and your information will help a few other members of this forum.

Many thanks,

Cliff

Cliff, FYI, I also have a Setrab, but one size up from the one that Frank - @Fpcopo VS - has. My engine is 2024cc (same pistons as 2110, but slightly shorter stroke).

Either size will probably work for you, but the larger one will still fit in the wheel well and I figured if we're going to the trouble of doing this, why not make best use of the available space?

Here in California's central valley, we see temps of 95-100 almost every day in the summer months, but I'm sure you're no stranger to heat in NC, either.

This cooler controls engine heat in any conditions - which the stock VS external cooler (mounted over the transaxle) did not in my case.

Mitch,

I understand that what you are saying is that an extra ounce of prevention can do you no harm.  I appreciate that.

In Charlotte, NC today the temp hit 90 and the humidity was at 84%.  The temp is expected to hit 94 tomorrow.  Hot and muggy, that's the kind of weather we've learned to expect during the summer months here in Dixie. 

Time to sit out on the front porch in the rocking chair with a fan, smell the Magnolia blossoms in bloom and have a few cool Mint Juleps. . . or whatever other drink you might fancy.

Cliff    

Google that part number, I found the cooler on eBay for $238/ free shipping. That's where I got mine. A place called The Car Shop.  Good to deal with.

Cliff, I don't know where your cooler is mounted but if it is in the location where VS puts them I would either tip it down as far away as you can at the top to get it away from the bulkhead and mount it with the fan on the bottom so it will blow the hot air out underneath from the car.  Probably the best way is to mount it in the left wheel house behind the tire where Bruce (Air Cooled) put his. I would have put mine there but my filter is there and I didn't want to move it. Also make sure to put some kind of a rock shield in there. I don't know what your streets are like in NC but Nebraska streets are full of winter gravel about 8 months out of the year.  Search for Bruce's and other articles on coolers, there is a lot of good info on here.  Frank

What @Fpcopo VS said.

We had to move my filter further aft to make room for the cooler in the wheel well, but they both will fit there with some monkeying. And some sort of rock shield needs to be fashioned, too, but that can be a pretty simple plate or even a cleverly designed mounting strut.

This has been discussed at length here, but there's really no good reason to mount the cooler where VS does and lots of reasons not to. I think they put it where they do because it's the easiest place to do so - when you're building a new car and before the transaxle is installed. Once the tranny is in, the cooler is almost inaccessible.

But wait, there's more! Any cooler or radiator is designed to work best with a good flow of air passing over it. You cripple it by enclosing it in a small box, with little airflow - which describes the space where VS mounts it. Worse still, VS has a vent between that space and the engine bay - right in front of the engine fan. So you end up pre-heating most of the engine's cooling air with the external oil cooler.

Many folks with the stock VS setup apparently have no cooling problems, but that wasn't my experience at all, here in 'dry heat' country, either with the VS stock 1915cc engine or the stroker I installed later.

Moving the cooler to the wheel well and switching to a Setrab solved all of those issues.

Cliff Presley - 56 Outlaw - Charlotte NC posted:

Robert,

I really appreciate your input.  

My car has a 2110cc engine and I'm all for taking whatever steps are necessary to prolong its life as long as possible.  What is the model number for your Setrab oil cooler?

Cliff

Just click on the blue Setrab Coolers. It's a link to the part.

Here is a link to my setup:

https://www.speedsterowners.com...8#489946812098078608

I did not install the Setrab in the rear wheel well since my oil filter was going to be there. I had mine installed along the frame rail on the left side of the car. It did require some custom fabrication for the hangers but it was quick and easy. Plenty of air flowing here.