Anyone know what oil cooling solution the different kits provide when fitted in Exiges ?
I’ve seen laminovas used on the elise Link-up SC Hondas, but with the Exige already having an oil-cooler up front with the lines already there, is this used ?
Is the standard oil cooler up to the job…what’s the best solution here ?
Original oil cooler in mine is plumbed in for the Honda. Runs at about 80c on the road, & up to 120c on track. Fully synth oil eg Silkolene 5-40 is good for up to 150c
Mines a Sinclairs S/C kit and i had the air cooled cooler fitted in the drivers side pod.
Not got a gauge fitted but was told its more than up to the job on the Honda S/C.
They also use a remote oil filter behind the rear drivers side wheel arch linner.
Mines a Sinclairs S/C kit and i had the air cooled cooler fitted in the drivers side pod.
Not got a gauge fitted but was told its more than up to the job on the Honda S/C.
They also use a remote oil filter behind the rear drivers side wheel arch linner.
Seems strange to do this when there’s an existing cooler in place that is probably getting better airflow at the front of the car ??
I think also that it is easier and therefore more cost effective for the fitting companies to use the items that are supplied with either the Honda engine or the Audi unit; this way there is no mis match of joints and no messing arround having couplings made up.
If you are going to do part of it yourself it makes sense in my opinion to utalise the original Exige cooler which is already there and as you say in a good position for air flow.
Interestingly when i did my conversion i had a seperate cooler just for the original charger which was oil fed but was not compatable for engine cooling so i had to purchase an after market oil cooler. I order this over the phone giving clear instructions as to what the capacity of the engine was, and what BHP it was and its intended use (track days etc) When the new cooler arrived it was tiny and so i rung up explaining they had sent me the wrong cooler as i had seen others three or four times the size of the one they sent. The companies answer was that this was not only the right cooler for the job , but if it didn’t cool the oil sufficiently then they would refund my money in full even after it had been used !!
Unfortunately i can’t yet comment on weather it is fully upto the job as the car has not yet been used in anger since the conversion so i will let you know…
I think it is easier to fit another cooler, rather than link up to the existing one. The Edwards Boyz linked mine up a couple of years ago, at the same time as they were installing the remote oil filter gubbins.
Yea, could be Rob… I’ve also read (searched back through some of SeanB’s posts) that perhaps the longer oil lines aren’t so good for the oil pressure ?
And perhaps that the Laminova water to oil coolers have other advantages too as they reduce the warm up time for the car…
Wonder where they fit the Laminovas ? - must be a pic around somewhere…
Con - Steve’s car is a Sinclaire conversion, & that’s not a Laminova, but an air to oil cooler, yes?
Dave - I’ve had no probs with the oil pressure (I have a gauge), using the oem cooler, & neither have any of Edwards’s conversions, which also tend to be fitted with gauges.
What do you know, I just pop on here before bed time and notice this thread
I decided to go for a new oil cooler rather than using the existing one purely on cost. It was more expensive to re-plumb the original with pro-gold hose (~�30 per meter) than to get a complete replacement.
If Rob’s car runs no more than 120 degrees on track and mine’s the same, then performance wise there doesn’t seem much in it. Which to choose is down which you prefer.
The water/oil cooler is more efficient, particually with high ambient air temps, like here. It is also more servicable. It can be cleaned in the event of and engine letting go (unlikely with the Honda ) It is also much lighter. I pulled the existing one out of my Exige, along with the pipes.
The Honda engine in original form uses a small water/oil cooler which sits under the oil filter. We swap that for the larger Mocal one.
With the LinkUp kits the cooler is mounted in the chassis rail in front of the engine.
The water/oil cooler is more efficient, particually with high ambient air temps, like here. It is also more servicable. It can be cleaned in the event of and engine letting go (unlikely with the Honda ) It is also much lighter. I pulled the existing one out of my Exige, along with the pipes.
The Honda engine in original form uses a small water/oil cooler which sits under the oil filter. We swap that for the larger Mocal one.
With the LinkUp kits the cooler is mounted in the chassis rail in front of the engine.
Superb info…Thanks Dave.
Do you have any pics of it mounted in situ ? - also, does that mean the oil pipes to the cooler run back under the engine ?
Dave, Could I ask you a few questions about that Mocal Laminova. Firstly which size is it? They seem to do a few then the price doubles for the really big dual pass one, I’m guessing yours is the full monty one?
What oil temps did you see with it and with out it on track??
The reasons for my questions are I use a simialiar setup, but I have a Setrab laminova and although I haven’t used my audi in anger yet, the Sterab struggled to keep my ‘K’ series oil temps in check.
Now the audi holds a lot more oil and water and I’m only gonna be revving it to 7,800rpm (the K went to 9,300) so I don’t think there will be a problem, but if there is I think I will upgrade to the Mocal laminova that you have.
A fellow LOT racer has one of the large Mocal laminova’s in his K series powered 340R and he says he has no trouble with oil temps.
I can’t use a large oil cooler rad in the front as I have a second rad in the front already for the charge cooler.
Plus am I correct in thinking that you can strip the mocal cooler to clean it?