Has anyone installed an engine oil cooler? I'm thinking about getting a 24' boat and will need to haul it all over to drop it in lakes and take 2 hour drives to the coast. I figured an engine oil cooler in addition to my tranny oil cooler would be some nice added protection.

I've been looking at the the Perma-Cool remote style kit, which would also let me relocate the oil filter, which honestly could be a little more accessible. http://www.perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page07.html

Any thoughts?

 

Sounds and looks like a great idea. Will help prolong the life of your motor. I would check with your dealer to ensure that it will not void your warranty. I used to tow a 20' bass boat all over SC, when I was in a local Bass club. And during the summer months down here, it gets hot. Also, hopefully your boat trailer will have brakes, either surge or electrical. You never know when some fool will pull out in front of you, happen to me a lot. Good luck on your new boat.

 

Doesn't the tow package already include an oil radiator ?, I think it's located in your bumper.

 

My mistake, that's a transmission oil cooler in the front bumper.

 

There are 2 coolers. I believe 1 is tranny and 1 is engine oil.

 

The Ford web site states that with the tow pkg you get an "Upgraded radiator and auxiliary transmission oil cooler." It does not say anything about an engine oil cooler, so I don't believe the tow package has it. I wish it did! Plus, I'd like to have a transmission oil temp gauge too, and real Stewart Warner gauges, not idiot gauges that only seem to move when you start the truck.

Just daydreaming...

 

The cooler behind the front bumper is a power steering fluid cooler. It is connected directly to the power steering system, you can follow the hoses.

Grim

 

Grim,

I highly doubt that large of a radiator is for the steering pump. Are you driving on a slalom cone course all day long in 90-degree heat? I'm not. In fact, I bet my steering pump is kicked back drinking a beer out on the open road, boat or no boat.

- Justin

 

Grim is right, and beat me to the punch....You have a trans cooler and a power steering cooler (good on Ford for that if nothing else) Your trans and steering have coolers for a reason. They are hydraulic fluid, not oil, which ideally you want to keep as cool as possible within reason. Engine oil is NOT like this. These engines (as with all engines) are designed to perform optimally at certain temps and engine oil has certain charastericts that are better at certain temps. Believe it or not, this is upwards of 200+ degrees. I actually have a real, mechanical, 'engine' oil temp gauge (and I'm pretty positive I'm the only one on the site that does) and I'm here to tell you these engines DO NOT need an engine oil cooler, under ANY working conditions. These engines are pretty efficient when it comes to that department. I have a race car and I have talked to engine builders, other racers, and directly with companies like Mobil, Fluidyne, and various engine companies and they will all tell you ideal oil temp is around 210-215.

Our trucks continuously run right around 100* over outside air temp. So, even on the hottest of summer days you're looking at 200-210 for an oil temp. I used to live in southern California desert and pulling my race car in an enclosed trailer (total weight of around 8,000 lbs) I have never seen and engine oil temp over 220. That's in traffic, through the mountains in summer, anything. Save your money and spend it on something else. Spending the money on an oil cooler for "cool points" would even be worse because these engines run too cool as it is. Look at a 50* day...That's an oil temp of only 150*, and that's on the high side if it even gets that warm. You throw a cooler on there and it will never warm up. I know for a fact that factory recommendations for oil viscosity (and Mobil 1 oil viscosities) are rated at 212*. You do the math from there.

Sorry, don't mean to ramble on but this is something I have researched extensively in the past and you just don't need it. Good luck either way...

Oh yea, there's other post on this if you do some searching...

 

Thanks Galaxy,

I never knew that about engine oil. Always thought cooler was better. I appreciate the education!

 

Follow the hoses, one goes to the tranny and the other to the power steering pump. It takes about 5 minutes under the truck to see where they go!

Grim

 

All a Ford dealer is going to tell you is that an oil cooler will void your warranty unless they install it. In reality, the only way it could void your warranty would be if it failed and caused a loss of oil pressure. I'd install one if you want to and just check for leaks at every oil change.

 

Grim, My apologies. I ASSumed too much.

All snide comments aside, my confusion still stands...

Why do we need a steering fluid cooler? I can't see why towing some extra pounds would make the front tires harder to turn. Unless its just there for all around utility like really making use of the weight carrying capacity, which would obviously make the tires harder to turn, thus heating up the steering pump. But enough to warrant a seperate cooler?

- Justin

 

Honestly, most people don't need one at all. However, as a person who's burned up a couple of power steering pumps, I know one particular instance where they're needed--farm work. Pulling a hay trailer through a field at low speed, often in mud or on soft ground, is brutal on a power steering pump. Backing the trailer up a muddy hill into a barn with a very narrow doorway is bad also. Low speed rock crawling really works the power steering out also! I'm sure the other guys that read the boards can come up with their own examples.



Grim