Hey guys,
Thinking about installing an oil cooler in my 79 D100. I drive it on long trips at high speeds and in the summer she runs a little hot (about 240 degrees). I have changed the radiator but still starts to run hot after about one hour at 75 MPH and 90 degree or higher ambient temp. I have had some success with oil coolers in other vehicles and was wondering if any of you might know of where an oil cooler kit for a slant six might be available.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Frank

Most oil coolers are custom installs. Setrab makes some of the best coolers. I had a regular tube and fin Hayden on my race car, but the plate type reject heat much more effectively. I don't much care for sandwich type oil cooler adapters as they route oil into the cooler before it's filtered. That leaves you with an adapter on the oil filter mount, hose to a remote oil filter, hose to the oil cooler, hose from the oil cooler back to the adapter on the engine. You can spend $400 easily to do this right.

A cheap die-cast oil filter adapter cost board member emptypockets some serious engine work recently. My understanding is the threads came out of the adapter and all the oil was lost.

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Joshua

If you don't mind sending dirty oil into the cooler this Ford Racing Oil Cooler is probably the cheapest way to effectively get the job done and has everything you need.

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Joshua

Rather than adding plumbing complexity, you could also switch to a synthetic oil. Synthetics are the best for withstanding heat and the use of lower viscosity oil allows higher oil flow for better cooling.

Diplomat cop cars have oil coolers in them. Could be adapted to a slant.

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

I am already running synthetic oil and that did help a little bit. I don't mind sending the dirty oil to the oil cooler since it is a closed system that is filtered and I do change the oil regularly, I don't see how that could harm anything. I will definately check out those ideas you all sent. The one for $129.00 sounds good to me right now but I am curious to see if I can get my hands on the diplomat cop car oil cooler (although I have reservations of putting a used one on my truck).
Thanks for the ideas. Any more suggestions or information would be great. I will let you know how it all works out.

They make an aerasol can for cleaning tranny coolers on a car. The think that is cool is the plate from the cop cars that goes on the block. You can buy a new cooler anywhere tranny or other wise. Any fluid passed throgh will cool.

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

Most transmission coolers do not flow enough to be used as engine oil coolers. Even plate type transmission coolers have small inlet and outlet fittings that are major restrictions.

Those aerosol cans work OK for flushing transmission lines and simple tube tube coolers, but I would not expect to successfully clean a plate type cooler with a 16 oz can of anything.

My objection to running dirty oil through the cooler is that there will always be contamination trapped in the cooler even without an engine failure. Having road racing experience I expect there will be failures. If the oil filer is before the oil cooler and the engine looses a bearing or otherwise contaminates the oil system I might not have to buy a new oil cooler. If the filter is after the cooler there will be trash in the cooler. At $129 though replacing the cooler isn't such a bad deal expense wise. For a race car I probably would not use the hoses in the kit opting instead for Aeroquip type hoses.

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Joshua

There was a kit I got at Summit (Derale I think) that was an oil cooler and a thermostatic sandwich adaptor that goes between the oil filter and pedastal.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Just a word of caution.If you want to get a cooler go to Canton Racing products.They have a complete line of coolers and adaptors.I bought one of their adaptors and the thing is built properly.Don't get a cheap one like Trans adapt,cast aluninum.If you really want to do it spend the money for a good product.I know this first hand. If you go to
flickr.com/photos/emptypockets/ there's a photo of the adaptor I got from Canton,not cheap but done right.

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SOOOOO much money spent and I keep gettin' told that I could have had a V-8

I've used one of these B&M SuperCoolers in a non-car related project. Plate design, 1/2" NPT inlet/outlet in the 1.5" thick versions, and decent prices. They look close to the Canton Racing coolers.