Custom Fit Mocal 19 Row Oil Cooler

[Lloyd]

I've just taken the plunge and have bought a new 19 Row Mocal Oil Cooler + JIC fittings.

It's a 235mm wide matrix, 335 overall width including brackets.
147mm high + fittings ~ 75mm H and 90mm width, in whatever direction.

I will be fitting this in the space vacated by the Aux Rad, RIP.

I believe this is a fairly common modification, particularly on the continent. Along the same lines, I thought to ask if anyone might have a drawing I could use for a custom bracket to mount the cooler on the RS2 cross member/slam panel. Hoping some of our continental cousins might be able to help?

If not I will make one up and have some stainless steel brackets fabricated to make it work. Anyone else interested in a set of brackets? I reckon there must be some forum members without Aux Rad's who would like some decent oil cooling...

Thanks for any input!

[willg54]

I'll be doing this soon.

Is it any different mounting it on the standard s2 cross member?

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[Lloyd]

I don't know the differences between the S2 and RS2 cross members

Anyone?

[djh]

top same, bottom the left bracket is further towards the drivers side on rs2 to hold the ic.

[twenty valve]

this is how its done

I gusseted the bracket afterwards though as it was a bit twangy!

[Lloyd]

That's a nice job for fitting a 13 row in the standard location. Good photos too.
I guess you can still use the plastic ducting to channel air to the cooler with this mounting, right?

As nice a job as this is, I can't see how I can fit a 19 row cooler in that location without loosing the undertray and/or the towing eye - neither of which I'm prepared to do.

I think a 13 row is the limit on the stock location, keeping the towing eye and duct, right or wrong?

[europeanme]

I've just taken the plunge and have bought a new 19 Row Mocal Oil Cooler + JIC fittings.

It's a 235mm wide matrix, 335 overall width including brackets.
147mm high + fittings ~ 75mm H and 90mm width, in whatever direction.

I will be fitting this in the space vacated by the Aux Rad, RIP.

I believe this is a fairly common modification, particularly on the continent. Along the same lines, I thought to ask if anyone might have a drawing I could use for a custom bracket to mount the cooler on the RS2 cross member/slam panel. Hoping some of our continental cousins might be able to help?

If not I will make one up and have some stainless steel brackets fabricated to make it work. Anyone else interested in a set of brackets? I reckon there must be some forum members without Aux Rad's who would like some decent oil cooling...

Thanks for any input!

well theres a thing...I will be mounting an oil cooler in the gap that will appear when my aux rad goes....so brackets would be just the ticket....

I personally feel the oil cooler is a little bit safer behind the bonnet than tucked under the car like that....if it hadn't been for a sharp eyed Mr Brian Tonks I would have nearly had my oil cooler empty itself and the engine run dry.... so safer in my view...

if you need anything, let me know...

Mike

[twenty valve]

I think you'd get a 19 row in the stock position to be honest, they're not that much deeper.

The bottom of my 13 row cooler sits about 1.5 inches above the bottom of my inter cooler (which is the lowest point). Its all protected by the under tray of the bumper anyway.

No plastic ducting, can't see the point really. you get plenty of airflow through the bumper vents.

I used 1/2 bsp fittings with aeroquip push on hose and fittings (about £40/£50 for the 4 fittings and 1/2m of hose). You will need adaptors from the oil cooler thermostat to whatever thread you want to use. (the thread in the block is m18x1.5) Few more pics I found...

[macspring]

Slightly off topic, so excuse me, but my S2's and V6's never seem to heat up their respective oil temperatures much on the scales of the gauges, so while I've always seen a lot of upgraded S2s with oil coolers in place of the auxiliary radiator, I've always wondered why they had been fitted ?

Is it a question that if one has an S2 / RS2 upgraded to 550+ bhp, at that point it needs a bigger oil cooler rather than a good condition oem oil cooler ?

Thanks.

[andy10v]

Depends on usage, amount time at WOT etc.

On a chipped 3b my oil temps during normal road use remain stable, some continuous spirited driving will drive it up, track use drives the oil temp up.

I guess a lot of people will upgrade if replacing anything anyway.

[Lloyd]

IME the standard oil cooler is fine for the road, even with 392 PS - although I've seen 120-130 degrees during the odd road blast on very hot summer days. That said, the OEM cooler is not enough for track day driving.

Even doing fairly short 12-15 minute sessions on track, the oil temps rocket to 130 degrees within a couple of laps and need a slow cooler lap or two to bring the temps back down to 90-100 before coming in.

Last month at Spa it was 30 degrees ambient and oil temps managed to go to 150, which was a first for me. This is why even with 10-50 Pro-S I change the oil right after each track day.

I'm hoping that a 19 row cooler will do a much better job of maintaining oil temps!

To put it in perspective, I'm told that a 13 row cooler is what they use in a ordinary road going mini. This mini cooler is also a bit wider than the RS2's, which is just 5 row cooler....

Even if you do not ever go on track, a replacement Audi oil cooler is at best £180-£200. For that money I would rather have ~4/5x the cooling!

[macspring]

Thanks for replies,

easy to see I've never tracked mine.

Will be keeping an eye on the oil temp gauge when the S2 Avant is back on the road.

Thanks again.

[TimE-J]

@twenty valve, were did you manage to find the adaptors for the pipes to fit the block? Also how easy are the unions to fit to the aeroquip pipe?

This seems to me the best way to go now after the OEM cooler gave up.

[Greg_S]

Very nice bracket, much better than my current one I have made. do you want to make another one...?

[twenty valve]

Everything to do the job can be bought through merlin motorsport;

Fittings

http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/OIL-SYSTEMS-Oil-Hose-Unions-Aeroquip-Fir-Tree-Oil-Unions/c162_213_3430/index.html

the adaptors from m18x1.5 to 1/2 BSP

http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p3331/ADAPTOR-1/2BSP-X-M18X1:5-(Male-/-Male)/product_info.html

hose

http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p13648/BLACK-AEROQUIP-PUSH-ON-HOSE-8-(1/2)/product_info.html

Its very difficult to push the hose onto the fittings. What you need to do is hold the fitting in a vice, put the end of the hose in boiling water for 30seconds or so, then push it onto the fitting as quickly as you can!

They're suppose to hold 250 PSI when done properly. The other good thing is, you can still swivel the pipe on the fitting once you've pushed it on (its quite hard but it does move) So you can orientate the pipes exactly how you want when they're on the car.

Although its true that a 13 row cooler is used on minis and MGBs etc, this is only because they are old (cr@p) engines. Newer, better designed and more modern engines are able to run safe oil temperates when being ragged, without an oil cooler all together. 13 row on an I5 is a good size for a road car, considering is over twice the size of stock. 19 row is better for people like lloyd who are doing track days.