OIl Cooler Recommendation
 

I am ready to pull the trigger on an oil cooler in preparation for my next track day at the end of the month. I want to solicit some recommendations.
I was planning on piecing together my own kit built around a Setrab 34 row cooler and a Mocal thermo sandwich plate.
FYI, I live in CO so cooling in the thin, hot summer air is critical. I regularly hit 280+ deg F (limp mode) at the track in 75 deg F ambient. I plan on storing the car in the winter for the most part. The car is a daily driver in the summer and I plan on tracking the car on a regular basis.
My questions are:
Is this setup going to allow me to run the car on the street? Will I get enough heat in the oil (180 deg F)? Is the cooler too big for my application?
How difficult is it to assembly the Aeroquip reusable fittings/hose?
What would be your ideal oil cooler setup?
Thanks in Advance.

You could do that and it will probably work but you can also take all the guesswork out of it and get a pre assembled kit like the stillen race cooler. Getting the premade kit would be my suggestion. Remember if it fails your motor goes with it and that 100 you saved becomes 10k out of pocket.

Putting together your own cooler is very easy...Including building the hoses. Hit the DIY link in my sig for a How-to...

That's a great DIY, I can vouch for it as I've done similar installs on past rigs.

I suggest having a Nissan dealer install your cooler to protect your warranty. If something goes wrong with your motor the extra $700 for installation will be priceless.

I haven't heard of anyone who has found a Nissan dealer to install a cooler AND maintain their warranty if the cooler fails. This was the whole basis for the thousand plus post thread on oil overheating and limp mode. Nissan doesn't offer any oil cooler option that will maintain your warranty. Cool your oil at your own risk.

^What about the Nissan Oil Cooler that they offer now?

25 or 34 row cooler? I want to make sure I don't have to upgrade the cooler down the road but I don't want it to be overkill where I can't get the oil up to temperature on the street.

It's considered a competition part and does not come with a Nissan warranty. This was discussed in another thread when a forum member inquired with his dealer.

I just searched it and it looks like the Nissan Motorsports Oil Cooler is NOT covered under warrenty. I was incorrect on that. Here is the link to the thread though if you are interested. It is a part ordered directly through Nissan.

http://www.the370z.com/engine-drivet...coolers-3.html

On another note, I'm not sure on this either but didn't someone recently say that the 2010 Nismos will come with a oil cooler? Anyone able to confirm this. I'd imagine if they came stock with one then you'd be able to order that and it would be covered under warranty.

You beat me by a minute :D


I see in your sig you have a "sport horn upgrade".

What is that?

You've got the right idea. Just add braided stainless steel hose and the AN fittings and you're good to go. Price is slighty less than the stillen kit, which by the way uses a Setrab cooler; I know because I ordered the their kit.

But think about it, any problems will most likely be attributed to a faulty install. All the kits use Setrab coolers and aeroquip lines which are the best available.

If you install it and screw something up you are out of luck. If my dealer screwed something up they have to fix it.

If you feel comfortable piecing it together yourself, get the biggest core you can fit or run dual cores if you can. Then get a mocal thermic bypass to insure it doesnt get too cold during normal driving and DONT skimp out on the fittings. Many people do that and they end up regretting it later on down the line.

As of right now, nothing is covered under warranty as far as oil coolers go. I've heard of many dealerships honoring the warranty when you use stillen parts, but I really dont believe that applies to oil coolers.

For what it's worth, my dealer assured me that as long as I used a Stillen kit they would honor the warranty. Of course this would not cover a defect in the core or lines. I just wanted to be sure that they would not try to attribute some unrelated engine problem to the oil cooler.

It probably depends on your relationship with your dealer. At least I have some level of assurance that my warranty is safe.