The Sophia Project

SS_Firehawk

AE Performance Oil Cooler
Package: I bought it from a forum member, was missing the thermostatic plate gasket, power steering cooler lines, and needed a crush washer... No big deal, made our own gasket and all was good...
Installation: I did not install it, but I was with the shop most of the night. They said it was pretty straight forward, but it was huge. Ran into a few snags with the missing components, but it was to no fault of the MFR. It bolted on and fits like an oem piece, albeit a huge one.
Warning: If your CAI moves your windshield washer fluid to the front of the bumper instead of the corner, it may not fit with the oil cooler. I have an AEM CAI and I was unable to install the windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Appearance: Looks like sex! It's subtle, but if anyone knows what they are looking at behind the grille, it's beautiful. It fits perfect and dimensionally, it looks great filling up that space.
Performance: I did not track this part yet. I did take it to Magic Mountain from Las Vegas this weekend. Average speeds fluctuated from 80 to 100 mph. There were a few instances of 130mph. Never did the oil get over 180F. Hill climbs made little difference in temps. When accelerating through a couple gears, the temps would rise, but the oil cooler is so aggressive that as soon as I stopped, temps dropped back down to 160-170F. I'll assume that 160-170F is the normal operating temp with this oil cooler in cool weather (60-70F). Previous temps were 200-220 in same conditions. Without taking it to the track, I can't judge it in that aspect, but I feel confident I would be more worried about my brakes or tires than my oil.
Conclusion: I bought it used for $750. For an oil cooler, it's still steep, but I feel this was money well spent and the difference was so dramatic, I couldn't believe the difference. If the price of this kit is too much ($800 on a huge sale atm), I'm sure the 34row from Z1 will be a great alternative.

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