Ok, I'm currently running a 13 Row oil cooler, but wondering if i really need it, i could save some space and go to a 9 row, or maybe i need more cooling and need to go to a 19 row.... ?

Experiences, opinions, bullshit.. discuss !

I'm leaning towards the 9 row at the moment.....
J

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If it aint broke, don't fix it!

With the higher boost you'll be running, wouldn't it be unwise to reduce the size of your oil cooler? my 2c

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Too many cars, and too little time.

Depends James... how hot is your oil when running flat out? If you don't know that then it will only be a guess as to what you need if anything at all.

I am also contemplating not using an oil cooler at all...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

With my situation (air-con, Rover), there simply isn't any room for an oil cooler of typical size.

This has ruled it out for me.

Ive got a 13 row cooler on my supercharged mini, and it seems more than adequate. Most racing minis run 13 row coolers as well.

Most good factory turbo motors have oil squirters to send a jet of oil up to the underside of the pistons, cooling them to improve life, reduce knock and allow higher combustion pressures. If you were to modify your mini engine to do this, then you would need a bigger cooler to take the heat out. Otherwise, the only way to know is to test it. Block off 4 rows with race tape & see what happens to the oil temp.

I thought general concensus with modern oils is that they're unnecessary for anything other than full race.

Logic would say do nothing without measuring the actual oil temperature after/during a good thrashing. I mean actual temperature too, not what an oil temp gauge says.

When I was using Penrite HPR oils, I found that the gear changes were clunky when cold (on HPR40) and clunky when too hot (on HPR30). Perhaps your gearchange might be able to tell you how the oil is going and if you need to upgrade your oil cooler or not.

You could always do what the continental europeans do in winter and put a piece of card or plastic over the front of their oil coolers to keep the heat in. You could maybe do so for the first third of the cooler to reduce it's efficiency by a third.

My old man had a morris grill on his Cooper S in Holland that closed like a venetion blind in winter to stop the motor from freezing up as badly, other guys used cardboard and drove them around all day like that in the freezing winter.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I have a 13 row on currently and have found that temperature rise of the oil after three laps (either oran or wakefield) results in equivalent rise in water temp. ie , ordinarily both run at 180degF, but when the oil temp goes to 220degF, so does the water.

When used on the road I don't have this problem.

I put it down to the fact the turbo is oil cooled and the full throttle/hard braking heat soak in the engine bay in general is a problem.

Stick a temp gauge in the sump somewhere, you can by NPT adaptors, and check what temp it runs at. Ask the oil company, of the type you use, what they recommend. I don't think 120degC is going to hurt the oil, but it may affect the water temp as described above.

As a note, I use HPR 40 (the 25/70 one), anything else seems too thin for the gearbox and it starts making horrible noises, even when cold. I've been running this since 98 and the gearbox is still together

Cheers

DOZ

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Videos - Turbocharged A-Series on Dyno & at Wakefield
Mafs waz not my strong subgeckt at skkol

on the topic of oil coolers at just jap a shop in my area they have 13 row coolers for $80. they have a large asortment of sizes.
http://www.justjap.com/parts_ncooling.htm

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FOR SALE MInidlx, 1293, GR head, RE-13, GR worked Redline Manifold, 45 mm DCOE,pulsar dizzy , "S" Disc's, Mk II "S" box, 3.65 diff. Minator 10X6's On the loose