Is an oil cooler absolutely necessary to install on a stock 4.9? The oil capacity w/o oil cooler is about 4.5 quarts. Does anybody with an Ed Parks set-up run an oil cooler?

to me, if you drive it hard, an oil cooler is necessary. and thats for ANY car, not just a 4.9 Fiero. I would expect if you just do the occaisonal hard launches, no, you dont need one.

I would say yes it is. The theory goes like this, in an engin with an iron block, the block absorbs and much of the heat that the oil is carring. However, an aluminum block will disapate heat much faster than oil can, so as a result, the oil has to carry most of the heat and has no way to disipate it. When I did my first 4.9 car I ran it without a cooler, and when the engin hit peak temps, my oil presure was way lower than it should have been. After I installed a cooler, the problem went away. Cooler oil maintanes viscosity, and there for lubes the engin better.
Just my $.02.

------------------
Don Hites
88 GT, Getrag 5spd, 4.9 v8 with a Delta cam and other heavy mods.
88 Coupe 5spd Duke
(now under restoration)

quote Originally posted by HitesFiero: I would say yes it is. The theory goes like this, in an engin with an iron block, the block absorbs and much of the heat that the oil is carring. However, an aluminum block will disapate heat much faster than oil can, so as a result, the oil has to carry most of the heat and has no way to disipate it. When I did my first 4.9 car I ran it without a cooler, and when the engin hit peak temps, my oil presure was way lower than it should have been. After I installed a cooler, the problem went away. Cooler oil maintanes viscosity, and there for lubes the engin better. Just my $.02.

hmm...I was thinking it wouldnt need one as much as an iron block for the exact same reason, alum disapates heat better.

quote hmm...I was thinking it wouldnt need one as much as an iron block for the exact same reason, alum disapates heat better.

Yes, but, all the heat that the aluminum shrugs off will go into the oil. The oil needs some kind of exteral system to disipate the heat.

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Don Hites
88 GT, Getrag 5spd, 4.9 v8 with a Delta cam and other heavy mods.
88 Coupe 5spd Duke
(now under restoration)

quote Originally posted by HitesFiero: Yes, but, all the heat that the aluminum shrugs off will go into the oil. The oil needs some kind of exteral system to disipate the heat.

ok, I see, the heat not only disapates out to the engine bay, but also in, to the oil

I look at it this way. They designed it from the factory with the oil cooler and they have a lot more Smarts and research $$$ then I do. I will be running one on my 4.9 swap

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4.9 Caddy in Garage! Car in Driveway! ACK!

****************************************
http://home.cfl.rr.com/fierose
Central Florida Fieros
http://www.centralfloridafieros.org

Proud Member and founder of the DOWN SOUTH SUNNY WINTER PICK ON SNOW PEOPLE COALITION!

I'm also just getting to this point in the planning process for a 4.9 swap. Where have or are people mounting the oil cooler. Is it the OEM cooler or an another type. Is a fan being used with the cooler?

I bought one from jeggs or summit. You could just get one from the junkyard, and it would do the same. I mounted mine in front of the cradle, below the exhaust manifolds. It gets cold air from the road flowing through it.

Has anybody monitored oil temperatures? That's pretty easy to do and would give you a definitive answer.

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Doug Chase
Chase Race
Custom roll cage and exhaust fabrication

[edit - spelling]

[This message has been edited by Doug Chase (edited 11-17-2004).]

Your oil temperatures will closely follow your water temperature. The oil actually transfers it's heat (primarily) to the inner block walls which in turn transfers it to the water. If you have high oil temperatures, you're going to have high water temps and vice versa.

To answer the question, we don't have one on the Finale and never have had. Our temps (as long as there's no air in the system) stay very cool. About at the 1/4 mark on the temperature gauge. The engine is even more intolerant to air pockets than the 2.8, though, and you have to get and keep the air out of it.

I don't use one, and we drive the car hard. Autocross, track day, drags, no difference in the temps. Ed Parks doesn't use one in his conversions either.

John Stricker

I removed mine because it caused more of a problem then it was worth having I use synthetic oil... That's my oil cooler.

My 4.9 was installed by Ed Parks, and the oil cooler was left off. My temps are cool as a cucumber; Ed says the cooler is unnecessary because of the light weight of the car, as opposed to dragging around a Caddy body. I run full synthetic in mine.

------------------
Ed Parks 4.9 '88 Formula
Proud member of the Lightbar Fraternity

"He who does not oppose evil, commands that it be done!" ----Leonardo da Vinci

quote Originally posted by 5000S: Is an oil cooler absolutely necessary to install on a stock 4.9?

I was not going to reply since the last time I looked at this thread it seamed to be on track with, Yes you need one. Maybe not for tommarow or the next day.....I am not trying to disrespect anyone who did not use one. I am also not going to try and sound like I know all the details as to why and what will happen if you don't have one. But it comes on the engine, with far less than $100.00 it will be in and done and when done there is no reason it should need maintance to keep it up.

Again I mean no disrespect but leaving off an oil cooler is either IMO a bad desision to cut a few dollars or not wanting to bother to do it. Please don't justify you left it off because its not needed.

Pete

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Like every one else we all differ in our opinions but it is your call to make I have this on mine just safe insurance a 300 ZX cooler .

[This message has been edited by Master Tuner Akimoto (edited 11-18-2004).]

Here is a Picture of Jeff's that we installed. Fits nicely behind the stock Fiero Air Filter Bucket

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4.9 Caddy in Garage! Car in Driveway! ACK!

****************************************
http://home.cfl.rr.com/fierose
Central Florida Fieros
http://www.centralfloridafieros.org

Proud Member and founder of the DOWN SOUTH SUNNY WINTER PICK ON SNOW PEOPLE COALITION!

Pete,

Also no disrespect meant here, but there's a very good reason not to use an oil cooler on the Fiero. Every connection in the oil system has the potential to be a leak. Look at the mid '90's GM Trucks with the oil cooler in the radiator. How many of those $20 fittings have been replaced? And that's using hard lines. We have one member that has blown a line and a blown oil coooler line is very easy way to destroy an engine.

Now all of the above might be an acceptable risk IF there was a good place to mount the oil cooler in the Fiero where it had adequate airflow. While we call them "radiators", they really aren't. They are heat exchangers. So it is with the oil coolers you're talking about for an installed price of $100. You're also not going to make that $100 if you use OEM quality hoses and fittings, that is, High Pressure, as Cadillac used. You can do it for $100 if you use regular barb fittings and hose clamps, but not if you make it OEM quality. In order to make an oil cooler work properly, it needs copious quantities of airflow. Where do you get that airflow in the Fiero? Was it an accident the engineers put the radiator and a/c condensor at the front of the car and ran 20' of lines? Of course not. They did it because that's the ONLY place where there's sufficient airflow to make the system work. If you read the instructions that came with the aftermarket cooler it's going to tell you that it needs to be placed in an area with unobstructed airflow. Unless you want to run 20' of line like GM did, you don't have that in the Fiero.

The bottom line is that to use one is risking a potential failure of hoses and fittings. Generally, the hoses and fittings used on these is nowhere near OEM quality so the risk is even higher. You can't find an unobstructed source of air at the rear of the Fiero to really make the cooler work properly so it's effectiveness is very limited. I didn't leave ours off because of saving $100. That's a moot point in the Finale by now. I left it off because the risks outweighed the benefits.

Doug makes the best point, if you're concerned about it, it's relatively easy to monitor oil temperatures. I'm not concerned about it as cool as our car runs, so I don't have it monitored, but that really would be the best way to deal with the issue if you have any questions in your mind.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by PBJ: I was not going to reply since the last time I looked at this thread it seamed to be on track with, Yes you need one. Maybe not for tommarow or the next day.....I am not trying to disrespect anyone who did not use one. I am also not going to try and sound like I know all the details as to why and what will happen if you don't have one. But it comes on the engine, with far less than $100.00 it will be in and done and when done there is no reason it should need maintance to keep it up. Again I mean no disrespect but leaving off an oil cooler is either IMO a bad desision to cut a few dollars or not wanting to bother to do it. Please don't justify you left it off because its not needed. Pete

I'd say John's reasoning is sound; in both of the pics showing the oil coolers, (ain't this a great discussion? ) I see the same problem, no viable air flow, and (again, no disrespect intended) the thought of one hanging in the slipstream (beneath the car, right?) in front of the cat gives me the willies; too many opportunities for damage by road debris and a flash fire when that hot oil hits the cat; I have no desire to turn my car into a George Foreman grill, with me as the grillee. That being said, I myself prefer the extra thermal insurance an oil cooler offers, and I have retained the stock oil cooler, hoses, and hardware, and I do have plans to reinstall them once I get some side scoops installed, so I will have a place to mount it away from the cat, road debris, and with a source of cool air.
(Edit - in looking at the pics again, I see I may be incorrect about the airflow issue. The pics don't show depth perception, on both installs am I correct in assuming that the air flows out of the cooler thru the decklid grilles?)
------------------
Ed Parks 4.9 '88 Formula
Proud member of the Lightbar Fraternity

"He who does not oppose evil, commands that it be done!" ----Leonardo da Vinci

[This message has been edited by Vonov (edited 11-18-2004).]

quote Originally posted by Vonov: (Edit - in looking at the pics again, I see I may be incorrect about the airflow issue. The pics don't show depth perception, on both installs am I correct in assuming that the air flows out of the cooler thru the decklid grilles?)

Yes, you are correct, the flow is thru the cooler and then out the decklid grill.

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4.9 Caddy in Garage! Car in Driveway! ACK!

****************************************
http://home.cfl.rr.com/fierose
Central Florida Fieros
http://www.centralfloridafieros.org

Proud Member and founder of the DOWN SOUTH SUNNY WINTER PICK ON SNOW PEOPLE COALITION!

quote Originally posted by jstricker: Pete, Also no disrespect meant here, but there's a very good reason not to use an oil cooler on the Fiero. Every connection in the oil system has the potential to be a leak. Look at the mid '90's GM Trucks with the oil cooler in the radiator. How many of those $20 fittings have been replaced? And that's using hard lines. We have one member that has blown a line and a blown oil coooler line is very easy way to destroy an engine. Now all of the above might be an acceptable risk IF there was a good place to mount the oil cooler in the Fiero where it had adequate airflow. While we call them "radiators", they really aren't. They are heat exchangers. So it is with the oil coolers you're talking about for an installed price of $100. You're also not going to make that $100 if you use OEM quality hoses and fittings, that is, High Pressure, as Cadillac used. You can do it for $100 if you use regular barb fittings and hose clamps, but not if you make it OEM quality. In order to make an oil cooler work properly, it needs copious quantities of airflow. Where do you get that airflow in the Fiero? Was it an accident the engineers put the radiator and a/c condensor at the front of the car and ran 20' of lines? Of course not. They did it because that's the ONLY place where there's sufficient airflow to make the system work. If you read the instructions that came with the aftermarket cooler it's going to tell you that it needs to be placed in an area with unobstructed airflow. Unless you want to run 20' of line like GM did, you don't have that in the Fiero. The bottom line is that to use one is risking a potential failure of hoses and fittings. Generally, the hoses and fittings used on these is nowhere near OEM quality so the risk is even higher. You can't find an unobstructed source of air at the rear of the Fiero to really make the cooler work properly so it's effectiveness is very limited. I didn't leave ours off because of saving $100. That's a moot point in the Finale by now. I left it off because the risks outweighed the benefits. John Stricker

The problem with the trucks, is just that, hard mounted lines - not much room for the lines to give when the engine moves. Anything that connects to the motor and is mounted to the frame needs some sort of flex due to the movement of the engine, hence the leaks. This problem is eliminated using a flexable hose inline.

As for getting 'OEM' hoses for the 4.9 - this is simple. I simply took the filter housing/cooler into a shop that makes up hoses and told then I needed to connect the 2. They made me up a set of hoses with ends on that let me 'bolt' the 2 together (no clamps). They only charged me $30 (Canadian) and the fittings and hose that they ended up using are rated at 3000 psi. I also mounted the the cooler to the front of the cradle (I am also using 2 front Seville manifolds with my y-pipe located where the stock Fiero alternator would sit (as per Rockcrawl)). The cooler is above the lowest portion of the car so it should be protected from road debris (I normally don't drive over things) . However, if mounted on the front of the car (as usually is), it's more easily damaged from road debris. Up front it is exposed to all debris that is kicked up from a vehicle infront of you - so the damage issue is mute.

In the future I may move the cooler in behind the body panel where the air intake is located and install some Stage 2 side scoops - so there should be enough air flow there

Note: when I bought the oil cooler I had a choice of buying one that had clamp on hoses or one with fittings. And the cooler costed me approx $120 (Canadian) - the clamp on was cheaper.

I am not saying if you should run it or not - that is up to you, I just wanted to point out an alternative to clamp on hoses. I installed the cooler as this is originally the way GM had designed it, and it was put there for some reason which may not be too obvious at the moment.

Tim

[This message has been edited by Mickey_Moose (edited 11-18-2004).]

quote Originally posted by PBJ: Again I mean no disrespect but leaving off an oil cooler is either IMO a bad desision to cut a few dollars or not wanting to bother to do it. Please don't justify you left it off because its not needed.

And meaning no due respect to you, without monitoring oil temperature you can't say that it is needed. Just because GM installed one, probably as a "just in case" in a car that weighs 50% more than the Fiero doesn't mean that this motor absolutely needs one in a Fiero as well. You have to monitor oil temp to determine if it's needed or not. If the oil temp always mirrors the water temp, then you simply don't need a cooler.

I'm also sad to say to MTA and Kento that your oil coolers are doing very little good where they are. Here's how I know.

I was having oil temperature problems on my race car (300+ degrees). I installed an oil cooler in that same location. Mine was about twice that size and it was an aftermarket unit. At the next race I was disappointed to find out that it made almost no difference. I threw a fan on it and with the fan running constantly it brought max oil temp down 30 - 40 degrees.

------------------
Doug Chase
Chase Race
Custom roll cage and exhaust fabrication

I pose this question out of pure curiosity. For all you guys who didn't use a cooler, did you use some sort of loop on the filter housing, or did you remove the bypass valve?

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Don Hites
88 GT
88 Coupe 4.9 V8

I have oil coolers laying around now, I took mine off for a very good reason..... In the archives on this forum there's a post of what happened to me because of the oil cooler lines..... I would say it would be ok to use if ppl are using true dual exhaust, But with that crossover, It's bad news in my opinion. My oil cooler almost cost me my engine

Infact when I removed the oil cooler my oil pressure improved greatly... My car used to go down to 5 pounds when it was hot out, Now it doesn't go below 15 pounds since I lost the oil cooler... I also had mine mounted under the grill behind the cold air intake thingy on the fiero For some reason it did not get sufficent air because fo the crossover maybe... I have no clue. I was going to reinstall one but after the results I left it off.

It's like when I lost it it took a heep of stress off my oil pump. I also use synthetic mobil 1
Im not telling ppl to not use it... Im just giving a reason why im not using one anymore. I can very well afford a oil cooler and another note for ppl using a oil cooler try to direct the lines as far away from any crossover ect in the exhaust system. If you do go with a oil cooler.

And HitesFiero I just looped mine.

Here's the archive what happened to me because of the oil cooler
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/045188.html

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[This message has been edited by 86fieroEarl (edited 11-18-2004).]

I would expect with the battery relocated up front, and side scoops on both sides, and oil cooler where the battery used to be would work out great, gets airflow and avoids the exhaust

My oil cooler is located where air does flow through it, and it is getting the coldest air possible. Many people are using it in front of the cradle. It is secured by two metal bars to the cradle, and then another bar to the firewall. It will not go anywhere, unless I run over a huge boulder, or log in which case, the least of my worries are that oil will be leaking!

I did have one small leak when I first installed it. I had to cut the stock metal oil lines, and slip on rubber hose. One of these metal lines takes a hard turn, and it was hard to get a good seal with hose clamps. I may have lost 1/2 quart over a month. I bought another one of the straighter metal line, and have had no leaking since. double hose clamps everywhere.

I see it as a way to cool the oil, therefore cooling the engine, and making the oil last longer. If GM spent money to design, and add them to the cost, they must be of some use. Just my .02

quote Originally posted by Doug Chase: I'm also sad to say to MTA and Kento that your oil coolers are doing very little good where they are. Here's how I know. I was having oil temperature problems on my race car (300+ degrees). I installed an oil cooler in that same location. Mine was about twice that size and it was an aftermarket unit. At the next race I was disappointed to find out that it made almost no difference. I threw a fan on it and with the fan running constantly it brought max oil temp down 30 - 40 degrees.

My temp is always monitored and never reacherd more than 235 deg even after drags
or spirited highway driving and I am running a fully modified race motor .

[This message has been edited by Master Tuner Akimoto (edited 11-18-2004).]

Oil temp usually runs 20 - 40 degrees hotter than coolant temp. Usually. My N* the oil temps were alot higher yet the engine coolant temp was normal. I did verify the oil temp with thermistors. I added a marine oil cooler to the water line. This dropped oil temp and raised the oil pressure.

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Signature courtesy of MinnGreen.

GREAT discussion...anybody else?

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Ed Parks 4.9 '88 Formula
Proud member of the Lightbar Fraternity

"He who does not oppose evil, commands that it be done!" ----Leonardo da Vinci

I was running a cooler. (a few weeks ago, i lost an oil line
so no more cooler for now)
This is my oppinion: GM spent some money to see if this
motor needed an oil cooler, they didn't put one on just
beacause it looks pretty.
The argument that the Caddys weight 4500+Lbs and our
Fiero's only weight 2900lbs therefore the 4.9 is working a lot less
and we don't need a cooler in the Fiero, I don't agree with.
The 4.9 in the Caddy is getting a lot of airflow (dissipating heat),
In the Fiero that is not the case.
Now that i'm not running a cooler, my oil pressure has gone up
by about 10-12 PSI But that oil gets hotter a lot, (I repeat) a lot
quicker and the oil pressure drops alot sooner. ( even though
it is alot cooler temps outside, than when i was running a cooler)
this is telling me that my motor misses the oil cooler
I will be putting my cooler back on.

Ed

The GM Trucks do have rubber flex hose in them. My mention of the hard lines is where they connect to the oil filter adapter. They go on with those funky plastic clamps in an o-ring type fitting. They leak often and the o-ring is part of the fitting so you have to buy a new fitting to replace the o-ring. (no, you can't get it out, it's glued in there).

It sounds to me like a shop that put the GM ends on that screw into the adapter, into high pressure hose, then to (most likely) AN fittings for $30 gave you a hell of a deal, if that's what was done. Most likely they used compression fittings at some point, but without seeing your setup I can't really tell you.

The cooler mounted ANYWHERE under the cradle in the engine bay will have very limited airflow. Read Doug's post again if you doubt that. For a heat exchanger to work properly, a HUGE volume of air has to flow through it and that just isn't there in the engine bay. If you mount it low enough that it does get flow through it, it's much more susceptible to damage than in the front where it can be mounted higher. Since you're already thinking about moving it over on the passenger side wheel well area, I'd say that's about as good a location as you can get on the Fiero if you use some type of scoop to duct as much air in there as you possibly can.

It would be very interesting to put a temp gauge on the oil inlet and then outlet of your setup to see how much temp differential there is. Without adequate airflow, I'd guess not much.

I put an aftermarket transmission oil cooler on my service truck trying to help the 700R4 last. I mounted it between the a/c condensor and the radiator. When I used my infrared thermometer on it (with the a/c off, so the condensor wasn't doing any heating) the temperature drop was only 10°F. By moving it to the front of the a/c condensor, the temp drop was 40°F. This cooler is about identical to the ones that are used on the Fiero for engine oil cooler and demonstrates how critical airflow is to their proper functioning. Again, these are not radiators or heat sinks, they are HEAT EXCHANGERS.

To give you an idea of the difference in design, a lot of cars now have heat sinks mounted on their power steering (including Cadillac). Take a look at one and see how it's made. Fairly large fin area with a LOT of space between the fins. Those are made to dissipate the heat into the air, even stationary. Oil coolers and "radiators" are made to exchange heat to a large volume of moving air through them.

John Stricker

PS: someone mentioned using a marine type oil to water heat exchanger and using coolant. That would be a much better solution IMHO and if I thought I had a problem with this, is probably the way I'd go as opposed to running lines to the front of the car.

quote Originally posted by Mickey_Moose: The problem with the trucks, is just that, hard mounted lines - not much room for the lines to give when the engine moves. Anything that connects to the motor and is mounted to the frame needs some sort of flex due to the movement of the engine, hence the leaks. This problem is eliminated using a flexable hose inline. As for getting 'OEM' hoses for the 4.9 - this is simple. I simply took the filter housing/cooler into a shop that makes up hoses and told then I needed to connect the 2. They made me up a set of hoses with ends on that let me 'bolt' the 2 together (no clamps). They only charged me $30 (Canadian) and the fittings and hose that they ended up using are rated at 3000 psi. I also mounted the the cooler to the front of the cradle (I am also using 2 front Seville manifolds with my y-pipe located where the stock Fiero alternator would sit (as per Rockcrawl)). The cooler is above the lowest portion of the car so it should be protected from road debris (I normally don't drive over things) . However, if mounted on the front of the car (as usually is), it's more easily damaged from road debris. Up front it is exposed to all debris that is kicked up from a vehicle infront of you - so the damage issue is mute. In the future I may move the cooler in behind the body panel where the air intake is located and install some Stage 2 side scoops - so there should be enough air flow there Note: when I bought the oil cooler I had a choice of buying one that had clamp on hoses or one with fittings. And the cooler costed me approx $120 (Canadian) - the clamp on was cheaper. I am not saying if you should run it or not - that is up to you, I just wanted to point out an alternative to clamp on hoses. I installed the cooler as this is originally the way GM had designed it, and it was put there for some reason which may not be too obvious at the moment. Tim

quote Originally posted by jstricker: Since you're already thinking about moving it over on the passenger side wheel well area, I'd say that's about as good a location as you can get on the Fiero if you use some type of scoop to duct as much air in there as you possibly can.

Pete put mine on the driver's side and it gets a lot of air.

From personal experience You absolutely need an oil cooler. I lost a 4.9 to a too small of an oil cooler and a very hot day. Oil pressure dropped to zero and brand new bearing were gone before I could stop the car. So if you don't think you need an oil cooler you run the risk of having the same failure. I now have an oil cooler out of a Volvo 740, it is a wedge shaped unit that fits in my passenger side scoop. Since I installed it my oil pressure has remained above 20 psi at idle.

Joe Sokol

------------------
85 SE 2.8 - beater coupe-
86 SE 3.4 -in progress 3800 II SC -
88 Formula GT 4.9 5 speed beast
Enough parts outside for another one
-And a 3.4 push rod for sale in the mall Go and look-

No compression fittings were used, they have a tool that makes the GM o-ring type flare end and crimped on a hydraulic end that would work and installed the flare on the end. A female end was crimped onto the hose for the oil cooler side as well. I used the hose that came with the oil cooler kit and they just added the ends (the kit used clamped on ends). I will see if I have a picture handy of the hoses before they were installed and post it.

**edited for clarity and to add:

I actually paid a bit more for the hoses, the original price was $30, but I screwed up and made the hose too short, but at least I could salvage one of them and only had to have another made up.

Looks like my cd with the pictures on is packed up and probably out in storage, so I will be a bit late in posting a picture of the hoses. Will have to wait till they get unpacked.

Tim

Note to self: do not use the computer when the elevator is not going to the top

[This message has been edited by Mickey_Moose (edited 11-19-2004).]

Tim,

You don't need to scan a receipt, I believe you. I'm just envious that you got the hoses done professionally that cheap, you rotten dirty SOB.

All that aside, you got a good deal on your hoses but you did it right which is really the only way to do this if you're going to use an engine oil cooler. If you blow a line on the transmission, you lose your fluid and the car stops. You fix the line and go again. You blow a line on your engine oil cooler and you dump 5 quarts in a heartbeat and, if you're on the highway at the time, most likely trash an engine. There are some things that you can save a few $$$ one, there are some you can't. This is one you shouldn't.

I saw a tool, somewhere, that put a bead on tubing like heater hose tubing ends and radiator hose tubing ends. I've been looking for it for at least two years and I can't find it. I'd love to have one that put the proper bead on 3/8" and 5/16" tubing for fuel, transmission cooler, etc. lines. If anyone has a link to them let me know.

I'm not going to tell people not to use them. *I* don't think they're necessary for the reasons I stated. Our car runs so cool on water temp I can't imagine any benefit at all in adding an oil cooler, but to each his/her own.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by Mickey_Moose: No compression fittings were used, they have a tool that makes the GM o-ring type flare end and clamped in on over the end of the hose and found an end that would fit the fitting on the oil cooler and clamped it onto the other end (if that makes any sense). I will see if I have a picture handy of the hoses before they were installed and post it (I can also post a scan of my invoice as well to show how much I paid if you like - granted I already had the hoses). Tim

John,

In my quest to try and fine a tool that would do this job I found this site: http://www.mastercool.com/m54.html And another one you can check: http://www.inlinetube.com/tools.htm

I had a link to a company that also made up custom hoses as well with this fitting, but seems I did not keep the bookmark

I would have bought the tool myself, but I found a shop (finally) that could do it for me. Although this one does not do the size needed for the oil cooler, it will do the fuel lines. Once I am done with our move, and I get the car back in town here with me I will be pulling the fuel lines off and having them make me up a set of these as well. Currently I just have compression fittings on the fuel lines.

Hope that helps,
Tim

[This message has been edited by Mickey_Moose (edited 11-19-2004).]

Oil pressure suddenly dropping to zero while you were on the highway was not caused by an oil cooler unless you blew a line or sprung a leak on the cooler. Something else happened.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by Fieroking: From personal experience You absolutely need an oil cooler. I lost a 4.9 to a too small of an oil cooler and a very hot day. Oil pressure dropped to zero and brand new bearing were gone before I could stop the car. So if you don't think you need an oil cooler you run the risk of having the same failure. I now have an oil cooler out of a Volvo 740, it is a wedge shaped unit that fits in my passenger side scoop. Since I installed it my oil pressure has remained above 20 psi at idle. Joe Sokol

quote Originally posted by Master Tuner Akimoto: Like every one else we all differ in our opinions but it is your call to make I have this on mine just safe insurance a 300 ZX cooler

I agreee 100%. Its worth the peace of mind alone.

The Mastercool site has some neat tools to make OEM type fittings. I'm going to have to bookmark that one. I did find the one I was thinking of at Aircraft Tool Supply although I don't think that's where I saw it, I think I saw the old Parker they refer to in the ad because the reason I didn't order it then was it was something around $400. There is also one, somewhere, to put beads on larger tubing, like 1 1/2", for radiator and other hoses, but this one will go to 1" and that will do 98% of what I need. It's a little pricey, but I ordered one anyway because when you really need one, you REALLY NEED one.

Thanks for the links.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by Mickey_Moose: John, In my quest to try and fine a tool that would do this job I found this site: http://www.mastercool.com/m54.html And another one you can check: http://www.inlinetube.com/tools.htm I had a link to a company that also made up custom hoses as well with this fitting, but seems I did not keep the bookmark I would have bought the tool myself, but I found a shop (finally) that could do it for me. Although this one does not do the size needed for the oil cooler, it will do the fuel lines. Once I am done with our move, and I get the car back in town here with me I will be pulling the fuel lines off and having them make me up a set of these as well. Currently I just have compression fittings on the fuel lines. Hope that helps, Tim

[This message has been edited by jstricker (edited 11-19-2004).]