Remote 325i oil cooler/filter?

[Varinn]

Getting ready to drop an 87 m20b25 into my 84 eta in a month or so. Engine currently has stock oil filter adapter with stock oil cooler. The headers I am installing are about 2-3mm from contacting a fully installed filter so I need other options.

I've used ford relocation kits in the past but never on a BMW, does anyone have any experience with them and where can I get the metric versions? Also, how necessary are the oil coolers? I believe I could have ample clearance if I ditched the oil cooler and swapped over my m20b27 filter mount sans cooler. I would prefer not to go this route unless I needed. What about installing a shorter filter, another ghetto fab method but if it's the only way...

TLDR: headers almost touch oil filter on m20b25 swap
Option 1: remote oil filter kit, keep oil cooler (what/where to buy?)
Option 2: delete oil cooler, use eta mount to save space
Option 3: use smaller filter

[bmwguy325is]

The cooler helps a lot. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com/ these guys I think have a kit. You may also try www.vacmotorsports.com

[MR 325]

You can use a shorter filter. Order a filter for the M10/S14.

[Varinn]

Mr 325, some of my google searching led me to a post of yours on another board. Are you still rocking the Summit Racing remote filter kit? I was looking and same of theirs, or the "transdapt" kits seem reasonable and at $50-$60 a perfect solution without making sacrifices to filtering/cooling

[jlevie]

Myself, and another Spec E30 racer, have gathered data on M20 oil temps in racing conditions. Those conditions are going to be be more severe than anything you will see on the street. Our conclusion is that an M20 engine in stock, or close to stock, configuration isn't going to have oil temperature problems. And the stock oil cooler doesn't do much to lower oil temperatures. It seems that keeping the engine cooler has a greater affect on oil temps that most anything you can do with a cooler. It may be not intuitive, but a skid plate that blocks air from the pan has a bigger affect than anything else.

I have data from my car with the filter on a spud and no cooler and with a pretty large oil cooler mounted in front of the radiator (and the oil filter adapter's temp valve disabled). I see about 10deg difference in those configurations on a 100deg day. Hardly significant.

[Varinn]

Myself, and another Spec E30 racer, have gathered data on M20 oil temps in racing conditions. Those conditions are going to be be more severe than anything you will see on the street. Our conclusion is that an M20 engine in stock, or close to stock, configuration isn't going to have oil temperature problems. And the stock oil cooler doesn't do much to lower oil temperatures. It seems that keeping the engine cooler has a greater affect on oil temps that most anything you can do with a cooler. It may be not intuitive, but a skid plate that blocks air from the pan has a bigger affect than anything else.

I have data from my car with the filter on a spud and no cooler and with a pretty large oil cooler mounted in front of the radiator (and the oil filter adapter's temp valve disabled). I see about 10deg difference in those configurations on a 100deg day. Hardly significant.

This is good to hear, I do autocross the car and hopefully I can get my race license for our local fullsize track soon. Local temps are far from severe with an average of 20-35 degrees celsius ambient in the summer.

So effectively you are saying that aside from consistant low speed racing, the stock oil cooler is fairly useless at keeping temps down? If that's the case I will likely just remove it unless I come to a time where I find it necessary to reinstall.

[jlevie]

So effectively you are saying that aside from consistant low speed racing, the stock oil cooler is fairly useless at keeping temps down? If that's the case I will likely just remove it unless I come to a time where I find it necessary to reinstall.

First of all you probably aren't going to get the oil hot enough in an autox for the thermostat to open and allow oil to flow through the cooler. Autox speeds are low and the runs are short. The lack of sustained speed means that the stock cooler won't do much of anything.

[Varinn]

So effectively you are saying that aside from consistant low speed racing, the stock oil cooler is fairly useless at keeping temps down? If that's the case I will likely just remove it unless I come to a time where I find it necessary to reinstall.

First of all you probably aren't going to get the oil hot enough in an autox for the thermostat to open and allow oil to flow through the cooler. Autox speeds are low and the runs are short. The lack of sustained speed means that the stock cooler won't do much of anything.

I just re-read my post, and meant to say just what you're getting at. For the time being I will remove the cooler to let me install the headers. I will re-evaluate relocating the filter and installing a cooler when I get onto the fullsize track with higher speed 10-15 minute runs or install a skidplate that blocks airflow over the pan.

[jaywood]

What size/pitch are the threads on the oil filter housing where the original oil cooler gets the oil from? There are 2 female threads there.


Is that how you are going to "delete" the cooler? Just plug the holes?

[MR 325]

Mr 325, some of my google searching led me to a post of yours on another board. Are you still rocking the Summit Racing remote filter kit? I was looking and same of theirs, or the "transdapt" kits seem reasonable and at $50-$60 a perfect solution without making sacrifices to filtering/cooling

Nothing wrong with a cheapo Summit kit, I am still using it on my turbo E30.

It will screw right on to the Eta male oil filter nub in the block.

What size/pitch are the threads on the oil filter housing where the original oil cooler gets the oil from? There are 2 female threads there.


Is that how you are going to "delete" the cooler? Just plug the holes?

To delete the cooler you would remove and oil cooler filter adapter and mount the filter directly to the block. The same way it is set up on the Eta engines.

[jaywood]

I tried that. I got the adapter and a shorter filter but my turbo manifold was still in the way. Sooo I found some plugs and plugged the holes. I want to find better plugs and i don't know what the thread size is...my local bolt supplier couldn't tell me the size. They didn't have a bolt big enough!

[jlevie]

I tried that. I got the adapter and a shorter filter but my turbo manifold was still in the way. Sooo I found some plugs and plugged the holes. I want to find better plugs and i don't know what the thread size is...my local bolt supplier couldn't tell me the size. They didn't have a bolt big enough!

Replace the oil filter adapter with part 11112140435 and screw the filter onto that spud.

[Eecen]

Myself, and another Spec E30 racer, have gathered data on M20 oil temps in racing conditions. Those conditions are going to be be more severe than anything you will see on the street. Our conclusion is that an M20 engine in stock, or close to stock, configuration isn't going to have oil temperature problems. And the stock oil cooler doesn't do much to lower oil temperatures. It seems that keeping the engine cooler has a greater affect on oil temps that most anything you can do with a cooler. It may be not intuitive, but a skid plate that blocks air from the pan has a bigger affect than anything else.

I have data from my car with the filter on a spud and no cooler and with a pretty large oil cooler mounted in front of the radiator (and the oil filter adapter's temp valve disabled). I see about 10deg difference in those configurations on a 100deg day. Hardly significant.

Great info, thanks jlevie. (Saves me having to buy an oil cooler and associated hoses etc)

[jaywood]

Replace the oil filter adapter with part 11112140435 and screw the filter onto that spud.

This, right?



That didn't work for me :( The filter stuck out too far and got in the way of the manifold. I am using the oil filter housing with no cooler. I have the 2 holes plugged. I need to know what size those "plugs" are...the ones I have don't fit quite right.


Sorry for threadjacking!

[jlevie]

I don't know the size and pitch of the oil cooler hoses. What I'd do would be to cut the ends off of scrap cooler hoses, plug the tubes and use those (with the OE o-rings) as plugs. To plug the tubes I'd turn plugs and silver solder them into the tubes.