Oil Cooler?

[Shift_Now]

Has anyone tried to adapt the m20 oil-cooler to fit the m42? What might be needed to do this? and would it be possible to do it retaining the original m42-type of oil filter?

[devonjordan]

I was also thinking of doing this with my s50 swap, I have a few laying around so why not.

[Shift_Now]

no one has tried this before? interesting

[asubimmer]

is your oil getting too hot?

[Hick]

[Shift_Now]

is your oil getting too hot?

Well I'd like to keep it as cool as possilbe, becasue the engine has lots of kilometers on it, and I take it to auto x's a couple of times a year. I change my oil every 5000kms and I'm only using Castrol GTX 20-50W oil. Becasue it just uses up too much oil if I run synthetic, so I just want to help preserve the engine for a bit longer before I do a re-build on it

[Justinian]

Tho oil cooler on my 635 connects at the oil filter housing which I believe is the same for the M20 in the 325is. If the oil filter housing on the M20 and M42 are the same you should only need the oil filter housing, lines, and cooler for it to work. I've never compared the two but I really doubt they are the same.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, good luck!

[e30pq]

The oil cooler in the picture of the E30 M42 turbo that Joe318is posted above is actually an aftermarket oil cooler (not pictured) but the oil filter cap helps to adapt the M42 to an oil cooler. Apparently the guy who was making those caps doesn't make them any longer but I believe Ireland Engineering is coming out with a similar cap.

I co-own the M42 turbo car pictured above (it's a purpose built BMWCCA club racing car).

My street car is an E30 S50 convertible. I am going to adapt my M20 oil cooler as an upcoming project. I haven't figured out all the details yet but I will either add AN fittings to the oil cooler or find a metric to AN adapter for the M20 oil lines. I heard that someone did it that way but it doesn't sound like a clean install.

Paul Q

[Simon S]

bump for interest..

[bmwman91]

Some guys on M42Club machined up an adapter plate thingy that sits between the filter housing and timing case, with outlets for a cooler.

Unless you are running a turbo or using the car for extended track duty, don't do it. BMW designed everything very deliberately and the stock setup will keep the oil at the optimal temperature. There is no universal rule stating that "cooler is better" when it comes to oil. In fact, cooler oil is more viscous and will not spray as well from the piston squirters.

AutoX won't hurt anything. Laps are less than 2 minutes and you aren't going to overheat anything in that time as long as everything is properly maintained.

[AndrewBird]

Here is IE's adapter:

http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/E36-engine/e36oilcooladpt.html

$150 is a bit much though. It might not work with M42's as well as that one is made for M50/2.

[TobyB]

Uh. Put a temp gauge in the oil. If it's getting over 240f, then continue.

M10s sometimes want them.

t