M24 Oil Cooler installation

[Team Plutonium]

Originally Posted by 4sevens.com

I have a local shop who can fabricate high quality custom radiators. I had him build a dual pass radiator for my LS6 miata and it's worked great. He could build one at a fraction of the cost of this one - perhaps 1/10 the cost!

I may have him make an oil cooler for my M.

Whoever is getting one, would you mind measuring the dimensions or even better yet send it to me to have the shop use it as a reference. I'll cover all shipping costs needed

Originally Posted by 4sevens.com

I'm looking to get one make in a local shop in Georgia (very reliable and well known in other circles). Anyone interested in a rad and oil cooler that 1/2 of m24's?

[4sevens.com]

I'm going to have to do without my M for a week or so when they take out the stock rad and oil cooler to measure, fab and fit Having gone through the trouble I might as well have them make a bunch

[1SIKM]

I'm keeping an eye on this... Can you be more specific on price... Been thinking of the M24 upgrades...

[VictorH]

Originally Posted by 4sevens.com

I'm going to have to do without my M for a week or so when they take out the stock rad and oil cooler to measure, fab and fit Having gone through the trouble I might as well have them make a bunch

I don't know if you've done this yet or not, but I have my stock cooler stored in my garage in plastic. If you want to use it for measurements (I'm pretty close to you) I'm happy to send or maybe we'll cross paths at a track event (VIR 2 weeks from now?).

[leo95se]

Group buy for $1000 off? Lol

[leo95se]

Originally Posted by 4sevens.com

I'm going to have to do without my M for a week or so when they take out the stock rad and oil cooler to measure, fab and fit Having gone through the trouble I might as well have them make a bunch

I'd be seriously interested...

[4sevens.com]

Originally Posted by VictorH

I don't know if you've done this yet or not, but I have my stock cooler stored in my garage in plastic. If you want to use it for measurements (I'm pretty close to you) I'm happy to send or maybe we'll cross paths at a track event (VIR 2 weeks from now?).

I would definitely take you up on the offer! PM me

[VictorH]

Originally Posted by 4sevens.com

I would definitely take you up on the offer! PM me

Tried to but your PM message box is full and I can't send you a message.

[Mbauer]

Originally Posted by leo95se

I'd be seriously interested...

I could use one

[VictorH]

4Sevens, PM sent

[leo95se]

any movement on this? summer heat keeps temps at 180+. :/

[4sevens.com]

Originally Posted by leo95se

any movement on this? summer heat keeps temps at 180+. :/

Soon - i'll have to post up a new thread with updates soon

[leo95se]

thanks man.. link into this thread so we can find it.

[surlynkid]

very nice cooler but pricey. that is more than double what I paid for the GT4 power steering cooler, and that is a true BMW part. i sure like it though.

[Mbauer]

Im working on manufacturing one.... for less

[Triple M]

On the cooling topic, does anyone know if the M24 radiator any superior over the PWR unit turner ms (cheaper) say they run? We are already hitting 109F here in vegas. I do agree that staying 210-300 range for "prolong" period of time(versus dropping quicker) is likely unhealthy for the S65 on the long run. Few track days a year probably won't be an issue, but for some of us track addicts who also desire longevity, it's probably "reasonable" as we've seen quite a few heating issues on track events that have ended up with more than $1800 damage (as much as I would hate to pay that kind of money).

[VictorH]

I thought I would post an update on the M24 oil cooler. I just got back from a 2 day event at Road America and I have now a two track comparison under similar conditions (temps) between pre and post oil cooler install.

First to clarify. I had posted earlier that I wasn't sure the M24 oil cooler provided a meaningful difference in max. oil temps, at least based on the stock oil temp gauge. I made a classic apples and oranges mistake of not comparing the performance under the same conditions. I ran my car at Barber after the oil cooler install and said I did not notice any diff in the max oil temp (running the mark between 210F and 300F) but that the oil temp "recovery" on cool down was much faster. I've been to Barber three times since the install and the issue is that oil temps at Barber are just hotter. The track is small, there is a fair amount of elevation change, speeds are lower and there is a lot of up and down speed changes, consequently the motor runs hotter. I had no stock oil cooler baseline at Barber, who knows maybe I would have gotten a limp mode.

I've been now to Road America twice (once pre and once post) and at least a half dozen times to VIR. At both VIR and Road America I can no longer get the oil temp to the mark between 210 and 300F, which was a regular occurrence previously. At Road America (it's always cooler there as the usual summer temps are in the mid 70sF as it was this past Monday and Tues (Badger Audi Club, Road America event) the oil temp would get up to the mid-point between 210 and the next mark up (the middle one between 210 &300).. At VIR even when the temps are in the mid 90s the needle still stays below that same mark. So, overall the M24 oil cooler is effective with lower oil temps on the stock BMW temp gauge as well as quicker recovery to stock temps on the cool down lap. In addition the oil cooling fins are easier to keep clean from bugs and debris given the design is a little bit more open that the stock oil cooler.

Overall, very satisfied with the performance of the oil cooler on the track (probably not a useful upgrade for street only use). Price as most of you know is expensive, but as they say, "pay for quality and only cry once."

[m3an]

for the guys looking into making there own Mocal makes very good units that will work w/ little work and are def cheaper. And Mocal is a great/reputable company

[klammer]

Originally Posted by VictorH

I thought I would post an update on the M24 oil cooler. I just got back from a 2 day event at Road America and I have now a two track comparison under similar conditions (temps) between pre and post oil cooler install.

First to clarify. I had posted earlier that I wasn't sure the M24 oil cooler provided a meaningful difference in max. oil temps, at least based on the stock oil temp gauge. I made a classic apples and oranges mistake of not comparing the performance under the same conditions. I ran my car at Barber after the oil cooler install and said I did not notice any diff in the max oil temp (running the mark between 210F and 300F) but that the oil temp "recovery" on cool down was much faster. I've been to Barber three times since the install and the issue is that oil temps at Barber are just hotter. The track is small, there is a fair amount of elevation change, speeds are lower and there is a lot of up and down speed changes, consequently the motor runs hotter. I had no stock oil cooler baseline at Barber, who knows maybe I would have gotten a limp mode.

I've been now to Road America twice (once pre and once post) and at least a half dozen times to VIR. At both VIR and Road America I can no longer get the oil temp to the mark between 210 and 300F, which was a regular occurrence previously. At Road America (it's always cooler there as the usual summer temps are in the mid 70sF as it was this past Monday and Tues (Badger Audi Club, Road America event) the oil temp would get up to the mid-point between 210 and the next mark up (the middle one between 210 &300).. At VIR even when the temps are in the mid 90s the needle still stays below that same mark. So, overall the M24 oil cooler is effective with lower oil temps on the stock BMW temp gauge as well as quicker recovery to stock temps on the cool down lap. In addition the oil cooling fins are easier to keep clean from bugs and debris given the design is a little bit more open that the stock oil cooler.

Overall, very satisfied with the performance of the oil cooler on the track (probably not a useful upgrade for street only use). Price as most of you know is expensive, but as they say, "pay for quality and only cry once."

Great thorough review! Wish I would have been up at RA, but definitely feel the M24 helps. Ran her on a 102 day and flawless. By the end of the day most cars weren't even running period, and even my iPhone folded, but not the car. Love your line at the end, exactly how I feel. I'm a piece of mind guy and gladly pay up for it

[m3an]

Originally Posted by m3alabama

Can anyone say why they know these engines cannot do just as well at 210 degrees for extended periods as it does with lower temps? If all fluids are changed regularly, proper warm up/cool down done-I don't see an issue with a modern engine designed to rev to 8400 rpms be able to function regularly, all day at 210 and above as long as its within the normal range. The computer will shut it down if it senses it overly hot and I have never heard limp mode existing on this car.

I know subjectively its nice to see the engine running cooler-but is there any objective data saying a hotter engine that is engineered to this degree is any worse off running those temps?

the car is fine running at temps; the oil is designed to operate between a varying scale of temp.. It'll work fine the way it is, but why not run it at the lower end of the spectrum. Makes sense?? It's really just personal perogative and prob overkill but to each their own. you like some things that some others don't.. don't look to far into it

[roycemek]

I'm convinced I need the cooler. I appreciate the OPs comments and review. I was just at California Speedway for an HPDE and ambient temps were in the high 90's to about 105 for most of the day. My oil temps about 10-15 mins into the sessions would climb to about just past middle mark between 210 and 300. That is the point where the idrive would display an excessive heat warning, at which point the DCT would delay shifts and revs would be limited. I tried another session running with the heater on but no luck. At 100+deg ambient temps and agressive driving the stock cooling capacity is being taxed and needs help. Funny someone else mentioned the iPhone overheating too. Mine would only last about 10mins before it shut down and needed to be cooled off.

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by m3alabama

Cooler IS USUALLY better on engines but not always-and you need to look at the specific engine IMO

I somewhat agree. The issue for oil coolers with no thermostat is the oil never gets warm and you get sludge and poor lubrication. But our cars have a thermostat built into the oil system so not running hot enough will not be an issue.

Our cars need more cooling capacity to be run for extended periods at the track. If your engine isn't overheating, its your tranny, or its your power steering or its your brakes.

Originally Posted by roycemek

I'm convinced I need the cooler. I appreciate the OPs comments and review. I was just at California Speedway for an HPDE and ambient temps were in the high 90's to about 105 for most of the day. My oil temps about 10-15 mins into the sessions would climb to about just past middle mark between 210 and 300. That is the point where the idrive would display an excessive heat warning, at which point the DCT would delay shifts and revs would be limited. I tried another session running with the heater on but no luck. At 100+deg ambient temps and agressive driving the stock cooling capacity is being taxed and needs help. Funny someone else mentioned the iPhone overheating too. Mine would only last about 10mins before it shut down and needed to be cooled off.

How much were you shifting? I've found that if I go to 2nd for the slow, tight corners, the oil temps will get significantly higher vrs staying in 3rd.

I agree that I would get more oil cooling capacity if I were regularly tracking the car.