Oil Cooler Drain

[Davisca455]

Hypothetical question.
If the BMW engineers had designed an easily accessible drain plug (same hex as the pan drains) at the low point of the oil cooler, would you use it?

[Bartledoo]

why?

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by Bartledoo

why?

People, including myself, suction the used oil out of the oil filter housing to remove whatever quantity of oil that is, and it made me wonder how much MORE used oil you could remove if there was a drain on the cooler?
I guess the simplest way to ask is:
Does anyone know how much oil is in the cooler and its piping?

[Bartledoo]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

People, including myself, suction the used oil out of the oil filter housing to remove whatever quantity of oil that is, and it made me wonder how much MORE used oil you could remove if there was a drain on the cooler?
I guess the simplest way to ask is:
Does anyone know how much oil is in the cooler and its piping?

Yea, I suction the oil filter housing as well. Just wasn't clear you meant using it as a third drain for oil changes. I already get about the same amount out as what I put back in for oil changes. So I probably wouldn't bother with another drain.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by Bartledoo

Yea, I suction the oil filter housing as well. Just wasn't clear you meant using it as a third drain for oil changes. I already get about the same amount out as what I put back in for oil changes. So I probably wouldn't bother with another drain.

And what if you had to add another liter after draining the cooler, I recon was the question...

Me? Haven't even drained the filter can when changing oil but maybe next time. Thinking oil/5000k miles keep it clean enough even when mixed with a tad of the used gunk...

[Bartledoo]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

And what if you had to add another liter after draining the cooler, I recon was the question...

Me? Haven't even drained the filter can when changing oil but maybe next time. Thinking oil/5000k miles keep it clean enough even when mixed with a tad of the used gunk...

Yea. Ultimate brain fart whoops! But I guess since I pour 9 liters in I just assume/hope that there can't be much left in the oil cooler, given the rated capacity.

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by Bartledoo

Yea, I suction the oil filter housing as well. Just wasn't clear you meant using it as a third drain for oil changes. I already get about the same amount out as what I put back in for oil changes. So I probably wouldn't bother with another drain.

I was just curious how much more would drain out.
I had purchased a Do88 oil cooler the same day as my rod bearing purchase, and my original plan was to install it when I upgraded my rod bearings.
My thought was that my oil would have assembly lube and anti-seize all mixed in, and I wondered how much of that assembly lube/anti-seize oil could the cooler and piping retain, so I decided to install the new cooler on the next oil change.

[ppatel14]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

I was just curious how much more would drain out.
I had purchased a Do88 oil cooler the same day as my rod bearing purchase, and my original plan was to install it when I upgraded my rod bearings.
My thought was that my oil would have assembly lube and anti-seize all mixed in, and I wondered how much of that assembly lube/anti-seize oil could the cooler and piping retain, so I decided to install the new cooler on the next oil change.

I recently installed my do88 oil cooler and did an oil change on the full system. I used exactly 10 liters and oil level shows exactly in the middle. I was surprised there wasn't more oil within the cooler. I even drained the lines going to the oil cooler by bending them down a little to maximize drainage. I also take oil samples for analysis and I wouldn't be surprised if material shows up from the cooler.

My typical oil changes consists of warming up the engine, draining the oil overnight or couple days, and soaking up oil within oil filter housing. With this method I put in exactly 9 liters with oil levels showing near the middle or slightly higher.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by ppatel14

I recently installed my do88 oil cooler and did an oil change on the full system. I used exactly 10 liters and oil level shows exactly in the middle. I was surprised there wasn't more oil within the cooler. I even drained the lines going to the oil cooler by bending them down a little to maximize drainage. I also take oil samples for analysis and I wouldn't be surprised if material shows up from the cooler.

My typical oil changes consists of warming up the engine, draining the oil overnight or couple days, and soaking up oil within oil filter housing. With this method I put in exactly 9 liters with oil levels showing near the middle or slightly higher.

Cheers, so the cooler contain around 1 liter, interesting. Sounds like draining the filter ca for 0.2L will not make a significant difference?

[amrazM]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

People, including myself, suction the used oil out of the oil filter housing to remove whatever quantity of oil that is, and it made me wonder how much MORE used oil you could remove if there was a drain on the cooler?
I guess the simplest way to ask is:
Does anyone know how much oil is in the cooler and its piping?

a little less than a liter

[Scrippy]

I would assume around a liter is in the lines and cooler. So instead of 9 liters I would buy 10 for the oil change after removing and replacing the cooler and lines.

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

I would assume around a liter is in the lines and cooler. So instead of 9 liters I would buy 10 for the oil change after removing and replacing the cooler and lines.

I installed the do88 oil cooler today.
My original plan was to machine up an aluminum bung with a -4 SAE port and weld it to the bottom of the tank of the do88.
Then I was going to attach a hose to the -4 SAE port and create a bulkhead connection so that I could drain the cooler when doing oil changes.
But my plan was sabotaged for two reasons,
1) do88 paints their cooler.
2) I was too impatient to take it to a radiator shop to get the paint stripped off.
But 11-1/2 effing liters to top off the oil level...yikes!

[Bartledoo]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

I installed the do88 oil cooler today.
My original plan was to machine up an aluminum bung with a -4 SAE port and weld it to the bottom of the tank of the do88.
Then I was going to attach a hose to the -4 SAE port and create a bulkhead connection so that I could drain the cooler when doing oil changes.
But my plan was sabotaged for two reasons,
1) do88 paints their cooler.
2) I was too impatient to take it to a radiator shop to get the paint stripped off.
But 11-1/2 effing liters to top off the oil level...yikes!

Oh wow that's way more than I imagined would be trapped. Now to your original question....yes I would definitely drain the cooler if capable haha.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by Davisca455

I installed the do88 oil cooler today.
My original plan was to machine up an aluminum bung with a -4 SAE port and weld it to the bottom of the tank of the do88.
Then I was going to attach a hose to the -4 SAE port and create a bulkhead connection so that I could drain the cooler when doing oil changes.
But my plan was sabotaged for two reasons,
1) do88 paints their cooler.
2) I was too impatient to take it to a radiator shop to get the paint stripped off.
But 11-1/2 effing liters to top off the oil level...yikes!

Wow, so another 2 liters isch in the cooler/hoses! Okay, I'll continue to skip messing with draining the 0.2L filter housing... And again, most of us are changing every 5k miles so will keep it clean enought...

Thanks!

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Wow, so another 2 liters isch in the cooler/hoses! Okay, I'll continue to skip messing with draining the 0.2L filter housing... And again, most of us are changing every 5k miles so will keep it clean enought...

Thanks!

To be clear, it was 11-1/2 liters to top off the system, but keep in mind that was with the additional volume that the do88 cooler brings to the equation.
I'm not sure what the increase in volume is over the BMW cooler though.
Maybe only 10-1/2 liters for the BMW cooler based on the earlier posts?
But if there was a drain for the cooler, I'd use it.

[drwankel]

The question I've always had- is since you dont have a dipstick, how do you get the oil level correct after you've replaced the cooler? It would seem crazy to let it completely warm up to find out you are several liters under.

Back in my rx-7 days- it was simple. Those cars also had an oil cooler. Just crank the engine over with the fuel injection system disabled, check the oil on the dipstick, add oil, repeat until its right and THEN fire up the engine.

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by drwankel

The question I've always had- is since you dont have a dipstick, how do you get the oil level correct after you've replaced the cooler? It would seem crazy to let it completely warm up to find out you are several liters under.

Back in my rx-7 days- it was simple. Those cars also had an oil cooler. Just crank the engine over with the fuel injection system disabled, check the oil on the dipstick, add oil, repeat until its right and THEN fire up the engine.

Exactly what I was worried about.
I normally put in a little over 9 liters on oil changes, so went with 10-1/2 when I changed the cooler.
And it was still down 1 liter.

[roastbeef]

While I like the idea, I would hate the thought of worrying about stripping three drain plugs in one oil change. Lol

[Davisca455]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

While I like the idea, I would hate the thought of worrying about stripping three drain plugs in one oil change. Lol

Hahaha!!!
We could name each drain plug though.
Moe, Larry & Curly...

[kyrix1st]

I keep my OCI at 2000 miles/6 months so there is little to no room for oxidation/contamination even when mixed with the old fluid. And no I don't go out of my way to drain from the filter housing.

Originally Posted by roastbeef

While I like the idea, I would hate the thought of worrying about stripping three drain plugs in one oil change. Lol

Exactly why I change my plugs every oil change. Cheap insurance.

[leftfootbr8king]

Stripping the aluminum pan threads are the larger concern, not the plugs.

[Davisca455]

I ended up adding a drain to the driver's side of my do88 oil cooler yesterday as part of a larger project.
The oil cooler didn't fit my car very well (interfered with the intercooler), and since I needed to modify the mounting bracket locations to make it fit correctly, I decided that I might as well add the drain while I had it out of the car.