Oil Cooler Too Eager, Faulty Thermostat Or Incorrect Temp Sensor Location?

[V28VX37]

Got the car back today, oil temp sensor is now in the AN10 fitting off the hot outlet of the Mocal sandwich plate and all the moving parts of the plate have been replaced with the service kit. Prick of a job, a lot of stuffing around to get the sensor in place, I'll do a more detailed writeup soon.

Anyway on the way home in suburban traffic water temp was 80, oil was 80, ambient 20 – YAY!

Some more info on the installation for those playing at home:

• The guys ended up retapping the 1/8NPT port on the AN10 fitting to a slightly bigger size, I'll need to check again what exactly
• There's a small brass spacer under the Defi temp sensor to lift it up a bit
• Even with this, there wasn't enough clearance inside the AN10, so they milled out a tiny little bit opposite to the port on the inside

All in all, a very fiddly install. Some photos below.

I still need to test how the cooler performs under full load, hopefully the thermostat is ok.

I am not happy with the Mocal design for several reasons:

• No ports for sensors - who would run an oil cooler without a temp probe?!
• The oil bypass passage is very small, smaller than the oil inlet and outlet I would say. With this, I would estimate a significant proportion of oil flow is through the cooler even at <thermostat temp, perhaps even up to 50%
• The AN10 inlet and outlet are directly to the side so the hoses run very close to the block and need a tight radius bend unless you run elbow fittings
• The external nut for the thermostat sits right against the factory oil/water unit base

Looking through photos of the Grex/Greddy plate the overall design appears much better: 45 degree inlet/outlet, built-in sensor ports, possibly a slightly larger bypass passage. The only real downside is the lower 75 degree thermostat compared to the 92 degrees in the Mocal. Just go the Greddy and be done with it.

...

Now just when you thought the show was over - welcome to Act 3.

It appears that one of the oil cooler hoses is weeping from the actual clamped fitting.

I'm basically over this project now so I reckon I'll just leave it for a bit and keep an eye on it.

Still, any recommendations on where to get quality AN10 braided hoses at specified length and fittings?

I'll need something close to the current lengths (115cm & 135cm) but with a 45-degree elbow at one end and 90-degree one at the other.

Moral of the story: Don't buy cheap or second hand, or you'll end spending the difference many times over in labour and headaches.

Photos

Defi oil temp sensor mounted to the AN10 fitting:

Oil cooler hoses

Defi oil pressure sensor at factory RB25DET Neo location:

[XGTRX]

Now just when you thought the show was over - welcome to Act 3.

It appears that one of the oil cooler hoses is weeping from the actual clamped fitting.

]

Oooohhh that pisses u off doesn't it.

Just rip it out and take it to pirtek or enzed, easy fix. Good work mate.

[75coupe]

Wow this thread makes it all sound like a headache..

I have a thermostat sandwich plate, oil cooler and defi oil temp and pressure gauges...

I didnt have any hassles at all

[V28VX37]

Wow this thread makes it all sound like a headache..

I have a thermostat sandwich plate, oil cooler and defi oil temp and pressure gauges...

I didnt have any hassles at all

Lucky you, I must have done it all the hard way

[V28VX37]

Oooohhh that pisses u off doesn't it.

Just rip it out and take it to pirtek or enzed, easy fix. Good work mate.

Yup you got it.

Do you reckon just swapping the fittings on the existing hoses is sufficient?

The cooler core end is completely dry, no leaks there in either hose, but I am starting to lose faith in the Driftworks kit overall..

[V28VX37]

Oooohhh that pisses u off doesn't it.

Just rip it out and take it to pirtek or enzed, easy fix. Good work mate.

Called both and neither have AN10 on the shelf, Pirtek can order Speedflow in. Another brand they mentioned was Proflow, apparently these are both better than Aeroflow..?

Also sounded a bit iffy about the installation ('bring it in mate and we'll have a look') so I wonder if I might just do it myself, can't be that hard right? Famous last words..

What would be awesome is doing it under the car so I wouldn't have to touch the core end.. I don't think that's an option though because of the metal shavings from cutting the hose, need to rinse it all out somehow.

[admS15]

Called both and neither have AN10 on the shelf, Pirtek can order Speedflow in. Another brand they mentioned was Proflow, apparently these are both better than Aeroflow..?

Also sounded a bit iffy about the installation ('bring it in mate and we'll have a look') so I wonder if I might just do it myself, can't be that hard right? Famous last words..

What would be awesome is doing it under the car so I wouldn't have to touch the core end.. I don't think that's an option though because of the metal shavings from cutting the hose, need to rinse it all out somehow.

Diy ftw. You will have to remove the line from the core to flush it. Can't be that hard to do. Give it a go. If u f*ck it up, you can always take it to pirtek etc.

[dan.1337]

I got all my hoses and fittings from VPW. Hasn't given me any grief in two years of running them.

http://vpw.com.au/

[XGTRX]

Called both and neither have AN10 on the shelf, Pirtek can order Speedflow in. Another brand they mentioned was Proflow, apparently these are both better than Aeroflow..?

Also sounded a bit iffy about the installation ('bring it in mate and we'll have a look') so I wonder if I might just do it myself, can't be that hard right? Famous last words..

What would be awesome is doing it under the car so I wouldn't have to touch the core end.. I don't think that's an option though because of the metal shavings from cutting the hose, need to rinse it all out somehow.

They will want to build you new lines, most of them don't like to repair because it increases the risk of failure.

You bring the line in and they will match the threads and build a line.

Diy ftw. You will have to remove the line from the core to flush it. Can't be that hard to do. Give it a go. If u f*ck it up, you can always take it to pirtek etc.

Well if you f**k it up you can also lose all your oil and spin a bearing.

$100 vs $5000, I know which one I would be choosing.

[admS15]

They will want to build you new lines, most of them don't like to repair because it increases the risk of failure.

You bring the line in and they will match the threads and build a line.

Well if you f**k it up you can also lose all your oil and spin a bearing.

$100 vs $5000, I know which one I would be choosing.

Fair call but the blokes not an idiot. He knows how to spot a leak, was just trying to give him a bit of confidence. You're right though, probably a job best left to a pro[emoji106]

[V28VX37]

Diy ftw. You will have to remove the line from the core to flush it. Can't be that hard to do. Give it a go. If u f*ck it up, you can always take it to pirtek etc.

I got all my hoses and fittings from VPW. Hasn't given me any grief in two years of running them.

http://vpw.com.au/

They will want to build you new lines, most of them don't like to repair because it increases the risk of failure.

You bring the line in and they will match the threads and build a line.

...

Well if you f**k it up you can also lose all your oil and spin a bearing.

$100 vs $5000, I know which one I would be choosing.

Cheers guys, good input.

I was just about to order the fittings but run into trouble with the sizing - the Speedflow '100 series' hose in AN10 is listed as 20.3mm Outer Diameter, however the hose on my kit is much thicker, around 24mm. Whatta?

Looking at this photo on their website the fitting seems to 'taper in' on the hose side:

– my existing hoses seem chunkier:

My fittings are definitely AN10 because that previously discussed AN10 adapter with the sensor port works. I don't get it.

I'm now hesitant to order the fittings as I'm not sure if the hose OD and ID will match those of a different brand...

Edited February 10, 2016 by V28VX37

[dermy]

Are you sure your hose is 100 series? I just purchased some an10 swivel fitting for my nylon braid 100 series my hose measure around 21mm

[V28VX37]

Are you sure your hose is 100 series? I just purchased some an10 swivel fitting for my nylon braid 100 series my hose measure around 21mm

Definitely not sure. This said Speedflow 100 series and 200 series are both the same OD, 400 series is a little thicker but still not as thick as what my kit came with.

There's every possibility that it's some custom China hose with unobtainium fittings..

[89CAL]

The hose you have on at the moment has a crimp fitting on it, the speedflow ones are push/twist/screw on (you get the idea)

So you have crimp -10 fittings, that fit on -10 adapters, makes sense yeah? The hose is to suit the fitting, the AN -10 refers to the style of fitting (they are JIC, tapered flange seal)

I'm fairly sure the hose you have fitted (with the crimp fitting) is designed for higher pressure, which may be why it is thicker. Being a crimp fitting, obviously the fitting starts out large, a barb is pushed into the ID of the hose and a machine is used to crimp the outside of the fitting onto the hose so it 'grabs' the hose and also presses the hose into the internal barb to seal

This is the crimp style:

Hope that explains it

If your buying the speedflow fittings, just buy some new speedflow hose. Cheaper to do it once and do it right. Oil is not something you want to be leaking out

Edited February 10, 2016 by 89CAL

[V28VX37]

The hose you have on at the moment has a crimp fitting on it, the speedflow ones are push/twist/screw on (you get the idea)

So you have crimp -10 fittings, that fit on -10 adapters, makes sense yeah? The hose is to suit the fitting, the AN -10 refers to the style of fitting (they are JIC, tapered flange seal)

I'm fairly sure the hose you have fitted (with the crimp fitting) is designed for higher pressure, which may be why it is thicker. Being a crimp fitting, obviously the fitting starts out large, a barb is pushed into the ID of the hose and a machine is used to crimp the outside of the fitting onto the hose so it 'grabs' the hose and also presses the hose into the internal barb to seal

Oh ok that explains. So basically there's no way to just cut off the crimp fitting and replace it with the Speedflow type because of the different diameters?

[89CAL]

Have updated my previous post to show the crimp fitting.

It is only do-able if you use the same crimp type fittings. Just buy some speedflow hose with your fittings. You may find you lose some length and the hose doesnt quite work if you cut the hose and re-crimp it

[V28VX37]

Have updated my previous post to show the crimp fitting.

It is only do-able if you use the same crimp type fittings. Just buy some speedflow hose with your fittings. You may find you lose some length and the hose doesnt quite work if you cut the hose and re-crimp it

Cheers mate. Too hard with the crimp fittings, I found some on eBay but they're in the US and probably require special tools to fit (plus no guarantee on fitment with existing hose).

It's a shame, the hose length is sufficient and existing fittings at the other end are both fine. Getting new hoses and four new fittings is probably going to cost more than the whole cooler kit did originally, plus labour #carlife

[89CAL]

The machine that crimps the fittings is not cheap, If you really wanted to go down that route, you could go to pirtek or enzed etc and say you want to cut the old fittings off and put new ones on.

But personally I think just buy the speedflow hose and fittings and do it yourself. I did mine with no real dramas. All you really need is a grinder/cut off wheel to cut the hose and a bit of patience. Instructions for the fittings should be easy to find. They are pretty straight forward anyway.

[V28VX37]

The machine that crimps the fittings is not cheap, If you really wanted to go down that route, you could go to pirtek or enzed etc and say you want to cut the old fittings off and put new ones on.

But personally I think just buy the speedflow hose and fittings and do it yourself. I did mine with no real dramas. All you really need is a grinder/cut off wheel to cut the hose and a bit of patience. Instructions for the fittings should be easy to find. They are pretty straight forward anyway.

I'm keen to go this way, the weep seems to be getting worse now

I had a look at the usual brands (Speedflow, Earls, Proflow) and looks like I'm up for $400 plus for the two hoses (115cm and 135cm), with 45 and 90 degree hose end fittings, does this sound about right?

I know I shouldn't skimp on price (look where that got me) but it does feel a bit exxy...

Also is there a shop in Melbourne that sells this stuff or am I best off just ordering online?

[XGTRX]

VPW EPPING, but for peace of mind you could get high pressure hydraulic/oil lines made up at enzed or pirtek.