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Thread: Oil is NOT getting to the front mount oil cooler.

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    Forum User verified Feedback Score 1 (100%) thor'svr4's Avatar
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    Oil is NOT getting to the front mount oil cooler.

    Can someone please tell me where the oil cooler feed and return lines would be in this diagram?

    [IMG][/IMG]

    My issue I that I keep loosing oil pressure as I drive the car (slowly over 100-200 miles) and every time I boost I loose even more oil pressure. But the instant I change the oil I’m back to 25psi at idle and over 50psi by 2000rpm. 200 miles later I’m back to 17ish at idle and 37-40psi at 2000rpm. What makes it worse I the flipin lifter tick! I spun a bearing once before so I don’t think the lifter tick is a spun bearing. The tick comes and goes (is there prob about 20-30% of the time) and its to quiet to be a bearing, but never the less my heart sinks every time I hear the ticking. The ticking is most prominent when I’m just cruising at 2000-2500 rpm but goes away the instant I start to give the car any throttle and get to ~50-60+ psi of oil pressure or if im at idle or if I let off the gas slowly. Maybe a bad lifter?

    I do data-log constantly, even when I’m just cruising. This motor has seen some slight knock but I think the worse was a 18psi pull where I had 8 counts. Other than that I’ve seen pulls where I’ve had 1, 2 or 3 counts. Never more than 3. Also whenever I see there is knock I turn the boost down, check timing, and adjust whatever needs to be adjusted so I don’t ever see knock for the same reason ever again. TOTAL (if you were to add every count of knock this motor has seen together) there has prob been under 30 counts. I doubt that several pulls where I had 1-3 counts and one pull where I had 8 counts would ruin brand new cleveite bearings.

    What I think is happening is that the oil is not going to the oil cooler for some reason and heating up to the point where it looses its viscosity. I can hold the oil cooler, and both oil cooler lines in my hand after driving the car for a while and they are cold to the touch. Yet the oil filter is pretty dam hot and the oil pan is untouchable.

    Any ideas as to why oil is not going to the cooler? The cooler is located in-between my fmic and radiator. Its not toooo high up, but sits at the same height or maybe 1-2” higher than the oil filter. I figured that since oil is being pumped at high psi that the height wouldn’t be an issue, am I wrong? Does the oil cooler need to be below the oil filter housing?

    When I rebuilt the motor I did use a ‘different’ oil filter housing. I had bought a TT oil cooler and housing off eBay when I was doing a tt conversion on my rt, but never finished the conversion. While doing this build I decided that I would use the extra housing that I had laying around (it was much cleaner and appeared to be in better shape) but I did NOT use the lines or oil cooler. I bought a brand new B&M oil cooler from Summit and got some nice clear oil lines. When I ‘primed’ the motor for its initial startup (cranked it over with no spark plugs) I was able to watch oil slowly flow through the clear lines, but iirc I had oil pressure before the lines had been completely filled with oil. My Dad didn’t trust the clear lines so he went to a local hydraulic shop and had them custom make me a set of oil lines rated for 3,000 psi. over kill? Yes, but a hell of a nice gift and way to finish off the build. The ‘problem’ with the high pressure oil lines is that I cant see if oil is flowing through them. But judging from the fact that the stock oil cooler got very hot, and my B&M is cold to the touch im guessing that no oil is getting to the cooler.

    Also there are no leaks coming from around the oil filter or housing… or anywhere on the car for that matter. Could the oil relief valve on the oil housing prevent oil from flowing to the oil cooler?

    anyone got any ideas? the car has a all new bottom end. forged crank, 3sx rods, 3sx pistons, clevite bearings, new oil pump, all new oem gaskets, ect. also no dent in the oil pan.
    Last edited by thor'svr4; 11-28-2010 at 10:27 PM.
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  2. #2
    Runs on alcohol. The car does too. Not Verified Feedback Score 2 (100%) Intropy's Avatar
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    Did you replace the cooler bypass valve? That would be an obvious place to start.

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    Forum User verified Feedback Score 1 (100%) thor'svr4's Avatar
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    the only other valve i have laying around is in the oil filter housing from my spun bearing motor. i didnt want to use that one because i was told that once you spin a bearing that you shouldn’t re-use any part of the old oil system so rather than just swap valves i figured i would just buy a new housing. however i didnt want to do that unless i was fairly sure that it was in fact the oil filter housing valve and not the oil pump valve.

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    Runs on alcohol. The car does too. Not Verified Feedback Score 2 (100%) Intropy's Avatar
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    If oil isn't going to the cooler, you have an obstruction or the bypass valve is stuck open. The relief valve on the pump isn't an issue.

    What does the oil look like when you change it? Are you sure you don't have a contamination issue (fuel, coolant, etc)?

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    Is the bypass valve the oil thermostat?, first thing I`d be looking into as well. Don`t think you can just take it out like you do the coolant thermostat as it diverts oil to the cooler when hot iirc.
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    Forum User verified Feedback Score 1 (100%) thor'svr4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Intropy View Post
    Are you sure you don't have a contamination issue (fuel, coolant, etc)?
    the oil doesnt smell like gas and its not milky from coolant so i dont think the oil is getting thinned out.

    Quote Originally Posted by KeithMac View Post
    Is the bypass valve the oil thermostat?, first thing I`d be looking into as well. Don`t think you can just take it out like you do the coolant thermostat as it diverts oil to the cooler when hot iirc.
    i think what your describing is the same part that intropy is suggesting. if this thing is similar to a thermostat, can i test it in a pot of boiling water like you would a thermostat?

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    The bypass valve is a pressure relief valve, if the oil cooler clogs, pressure builds up and the cooler is bypassed before something breaks. If that valve is stuck open, or not present, oil will not go to the cooler.

    -You could put a clear piece of tubing in place of the oil cooler to investigate your suspicions.
    Last edited by RL7; 11-29-2010 at 04:39 PM.

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    Forum User Feedback Score 0 enigma's Avatar
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    its sounds very much like the oil thermostat valve, opens up as the oil temp rises and diverts the oil through the cooler, quite cheap and not to difficult to install.

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    Forum User verified Feedback Score 1 (100%) thor'svr4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by enigma View Post
    its sounds very much like the oil thermostat valve, opens up as the oil temp rises and diverts the oil through the cooler, quite cheap and not to difficult to install.
    you can get just the valve from mitsubishi? i just assumed it was one of those parts where you needed to buy the whole unit.

  10. #10
    Runs on alcohol. The car does too. Not Verified Feedback Score 2 (100%) Intropy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thor'svr4 View Post
    you can get just the valve from mitsubishi?
    Yes.

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