MHX Oil Coolers

[James Ryan]

I'm planning to delete the stock oil cooler when I get my Aluminator installed so I need a larger air-oil cooler. I ran a smaller Setrab with the stock cooler. The recommendation for a stand-alone Setrab is the 948. I've been looking at Improved Racing's website and their MHX line. They have two and three pass coolers that look pretty solid. Has anyone looked at these units or installed them? Thoughts?

Here is the unit I was thinking about. Supports 600HP.

MHX-530 High-Efficiency Dual-Pass Oil Cooler

Light-weight, compact, high-efficiency dual-pass oil cooler is 20% smaller, 15% lighter, and has 64% more oil capacity than a 50-row stacked plate oil cooler. Ideal for engine oil cooling engines making over 600 HP. Similar heat rejection rates and lower air side pressure drops when compared to...

www.improvedracing.com

Hi.
Remember that a two-pass or worse, a three-pass oil cooler (or water radiator) does not necessarily cool better. When you pass the fluid through three times, you effectively pass it through three small coolers. This causes the oil to remain in the cooler three times longer. Remember that cooling is a function of the temperature of the fluid passing through the cooler and the ambient temperature. The formula is Delta T, where you subtract the cooling medium from the fluid temperature. What is more, a multi-pass cooler will restrict the oil pressure. Pressure is a good thing with water radiators but not oil coolers.
The following website has a lot of content on cooling: Appliedspeed.com/blog

 

[James Ryan]

I do not see how much oil could leak back to the engine when the fittings are installed on the bottom of the cooler. The oil would have to go through the oil pump gears, and the engine bearings, etc., have little clearance to allow oil to pass through.

 

[docs302]

I ended up getting a Setrab 948. I already had the mount and I know they work so I didn't experiment. I have the smaller Setrab so I'll post it in classifieds if anyone is thinking of adding an additional cooler with the stock unit.