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MR2 gets a remote oil cooler


The reoccurring theme throughout this entire rebuild has been based around heat dissipation.

Having already upgraded and relocated the intercooler it was now time to fit and install a remote oil cooler and filter setup.

The first of many hurdles to over come was how to plumb hoses from the existing output on the block. Most people would use a sandwich plate between the block and the oil filter. The drawback of a sandwich plate is that it adds too much height to the oil filter which causes it to touch the extractors.

So i decided to go with a “direct line out” kit. Annoyingly the factory spacer between the block and oil filter simply adds too much height for the lines to escape without them touching the extractors.

So the decision was made to throw away the factory spacer mount which created yet another problem. The spacer mount is made up of several components; a plate that bolts to the block and a plate that bolts to the oil filter and there is no way to bolt the oil filter directly to the block. To achieve this I had to pinch the oil filter threaded fitting from the 2nd half of the spacer and lengthening it.

So, after some measuring the fitting was cut in half and a small section of tube was welded in to extend it just enough to allow me to bolt the oil lines directly out to the block.

Now that the lines were all sorted I needed to think about where to put the oil cooler. Being a mid engine car there isn’t much opportunity to mount and effectively cool an oil filter. Luckily I had recently opened up some space in the engine bay by relocating the intercooler to the boot.

So my father and I built a sub-frame and mount the oil cooler and the oil filter directly under the engine bay cover which is vented outside. We also decided to mount a small fan underneath to assist in air flow.

Lastly, all that needed to be done was to wire the new oil cooler fan to the same circuit as the exhaust fan using a relay.

Granted this isn’t the most beautiful solution, but I’ll tell you what.. it’s simple, easy, serviceable, removable and does the job.

Lloyd Waldron

About the author: Lloyd Waldron

Cars are more then transport, they represent more than freedom or independence and they are a part of our identity. Cars reflect the personality of their owners. You can instantly tell if the owner takes pride in themselves; you'll know if they have a messy bedroom and occasionally you'll guess their sense of humor. Cars say so much about people, so I figure I should say something about them..

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