External Oil Cooler

[andrewlandon67]

I'm looking at putting an external cooler on my '67 bug and I'm just curious what y'all would recommend as a good cooler for a car that gets driven fairly heavily, in moderately heavy traffic or on long highway/backroad cruises (45-70 mph) in anywhere from 40-90 degree temps as well as occasionally raced. I know that's kind of a wide range, but I'd just like to make sure my engine's going to stay cool through the increasingly long and hot summers here in Colorado. Thanks!

[Jim Ratto]

I'm looking at putting an external cooler on my '67 bug and I'm just curious what y'all would recommend as a good cooler for a car that gets driven fairly heavily, in moderately heavy traffic or on long highway/backroad cruises (45-70 mph) in anywhere from 40-90 degree temps as well as occasionally raced. I know that's kind of a wide range, but I'd just like to make sure my engine's going to stay cool through the increasingly long and hot summers here in Colorado. Thanks!

I installed a Setrab dual fan cooler in 1997. Typical midsummer temperatures here, in the afternoon exceed 95F and sometimes are above 100F.
For instance, the day of 2017 VW Classic, I left the event around 1:00pm and headed north to Woodland Hills (one of the hotter areas in metropolitan Southern CA) for a Cub Scout commitment I had. Crawling up I-405 for an hour got me to West LA where the freeway was stopped solid. Ambient temps up 405 were in low 90's, mostly 2nd-3rd gear from Carson to West LA. Oil temp stayed 180 without fans on. Took Sunset Blvd exit and ran it out to PCH, where temps were mild, probably high 70's-mid 80's, then took Topanga Canyon into Woodland Hills, where temp was 105F- and bumper to bumper traffic on Ventura Blvd. Had to kick fans on, but oil stayed under 180F.
From there, around 4pm I drove to Sunland-Tujunga on 118 freeway, still high 90's, low 100F, with fans on, oil stayed @ indicated 180F at 75-80mph.
I have an air scoop about 12" X 3" that hangs behind/below RH rear torsion tube, that feeds ambient air through 2x Volvo preheat hoses to fan intake on cooler.
The cooler is in full flow, after filter. I also run VW doghouse cooler, VW 113119031B fan, VW Thing shroud and all cooler ducts and the little frame at base of cooler. Bottom of decklid is propped about 1.5" off normal latch. The cylinder covers I run are OE with the tent over intakes. The latest exhaust I am running brought engine temps down too.

Good luck. If you use same Sterab as I am, you'll need AN adapters to run -8 hose.

Jim

[andrewlandon67]

Awesome, thanks for the info! Your tin situation sounds similar to mine, although I'm running a normal late model fan shroud as I have large tube heater boxes on my car. I don't think I'll ever run anything but stock as far as tin goes. Off the top of your head, would you know how big your actual cooler is, and roughly how big the fans are? Again, thanks for all the info/help!

[Martin S.]

I bought one of the single Setrabs from Aircooled.net. You can find all the details on their site about what is available exactly.
The dual is what I really need, but the single made a big difference in cooling my under decklid turbo motor's oil which gets super hot.
I can watch the needle dip slightly with the fan on, even while driving on the highway. My engine does not get hot unless I'm driving highway speeds, then it cooks.
But this little cooler is amazing!
I was lazy and mounted it by the oil filter since the hoses were already there, and ended up leaving it there, at least for now.
Ideally I would like another single and mount it on the opposite side in the same spot with one cross hose running across the apron, but I'm ok with just this one as long as I don't mind driving in the slow lane on the highway or taking a smaller road, which is what I've been doing.
With this cooler, when I stop from a highway ride, the whole rear of the back fender is warm to the touch! This spot has plenty of airflow and has suffered no damage in thousands of miles of driving although I don't go on gravel roads with it.

[Jim Ratto]

Awesome, thanks for the info! Your tin situation sounds similar to mine, although I'm running a normal late model fan shroud as I have large tube heater boxes on my car. I don't think I'll ever run anything but stock as far as tin goes. Off the top of your head, would you know how big your actual cooler is, and roughly how big the fans are? Again, thanks for all the info/help!

I'll climb under there sometime and measure it and take a picture of how it's oriented. I'll warn you, the way it's up there, next to transaxle, longitudinally, it makes clutch cable replacements and adjustments a real pain in the ass. Same with engine install, that upper driver's side M10 bolt.

I've installed these in a few cars this way, both IRS and swingaxle.

[andrewlandon67]

Awesome, thanks for the info! Your tin situation sounds similar to mine, although I'm running a normal late model fan shroud as I have large tube heater boxes on my car. I don't think I'll ever run anything but stock as far as tin goes. Off the top of your head, would you know how big your actual cooler is, and roughly how big the fans are? Again, thanks for all the info/help!

I'll climb under there sometime and measure it and take a picture of how it's oriented. I'll warn you, the way it's up there, next to transaxle, longitudinally, it makes clutch cable replacements and adjustments a real pain in the ass. Same with engine install, that upper driver's side M10 bolt.

I've installed these in a few cars this way, both IRS and swingaxle.

Yeah, I'm really curious to see how that's situated! Are you running any extra tranny mounts that might interfere?

[Jim Ratto]

Awesome, thanks for the info! Your tin situation sounds similar to mine, although I'm running a normal late model fan shroud as I have large tube heater boxes on my car. I don't think I'll ever run anything but stock as far as tin goes. Off the top of your head, would you know how big your actual cooler is, and roughly how big the fans are? Again, thanks for all the info/help!

I'll climb under there sometime and measure it and take a picture of how it's oriented. I'll warn you, the way it's up there, next to transaxle, longitudinally, it makes clutch cable replacements and adjustments a real pain in the ass. Same with engine install, that upper driver's side M10 bolt.

I've installed these in a few cars this way, both IRS and swingaxle.

Yeah, I'm really curious to see how that's situated! Are you running any extra tranny mounts that might interfere?

Just front strap. It doesn't interfere with cooler.

[Big Al]

I used to run a  cooler hung under the luggage floor over the gearbox. Never had any cooling issues I knew about tho didn't have a guage. Also kept out of flying stones!