All engines require a cooling system which is provided by the radiator system containing water. However, high-performance autos used in competitive motor sports, or vehicles whose engines have to work hard to carry large weights or tow other vehicles have benefited from the installation of separate engine oil coolers. In order to remove one third of the heat generated by the engine, the integration of reliable and efficient engine oil coolers is becoming more common in all types of motor vehicles.
Generally, a car's engine has two cooling systems which can be found on the top of the engine and its surrounding area. Ideally, the operating range of engine oil must be kept within 180 to 200 Fahrenheit. It is important that the oil maintain this temperature range to ensure that it will perform its intended functions correctly.
As the modern auto engines in newly manufactured cars tend to be smaller and faster running than previous designs, they produce more heat. Because of this the maintenance of oil temperatures within acceptable levels is critical. Smaller engines also have reduced oil capacity. This means that there is extra stress put on all the engine components and the motor oil is even more important in ensuring the smooth running of every part.
How Oil Coolers Work
Oil coolers come with two basic designs – the tube-and-fin style coolers and the stacked plate coolers. With tube-and-fin style coolers, heat produced by the engine is extracted through the tubes and carried to the fins, where it will be sopped up with the air flowing from the cooler. Different types of tubes are used by varying cooler manufacturers. Some make use of swizzle stick like agitators which are embedded inside the tubes in order to preclude oil sludge build-up. However, the result from this can be quite random and often results in minimal improvement to the cooler's overall efficiency.
The stacked plate coolers, on the other hand, disperse heat by allowing the oil to flow into multiple passages inside the stacked plates. Stacked style coolers are designed to cool the oil by air flow passing over the multiple plates, however the elements are stacked so close together that it inhibits air flow in the cooler, and they are not as efficient as they should be. The stacked plate oil cooler design is not applicable for automobiles that are subjected to stressful environments like those competing in auto racing.
Efficient Oil Coolers
In particular, the Perma-Cool engine cooler with its patented "Turbulator" is gaining reputation as being more efficient than both the tube and fin or stacked style coolers. It offers numerous benefits and available in varying cooling kits.
The advantages that you'll enjoy with this kind of engine cooler include the following:
- Maximum cooling efficiency without compromising oil flow
- Reduction of oil temperature to acceptable levels
- Significant heat subjugation on the engine and radiator
- Improved capacity of oil system
Hopefully, this information will help you gain enough knowledge about the use and importance of engine oil coolers.