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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 1500 Oil Cooler

Ok, I'm too lazy and tired to go through the archives and a simple answer is all I'm looking for here and if there's any cautionary notes from personal experience, that's ok too.

It has been suggested that I install an oil cooler for my 1500 midget. There's no complete kit for the 1500 unlike the 1275 but there's one listed at both Moss and Victoria British for the (gasp!) Spitfire.

Question....will this fit the 1500? I know the engines are the same but the rest of the car isn't.

Thanks and good night.



Clive Reddin

There are complete kits in the UK Moss so find it bizarre that there isn't there, but it all depends on the length of the hoses so I would suggest that you ask the lengths!

It also depends on what number of rows it has.
rachmacb

Clive:

Moss has p/n# 235-922, "Midget 1500 oil cooler installation kit", which is what I purchased and (partially) installed on my 1500.

A few caveats: Moss states "May require relocation of air pump hose", why, I don't recall as my car has had the air pump removed long ago. Also, I ended up not using the supplied hoses.

To Wit: In the first pic below, note the 45 degree angled fitting coming off the cooler: a short (tight radius) 90 degree fitting (as supplied in the kit) at that point would have required raising the cooler up off the shelf in front of the radiator and thereby restricting some airflow. Rather than doing this I opted for some aftermarket barbed fittings at my local hydraulic supply shop (think forklifts and tractors).

Pic #2: You can see I got another set of aftermarket barb fittings, 90 degrees but with a wider sweep (taller) to fit on the sandwich plate. I now think that these were not necessary had I been willing to cut the hoses in the kit, but don't quote me on that as it's been a few years since the install. The important thing to notice in the 2nd pic is that I have installed a GM alternator which is SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTER than the Lucas unit, which may have made the cooler install more cumbersome, although a twist in the position of the plate away from the alternator would probably would give sufficient clearance.

To sum up: You need the sandwich plate and it's attendant o-ring and filter adapter nut as found in the kit, the hoses may or may not work for you. I installed the 13-row cooler from Moss and I have found the following: my 1500 NEVER has gone (much) above normal temp since it was installed, this includes sitting in traffic with an air temp of 105 and a pavement temp of God knows what. once the car comes to temp, there it sits: cold, hot, hard running, whatever. And if you like to drive your car between November and April, INSTALL AN OIL COOLER THERMOSTAT. It's not really an option if you want your car to run at the right temp in the winter.

HTH, Richard



Richard Reeves

Pic #2




Richard Reeves

Mine goes down, then goes round the Lucas alt.
You dont need to completly remove the air hose although a bit of the end needs to go as the cooler hoses exit through the same place.


BH Harvey

This thread was discussed between 27/07/2011 and 28/07/2011

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