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MG MGA - Oil cooler placement

Hi,
I will be installing an oil cooler in my '57 1500 and was wondering if it should go above the horizontal pan, or below. My concerns are that above the pan, it will sit directly in front of the radiator and impede airflow to the radiator. Below the pan, and I'm not sure there is enough airflow down there to effectively cool the oil cooler..
Any thoughts.
Thanks
Pete
Pete

I'm in the same dilemna. Mine is below and the car runs hot. I plan to move it up and see if it makes a difference for the better or worse. Below would definately be better if you were willing to cut vent holes in your valance. I'm not willing to do that personally.
Steve Simmons

When I built my car I wanted to put in the oil cooler. I went thru the same questions in my mind. I opted for the factory location. I thought that hanging under the duct panel would makke it more susseptable to road damage.

The problem I did have was running the Moss rubber hoses from that position past the steering gaitors. They rubbed and I ruined the gaitors within one season. If you opt for this position, I would get, or build, hardlines that followed the original path. I made a suitable alternative using a combination of rubber lines and custom made copper tubing.

I have no overheating problems.

Chuck
Chuck Schaefer

Pete,

Original position was below with a combination of steel and rubber pipes.

I put mine above with the pipes just over the side/top of the radiator support. Just enough room there without cutting anything.

Detected no difference at all in running temp. Oil pressure at hot idle, after a long run, increased by about 5 psi to 40 on mine.

Chris.

I
Chris C

Another alternative re hose placement is to use a hole saw to cut two round holes in the radiator support bracket on the filter side-similar to the MGB
I did this many years ago and it has worked out fine. I run a pair of stainless braid hoses, put a grommet in each hole to eliminate chafing of the hose.
Also be sure you make a large enough hole for the nuts on the ends of the hoses to pass through!

Some day plan B would be to cut a suitable slot in an aftermarket fiberglass apron and mount the cooler behind it with a suitable screen. I would want to make up a bracket for the cooler to attach to drop it down behind this aperature. That way you could still have a bumper and the crank would still be operative. The shape of the apron would at least partially shield the cooler. And, I believe the longer braid hose would reach the cooler.
John
John

The original position is on top, with the steel lines coming up from under the panel. It seem that most, if not all, reproduction coolers have the oil lines coming into the top of the cooler.
Ed Bell

The repro coolers can be mounted either way -- there are flanges on the top and the bottom. You put the outlet side up if you run flex hoses, MGB-style. You flip the cooler over if you still have your metal pipes coming up from underneath. The OE oil coolers were asymmetrical -- flange and outlets on the bottom only. My cooler is in the factory mounted position front of the radiator, and I've never had a problem with engine heat. Mounting it upside down below the radiator shelf would probably require holes in the valance for air flow, get you pretty close to kicked-up rocks and gravel, and put your hoses either perilously close to the ground, or punched through the radiator support brackets, MGB-style and down through holes in the shelf. Sounds dodgy.
Mark Lambert

I have had my oil cooler mounted on top the panel for the last 4 years. The car would get hot in traffic. This winter i mounted in, nipples up, to the bottom side of the panel. The standard hoses fit perfectly with the nipples passing thru two 1.25 dia holes in the panel. Looks quite nice too. I don't know how well it works yet as the temperature here in the Adirondacks is still in the 50-60s F.
w.g cook

This thread was discussed on 27/05/2005

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