Early RT4 oil-to-water intercooler

[Charles Warner]

Hoping someone may have an early (1980-81) RT-4 oil-to-water intercooler that was installed on the RHS engine leg just aft of the oil tank. In 1981 all cars were supplied converted from dual radiator (hence my search for a RHS radiator) and intercooler, to single a radiator on the LHS with an oil cooler on the RHS. (This necessitated a RHS bodywork change.) Ergo, these intercoolers would not be used in an application I can think of other than as designed.

email fattogatto@msn.com with details.

[J Leonard]

Like this one? PM me.

[Charles Warner]

We have a winner!

[J Leonard]

My inbox was full, it's cleaned up now.

[10rmotor]

Does anyone know what the cooling matrix inside the enclosure looks like? I'm kind of guessing its a typical plate air/oil cooler with an aluminum box welded around it. Are they easy to clean in the event of an engine failure and shrapnel being distributed throughout the cooling system?

The reason I ask is because I normally use a round setrab water/oil heat exchanger which have become sort of unobtanium. I don't like the aeroquip ones as I don't think they cool as well as the setrab unit. I could make my own heat exchanger based on the plate air/oil matrix cooler without too much trouble.

thanks!

[Charles Warner]

Does anyone know what the cooling matrix inside the enclosure looks like? I'm kind of guessing its a typical plate air/oil cooler with an aluminum box welded around it. Are they easy to clean in the event of an engine failure and shrapnel being distributed throughout the cooling system?

The reason I ask is because I normally use a round setrab water/oil heat exchanger which have become sort of unobtanium. I don't like the aeroquip ones as I don't think they cool as well as the setrab unit. I could make my own heat exchanger based on the plate air/oil matrix cooler without too much trouble.

thanks!

If I remember correctly, it is simply an oil cooler with the aluminum box welded around it. I would think it would be easy to clean as long as the oil cooler is intact.

[10rmotor]

If I remember correctly, it is simply an oil cooler with the aluminum box welded around it. I would think it would be easy to clean as long as the oil cooler is intact.

Thanks Charles. I'm going through a blowup recovery right now and am just running solvent through my coolers. I've got more plate air/oil coolers that are known clean but always looking for alternatives. The round setrab heat exchanger seems like it doesn't have tinier passages than the plate air/oil coolers and should be easier to clean with conventional methods (running solvent through it). In the past I've used a place in socal called pacific oil cooler service that cleans heat exchangers for airplanes. Their service is very good but costly as well, more expensive than buying a new cooler.

How effective is this fabricated cooler in keeping oil temps down?

[Charles Warner]

Thanks Charles. I'm going through a blowup recovery right now and am just running solvent through my coolers. I've got more plate air/oil coolers that are known clean but always looking for alternatives. The round setrab heat exchanger seems like it doesn't have tinier passages than the plate air/oil coolers and should be easier to clean with conventional methods (running solvent through it). In the past I've used a place in socal called pacific oil cooler service that cleans heat exchangers for airplanes. Their service is very good but costly as well, more expensive than buying a new cooler.

How effective is this fabricated cooler in keeping oil temps down?

Not only was it great at keeping the oil and water temps under control, and within a few degrees of each other, it was really good at getting the oil temp up after a cold start. It did require two radiators instead of just one.

[10rmotor]

Not only was it great at keeping the oil and water temps under control, and within a few degrees of each other, it was really good at getting the oil temp up after a cold start. It did require two radiators instead of just one.

The beauty of heat exchangers! Thanks again Charles, I may decide to build one or two like this in the future.