OIL COOLER TAKE-OFFS - WARNING!!!

[wilf]

Have been busy assembling parts to fit the oil cooler to my Crendon. One area I note with some dismay is the design of the oil take off sandwich plate which fits between the block and the oil filter to allow cooler line take off points.
I used one with a built in thermostat for proper oil temp control. What worries me is the inadequate internal oil ports in this plate. The points where the hose couplings come in were 50% ineffective - the casting had been drilled and tapped OK, but not cleared out, so where the drilling stopped, there was approx 50% of the oil passageway blocked off due to the design of the casting.
Also the internal ports which allow oil to flow around the oil 'stat were far to small.
Opening these up with a die grinder (bit like porting a head) has made the unit acceptable for use. As supplied it would have presented significant resistance to oil flow - not a good idea.
Now I don't want to name the supplier, since they have been extremely helpful in other ways, and I suspect this item is as supplied by them to a number of other outlets. They shared my opinion - in fact the guy I was speaking to had modified his own unit same as me for his own car! They now know what I think of the unit and have promised to look at modifying it in the future.
Moral - if you have a sandwich plate type take off - have a good look at it and consider mods - oil is too important to our engines to take chances.
BTW - my engine small block ford - don't know what sandwich plates for other engines look like, but it's always worth checking!
PS - if you do grind away obstructions, make d**m sure it's 100% clean before you refit it!

Wilf Leek

[RigMan]

....a name would help us be able to be more cautious though Wilf.

RigMan

[wilf]

Rigman - the take-off plate I used was branded "Mocal" - I believe that no matter where you get these things, probably they all emanate from the same initial supplier - I just happened to go direct to that supplier rather than through an intermediary. Bearing in mind how important oiling is to our precious engines, it's probably a point worth checking no matter what the branding.
Hope this helps

Wilf