Oil Cooler and Temp Gauge Install

[Frozen WS6]

My track has mandated engine diapers for cars going 9.99 and faster. So I have to get one. I drive my car (almost an hour each way) to and from the track because I don't own a car trailer. So that means I'd have to drive out and back with the diaper installed on the engine. Which in therory will cut off the air flowing over the pan and retaining the engine and oil heat and possibly allowing the oil temps to get too hot. Which could cause engine damage.

So I ordered a Lingenfelter adapter (on the right). Then I found a Mocal adapter (on the left) with a built in thermostat.


Then I ordered a autometer phantom oil temp gauge (electric), and a Derale cooler with built in fan. Since I was going to install this behind my transmission cooler I wanted to help draw cool air through both coolers. They are in the bumper where the license plate goes, so it's too far away for the radiator fans to do much good.


Here I removed the factory block above the oil filter. Make sure you have a catch pan under there because it will drain a decent amount of oil.


All 3 adapters out on the bench.

[Frozen WS6]

Well after trying to fit the Mocal adapter in there. The fittings hit the block and the lower one was too low for me to be comfortable and was going to make changing the oil filter next to impossible.

So I went with the lingenfelter adapter. I have since moved the temp sensor from the bottom port to the front port but I had to get a m12x1.5 adapter to thread it in. because they tapped it to fit the stock temp sensors.


But I still wanted to run a Thermostat because in the spring and fall the air temps are in the low 40's. So at those temps the oil won't even need to run through a cooler.
So I bought the Mocal inline oil cooler thermostat.


It's a close fit but there's enough room.
Here's a test fit of the lingenfelter adapter.


Here I was getting the -8 lines in the correct positions so they weren't touching the headers or any moving parts. The blue wire is the sender wire for my oil temp gauge.

[Frozen WS6]

Here are a couple more pics of it installed.
Looking up from the bottom.


Looking back from the front.


The Mocal inline thermostat installed. The bracket that came with it was pretty weak so I bent up another one to fit over there's and it worked great.


The cooler installed in the bumper. I have my bumper support out so I believe that is the only way to beable to mount it here. I mounted it behind my transmission cooler and the fan draws air through both coolers.


The reason the oil filter looks old or used. Brake cleaner was a good friend of mine (be sure to only spray it after everything has been installed or spray it on to a rag and wipe an area clean. You DO NOT want to get any of it in the oil). After the original install, I went for a test drive and had leaks. So I had to remove everything and reinstall it all.
I finally went for another test drive yesterday. 70 miles round trip through both city and short highway. It stayed at about 225 the whole time very consistant and no more leaks. Now it's time to order my engine diaper and see what happens.
It was a pain to fit my hands without removing anything from the engine to make extra room.

[Frozen WS6]

I forgot the pic of the gauge.




It was hard to get clear pics of some of the things. There is atleast a 1/4 inch between the sender, line, and the headers. So I don't think heat transfer should be an issue. But I'm going to get some heat wrap to cover the wire with.

The mocal adapter with built in thermostat may fit with different fittings on it. But I don't have the resources up here to mess with it locally. So It's just a expensive paper weight.