Granted I dont exactly need one usualy, but its a different story once I get on the freeway - after sustained cruising at 80mph oil pressure goes down to nowhere.

Now I gather than the ideal size is the 10 row rather than the usual 13row coolers? Any opinions?

Mocal or Scherk? How about no name brands one can get for like $50?

Is buying anything but a brand new unit idiotic (coz of the debries that might still be inside - is that why most people sell their coolers?)?

Can you get second hand ones pressure cleaned?

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

Todays oils almost negate the need for oil coolers. But in saying that, i have one on my new motor. Cheap insurance, as i see it.

I have a 13 row, with bling braided lines. 140ish for the cooler, plus 120 (I think) for the lines. The braid was only an extra 40 bucks, so i kinda thought 'bugger it'.

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

well obviously not in my car, not on the freeway as the oil pressure falls and its temperature rises.

but isn't it best to use ye olde mineral oil in our ye olde engines?

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We had this problem in Barney- after some freeway running the oil pressure would drop to 35psi and idle near 10... I suspected the relief valve was leaking. Oil is Valvoline SF 20W/50, no cooler.
So I flung the valve, fitted a 9/16" steel ball, shortened the spring 4mm and put a piece of 5/16" dia rod inside it.
Pressure now stays at 55 on the freeway and it idles at 25.
I'd do this mod first if not already.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Doc any opinion on oil coolers? Are used ones not to be touched and what about the no name brands?

Re the relief valve - I might pick up an extra case on the way over on Monday, if you know what I mean

As the DOC says use the ball bearing conversion or as an easier alternative to the ball bearing check the valve for scoring, replace if necessary and then just lap the relief valve onto its seat. Apparently this wasn't done when the engines where built originally. The valve was just put in and assumed it wasn't going to leak too much. It probably wasn't a problem in the UK.
Had a similar problem on my new 66 'S'. The dealer couldn't or wouldn't fix it (this was 1966) and it was only fixed at the first engine rebuild when I lapped the valve onto its seat. I do this at every rebuild now and don't usually have oil pressure problems. Usually have 50 psi at idle and runs at 75 psi at any speed.

Regards
RonR

As a flipside for your average about town mini,

I have digital temperature guage from Jaycar fitted to my oilcooler (simply got the probe and snuggly inserted it into one of the slots in the cooler to avoid drilling holes and fitting glands. I know it will a little innacurate, but it is a guide). You should see the amount of time it takes to get the engine oil up to temperature with the oil cooler fitted, sometimes it takes half an hour around town to get it to 80 degrees (unless you blank it off with cardboard).

Can't tell you much about the brands of oilcooler, but when I bought my replacement, i noticed they were identical in construction and design, they might be the same just with different stickers if you look closely enough.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Mick has it pretty right

"most" minis will hardly ever get their oil temp up high enough & therefore will never ever need an oil cooler.

oils don`t do much in the way of lubrication when they`re cold,,,they really only do a decent job when they`re warm, & an oil cooler isn`t much chop for the first 20mins of driving when the oil is allready cold,,,keeping it cold only wrecks the engine.

the best way (If you really "want" an oil cooler) is to fit it with the thermostat & by-pass system,,,it`s pretty expensive & just another thing in the way, but if you really really want an oil cooler, then this system allows the oil to come up to temp quicker & then cools the slippery stuff then,,,if it runs a tad cold, then it shuts off the flow through the cooler & by-passes it direct to the engine again

Mike,,,i`d be suspicious of your crankshaft->bearing clearances & oil pump condition,,,what oil are you using???

Kev may well be right with the relief valve,,,& definately the first thing to check,,,but,,,I`m allways the suspicious type when it comes to this topic...i just hate hearing sad engine stories.

Hope all is well

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

and that's because the oil doesn't get hot enough to burn off all of the harmfull engine deposits.

I agree with most of the above.
These days, the only point in having a cooler really is for track work, where it DOES get bloody hot and then can drop pressure.
And that's the only reason I keep one on Ha-Ha, Barney gets by quite well without one.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

And you have to put up with crappy gear changes until the oil heats up!

You could go ahead and get the cooler, just put cardboard between the cooler and the grill until you want to fly down the freeway or do a track day.


My old man goes on about his MK1 Cooper S he owned in Holland (Only for a week, he put it into a canal sliding on black ice!). It had a venetian blind like grill apparently to keep the cold out overnight in the depths of an icy winter. I've never seen one though.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

ah...
ever seen a rolls royce silver spirit?
they used to have verticle "venetians" which did actually turn to adjust the temp of the motor

Mine are best when oil is cold... work that out. Not that they are bad when hot...
re using a cooler around town- at the speed of traffic in Sydney, it's not doing any `cooling' anyhow.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.