running without a forward oil cooler.....

[Kris Clewell]

what are you guys that dont have an oil cooler up front at all experiencing for temps? Do you have difficulty on long tours and road trips in the summer? Trying to figure out if this needs to be a priority for me or not. I'll be taking several long trips putting thousands of miles on my car in the process I do not have a forward oil cooler. Thoughts?

[M_deJong]

This varies greatly with engine and climate details. IIRC yours is a 72T with a 3.0 CIS engine. All SC's came with at least the loop cooler, so the factory thought so. What kind of temps are you seeing? Anything over 210 I would add a cooler. Heck I would add it anyway because at some point somewhere you'll wish you had it.

[HughH]

I have a 2.7 in my car with RS pump, s most others parts except for E cams. I don't have a problem with temps even on very hot (40 degree C) days in city traffic. Nor do I have a problem on a country drive on a very hot day. I do not track the car however and that would obviously be different. My temp scale has 100 at the 9pm ( horizontal) level on the gauge and on a country trip last night with ambient temps in the mid 20 C. The temps were just under the 100 level. On a hot day and the same trip which is mainly freeway, the temps would seldom be over 105 to 108 certainly nowhere near the 120 next level on the scale although I sometimes see that in very hot weather in stop start city traffic (which is why I try to avoid it)
So I have never felt the need to install one for my type of driving

[DJ911]

I concur with Hugh's experience.

My car has a 3.0 conversion, no front oil cooler. Daily driver including hot South Australian weather in traffic. Temp gauge rarely gets above horizontal and then only a little.

Have had the car on the track on a couple of occasions - different story and need to keep an eye on it.

[Fishcop]

And a third Aussie here running a 2.7RS spec in a hot climate without a front oil cooler. I've had no issues at all other than at the track after about the 8th lap on a hot day... Even then it never pegged the 'really hot' zone.

I've recently plumbed lines and thermostat in and have installed a loop coil at the front, bur so far have not tested it.

[Kris Clewell]

great input guys. I haven't had the car out in summer yet, so I'm not sure how it will do. I've only had it out in fall. I'll see how it goes maybe first and see if I need it. $2000 is a lot to spend if I might not need it....The first big road trip is may, so it shouldnt be too hot, though I am driving to Georgia.

[blucille]

even in the heat of summer, even on track days, the car never needed an oil cooler when I owned it. It seems a lot has happened between then and now, but if you aren't changing the motor, I don't think an oil cooler is needed.

[RSTarga]

Maybe the temp gauge reads upside down in Oz.
My experience is with a 2.7 MFI RS spec and before when it was a 2.4 S spec. If the outside temp is in the mid 90's or above, as you'll certainly find in Georgia and several other places on your trip, you need an oil cooler.
Maybe the 2.2 and under cars don't need them , but anything over certainly benefits from having one.

[Kris Clewell]

even in the heat of summer, even on track days, the car never needed an oil cooler when I owned it. It seems a lot has happened between then and now, but if you aren't changing the motor, I don't think an oil cooler is needed.

What do you mean a lot has happened? I haven't had the car in summer yet so I don't know how it is. Just looking for input based on my experience with my SC which absolutely benefited from having a cooler.

[Kris Clewell]

Maybe the temp gauge reads upside down in Oz.
My experience is with a 2.7 MFI RS spec and before when it was a 2.4 S spec. If the outside temp is in the mid 90's or above, as you'll certainly find in Georgia and several other places on your trip, you need an oil cooler.
Maybe the 2.2 and under cars don't need them , but anything over certainly benefits from having one.

Unfortunately we do get some of that weather even up here in Minnesota! A lot of great input in this thread. I'll have to think about it.