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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 948 oil cooler

Can anyone recommend someone that makes an oil cooler kit that fits a 948cc engine which includes a spin on filter conversion. Just after something that bolts on easily without modification.
Ed H

An oil cooler kit is probably available from most of the usual suspects. It wouldn't normally include a spin-on filter head, but that can easily be bought separately.

Here's an example.

http://www.sussexclassiccar.co.uk/shop_factory_hazel/contents/en-uk/d1218.html

It doesn't list a fitting kit specifically for the 948, but there is essentially no difference that I can think of between 948 & 1098/1275, unless it's a Frogeye.
Dave O'Neill2

unless your racing or towing I don't see why you'd want an oil cooler in Bucks
Nigel Atkins

Keith Calver http://www.calverst.com/ does a nice screw on filter head that is both stronger and offers better flow than the original version..

Gets you part way there.. :-)

Mark.
M T Boldry

Should have made myself a bit clearer , yes it is for a Frogeye and I guess this makes a difference and car will soon be in Australia not in UK so ambient temp is much hotter over here than in Buckinghamshire !!
Thanks for info so far.
Ed H

Ed, where in Aus are you coming to...?

I may be able to give you some help / guidelines for Compliance.... etc..

Mark.

mark26r(at)hotmail(dot)com

M T Boldry

Mark i've replied via email
Ed
Ed H

uhm seem to have lost a post I'll try again

Ed,
obviously Mark would know better than I but do you need an oil cooler on a road car for all parts of Aus?

I'm told that Bs that went to California didn’t have oil coolers and (most?) were without the benefit of O/D so higher revving in top gear in a place that gets very hot and the cars didn’t suffer unduly

perhaps using modern oils and/or regular oil changes and coolant and keeping the coolant and cooling(/heating) system in good condition maybe enough(?)

a lot of UK midget 1500 owners now seem to favour oil coolers but a lad confirmed to me that his mother had a 1500 from back in the day and used it extensively in this country (and possibly touring abroad but I might have remember this bit wrong) without an oil cooler and the car ran very well for a very good number of years

there was a thread discussing oil coolers on here, unless the weather is always hot wouldn’t you also be best to fit an oil thermostat too?

I don’t think we got to the bottom of the differences between oil thermostats (full flow?)

if you’re going over with the car then best wishes, I hope you have a great time
Nigel Atkins

Nigel

Yes plan would be to fit an oil thermostat too as I don't want to over cool the oil in the winter as temps are no so hot (more like an english summers day!!).
Summer though we do get weeks where its over 30 deg C day in day out with a lot of humidity sometimes getting close to 40 deg C. Having run the car in France in similar (not quite as hot ) temps I did notice oil pressure drops down a fair bit . Just wanted to give the old girl a better chance when she's screaming along in the heat.
Ed H

Well if she's screaming along well done, good on ya

in 40 degree heat and lots of humidity I've no idea how that compares to California as regards being without oil coolers

I can't take 25 degrees over here for very long, a day 30 degrees does for me I'm afraid, in the summer my neighbour calls me the vampire as he doesn't see me out in the sun much plus I tan very quickly and have stupid white marks and lines on my limbs and feet

can you remind me about these full flow(?) or not(?)
oil thermostats there's some rattling around in my brain about - apart from the prime condition cell
Nigel Atkins

Nigel
don't know a great deal about the oil stats bar a little on the Mocal ones which I believe open at about 80 deg and do this by having some kind of internal wax switch that only opens when oil gets to 80+. As far as full flow or not I'm not sure.
Ed
Ed H

I look after quite a few Midgets and Sprites here in Aus and only a few have oil coolers. We don't have one on Anita's std 1275 Midget and don't have any overheating or oil pressure problems.

You'll find the 20/50 oil here is as you'd remember it from the good old days... there are also 20/60 and 25/70 grades available.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Mark thank you, you've giving me more confidence about not necessarily needing oil coolers, certainly for road use

as for oil, some may have been told it's 20w/50 was and is to be used over here but it aint necessarily so

talking of oil grades I'm just about to put up a thread

and there's Lawrences thread about synthetic oil (Mobil 1)
Nigel Atkins

Hi Ed

As you may remember (last time your head was under the bonnet in Houx campsite!) mine is an in line Mocal stat, taking oil to a 10 row cooler mounted in front of the radiator. Works really well, with a stat, there is no harm in having a cooler, it can only help. The Frogeye won't scream quite as much with the longer diff that we fitted, however given your crazy temperatures, you might well need the cooler!

Speak soon

Robin
Robin Cohen

This thread was discussed between 22/01/2012 and 28/01/2012

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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