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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Oil cooler priming

I was just thinking that, as the flow of oil from the pump heads straight out of the old banjo fitting to the oil cooler, is it a good idea to fill the oil cooler (and hoses) before turning the engine over for the first time in umpteen years to avoid waiting too long for oil to circulate to the bearings?
It's a new oil cooler so there's no residual oil in it and I will have primed the pump first. (1275)

Graeme
graeme jackson

I would.
Philip Dodd

I've probably put this already but what the heck, I'd suggest for a road car you also fit an oil thermostat especially for where you live or have you'll need to keep shielding the cooler during the cold weather
Nigel Atkins

id go a differant direction

dont use the oil.cooler just yet...id run it 1st for an hour before using the cooler

disable the ignition so it wint start and turn the engine on the starter for a few minutes

or better yet

barrow or rent whats called an oiler ... the oil is a small tank of oil thats hooked to compressor and hooked to the engine and it injects oil thur the system and lubericates all the bearing and crevis... takes about 10 minutes then you start the engine

but what ever you do... I wouldnt start this engine with the oil cooler hooked up...esp if there is a therostate in the system somewhere

just a tip... use spark plug antisiezure compound on the threads of your oil pipe fittings, that will allow them to be reused later down the road

prop



Prop and the Blackhole Midget

As Nigel pointed out, you should use a thermostat on the oil cooler lines. If you do, that takes the cooler out of the system and the oil goes directly to the filter, so no special priming is necessary (the cooler will not fill until after the oil has been heated up sufficiently to open the thermostat).



Norm
Norm Kerr

Another vote for thermostatic control, essential to ensure the oil isn't overcooled.

Jeremy
Jeremy 3

i went with a thermostat(http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/oil-coolers-accessories/mocal-oil-stat) and topped oil up after it had been run up to temp all seems ok
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

Prop's suggestion is a good one and is something I did when I first built my engine. I left the cooler out of circuit, filled the sump with running-in oil and used the car for 300 miles like that. Then I drained, changed the filter, filled the sump and the cooler with 20-50, connected the cooler up and off we went. That way, any metal particles that might be in the oil over the first miles don't get lodged in the cooler to cause problems later. And I used a cooler thermostat as well. If you don't, the oil will never get hot in the winter and all that nasty condensation won't evaporate off. The oil needs to get up to 100 degrees C to be effective in it's job.
Mike Howlett

unless you're going to use the car on track days or for a lot of towing I wouldn't fit an oil cooler

with a freshly rebuilt engine regular thorough oil drains and oil and filter changes using good quality oil should negate the need for an oil cooler
Nigel Atkins

I do fill the oil cooler when I fit a new one. I do have an oil thermostat but still fill the oil cooler when I fit a new one.

I do have an oil cooler (16 row) on a road car and have used a 13 row. I do have an oil temperature gauge so do know how hot oil can get on a road car when it's being driven hard

I do use a synthetic oil.

Oil temps are not like coolant temps. The oil temp doesn't do much until you use a lot (like 6K+)of revs and then it climbs rapidly even if the coolant temp is rock steady. Want to see the oil temp move round the gauge - try a long pull on the dyno.
Daniel Stapleton

ah yes I should have put near standard engine road car, most near standard engine 1275 road cars don't usually travel at 6k+ revs for very long

sounds like you need to look for a different type of dyno

an oil temp gauge is another thing to worry you in a near standard engine road car

but for those that want to increase the engine power that may need these items there are books available with such information
Nigel Atkins

I'm not sure I'd call it 'near standard' nigel. it's been bored out to 1293, head and block skimmed to raise CR, big inlet and exhaust valves, Piper magnum 270 cam, 1.5:1 roller tip rockers, K&N filter, LCB exhaust and bigger than standard bore 'performance' system from janspeed. Perhaps not as wild as some but far enough away from standard to attract the attention of the insurance companies.
graeme jackson

that's a lot of numbers Graeme I wonder what it'll add up to, like you say not near standard
Nigel Atkins

It's not necessary for me to look for a different type of dyno, all that's required is to do a series of short pulls rather than one long pull. The very experienced and reputable dyno operator advised me that the long pull I intended was very long and did question if the cooling system would cope with it. Since I was interested in the cooling system's ability to cope we did the long pull (I was driving). The operator regularly checked if the engine temp was ok which I acknowledged. It was only at the very late stages of the pull that the temperature climbed fast but remained within safe limits.
Daniel Stapleton

all sounds spot on with your dyno operator
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 21/02/2013 and 23/02/2013

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