Here is a pic of the aux radiator with the fan

after the pic was taken it was painted black to dress it up

 

This page is for the oil cooler mod I have done on the van, the van has a 2.0 ABA motor, 1.8 head; work of art conversion, performed by www.theautobahnsociety.com  the setup is different per say than the original Wasserboxer motor, but that does not mean it cannot be accomplished. The factory oil coolers are very similar in design and probably the same part, I just haven’t research it. But I am sure the Wasserboxer oil gets really hot too. This to wouldn’t be a bad mod for a Jetta owner who drives their car hard, it would even be a good mod for a Diesel Westy owner. Westy's just weigh more and tax their motors.

 

 

The Problem:

 

The ABA 2.0 Jetta motor has a factory oil cooler which by itself is minimal protection. It’s just a sandwich cooler, with no large surface area. With just two coolant lines plumbed to it, so in turn the hotter the coolant, the hotter the oil temp. My oil temps with the factory cooler would be over 230 plus degrees easy. Enough to where I wouldn’t look at the gauge anymore to limit “Vanagon Anxiety” .I also had oil pressure drops when traveling over 4 hours? (kayakers cross train to be truck drivers, they just don't know it) from the oil getting hot and breaking down. I tried Mobil synthetic motor oil, but it caused leaks so I went back to Castrol 20W-50 Dino oil with no more leaks. Besides I don’t want to go to the bank for an oil change. I know I drive the van hard, it’s a Westy…. already heavy, then I usually have it loaded with a raft, 2 kayaks/gear, food/clothes, and camping gear for 5.Plus a paranoid list of tools and parts etc (Seems I help others more with the tools than anything) So I knew I needed to make a heavy –duty mod. ¾ Ton pickups have extensive oil cooling and I knew my van should be no exception, and I want a 3rd gear hill climber. The mountains are where the creeks are at….the ole catch-22.

 

First Mod:

 

I have an oil temp gauge that I calibrated by wiring a 1000k ? potentiometer in series with the sensor powering the gauge. I mounted it on a bracket behind the glove box. I can drop the glove box and adjust the gauge. I purchased an infrared thermometer from radio shack P/n#22-325. I take my readings off the oil filter. Once the reading is taken I then “dial-in” the oil temp gauge. No more wondering “if that gauge is right”.

 

Second Mod:

 

The second mod was to install a 30 Amp switching relay that I acquired from J.C. Whitney p/n# wc149433y that over rides the front radiator coolant fan. I have a master 30 Amp switch installed on the dash and labeled. The original low speed and high speed of the fan still works in its original layout, so it won’t interfere with the A/C operations, but now I have the option of turning the fan on high speed. Makes it nice for when climbing in the mountains. I mounted the relay by the front radiator fan out of the way and in the dry and RTV the connections. It is a plug in relay and I carry a spare. The same part was used to drive my headlight(s) that I modified. So I can always swap parts on a roadside fix.

 

Third Mod:

 

 

The Third modification was an installation of a J.C Whitney oil cooler p/n#wc47603x . I mounted the cooler under the passenger side sliding door. I fabricated brackets using galvanized perforated angle that I got from home depot. P/n #  sku 470036  mfg# 41780 I used old coolant hoses, and cut them up for isolation mounts.  I then acquired some thin galvanized sheet metal. And enclosed the oil cooler, first for protection from rocks and road trash, and secondly to provide a mount and draft for a 9” radiator fan that I acquired off EBay. The fan can be over-ride/ driven off the relay from the front radiator for a fan override. More importantly the fan is driven by a 180 degree thermostat switch rated for oil use acquired from J.C. Whitney. P/n#wc476787a. After all that was done I fabricated a spoiler/air duct scoop using a landscape timber for a sheetmetal brake. (It worked pretty good I have to admit.) Now I have massive air flow when traveling down the road, and air flow provided by the fan when crawling or when sitting at the red light.

 

The oil cooler kit came with a sandwich adapter that has piece of bi-metal in it; this metal blocks the flow of oil, until it reaches at a rated180 degrees. This keeps it simple. I installed the 180 degree electrical thermostat switch; after all of this…… this gives me that warm fuzzy feeling. If the fan doesn’t kick on, I know I probably don’t have oil flow to the cooler. I bonded/installed a ground wire to the switch, by bonding it to the vehicle frame by using a worm clamp to the brass switch housing and running a piece of #14 awg wire to the body with a self tapping screw. My reason for bonding; if the switch faulted to ground; the fuse would blow and let me know. You have to do this since rubber hoses don’t conduct electricity. Word to the wise the oil switch is VERY fragile, and it leaked. It was so fragile just BY JUST TOUCHING it leaked. I used J.B. Weld to encapsulate the switch and now it is bullet proof. It is mounted in a brass “T” fitting .If it comes to replacing the switch I will just replace the “T” fitting along with the switch.

 

My biggest apprehension for mounting the cooler under the sliding door was oil pressure drop. If I mounted the cooler all the way to the front of the van I was worried that I would drop too much oil pressure, deal with dirty oil in the lines come oil change time, also I didn’t like the idea of the oil lines running the extent of the van, too much to go wrong, and if it can it will.

 

Fourth Mod:

 

I installed Red Line Water Wetter, this stuff works, it dropped my water coolant temps by 5-10 degrees, and the stuff is worth every penny.

 

Fifth Mod:

 

I installed an Auxiliary radiator cooler on the passenger side of the engine bay from J.C. Whitney p/n# wc471905u  there is an opening coming from the back grill and I took advantage of this. I still left an opening for air flow without the Auxiliary radiator blocking all the air flow. I like the idea of fresh air in the engine compartment. The radiator was mounted using galvanized perforated flat bar acquired from Home Depot. Then I mounted another 9” fan that I acquired off EBay. Buying the fans off EBay was a good move on my part and saved me a lot of greenbacks. The fans I have seen go from 50 bucks to 120 bucks elsewhere, I got them for $15.00.The fan is driven off the aftermarket oil cooler fan. Hence, I can turn it on with the switch on the dash. Or I can let the 180 degree oil cooler Thermostat switch control the fan(s). The auxiliary radiator kit was top notch and worth every penny, it had everything I needed, I didn’t need to go to the FLAPS, and leave pis#$ed off. The cooler has extruded inserts throughout the coolers tubes to help in heat dissipation and flow.

 

The original factory oil cooler, had factory coolant lines plumbed to it, they are now diverted first through the auxiliary radiator to pre cool the coolant, before flowing thru the factory oil cooler.

 

Now with this Fifth mod ,the aftermarket oil cooler fan installed under the sliding door now cycles off and on, before it was constantly on.

 

Sixth Mod:

 

I purchased an automatic transmission air scoop from Terry K.   (copy and paste in your internet browser’s tool bar if the link doesn’t work.)

 

http://community-2.webtv.net/VanStuff/VanagonWestfalia/  

 

I mounted it with J.B. Weld on the oil pan. The ABA conversion uses a diesel oil pan which is flat on the bottom. I’m sure this hasn’t hurt anything by removing heat from the bottom of the oil pan. I purchased his window unit, and added the scoop to the purchase. Terry made a really nice scoop….the window unit is awesome too.

 

Overview:

 

I’m using the factory oil cooler with a MANN oil filter, CASTROL 20-50 dino motor oil, an oil temp gauge, aftermarket oil cooler that is thermatically controlled, and a auxiliary radiator cooler which pre cools the factory oil cooler, Redline Water Wetter, and a relay overdrive for the fans. The fans can also come on automatically. I’m using generic green stuff FLAP coolant with distilled water. Remember I don’t have a Wasserboxer to worry about the heads. Coolant is still changed every two years due to coolant additive breakdown and being paranoid.

 

The Fix:

 

Now my oil temps run parallel with my water coolant temps now, this will help me prolong engine bearing life, I also think this helps extent coolant hose life. If I’m not running extreme running temps, my pressures will be reduced, and may help limit hoses failing; which has not been a problem, but it can’t hurt. Temps dropped from 240 degrees plus to 170 averages; at the oil filter. I also gained 10 P.S.I .of oil pressure when traveling down the interstate and I have 5 P.S.I. more of oil pressure at idle at a red light when fully warmed up.

 

More importantly oil consumption has dropped dramatically. ABA motors are known to use oil. I was using a 1/8 quart every fill up, my lower temps have reduced this to almost nil, and with this mod limiting oil consumption gives me piece of mind, and something else to start worrying about. MAN I NEED A LIFE.

 

 

 

here is pic of the oil cooler

the pic was taken from the bottom, later the wires were dressed up, note the fuel pressure gauge