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Installing RX7 oil cooler on S54 swap


heinemann

2,962 views

Knowing I need some good oil cooling for the S54, I decided to go with a oil cooler from a RX7 turbo. They are very popular amongst Porsche race clubs and vintage track racers, primarily because of their size, low cost, and cooling capacity. Used ones are relatively cheap as well. You will find aftermarket "RX7" oil coolers on ebay, but I avoided buying one even though it would be new.  Every cheap aluminum radiator I have bought off ebay has eventually leaked.

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Here's a close up of the AN fittings welded to the cooler. The top fitting next to little aluminum post is the inlet and the bottom next to the drain plug is the return. Modern BMW engines have an oil cooler thermostat in the oil filter housing, so that the engines come up to temp before oil cooling is needed. The oil cooler thermostat / bypass in the RX7 oil cooler, which is mechanical and bypasses the cold oil from the engine similar to the BMW oil diverter needs to be removed and the passage blocked off.  I undid the drain plug, tapped the hole and used an old bleeder valve to plug it. Now, oil will flow through the cooler regardless of temperature. The BMW oil diverter will function normally.

Here's a closer shot.

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BMW oil lines going into the oil filter housing have slip fittings with O-rings. A few companies make a kit to adapt AN fittings to BMW oil filter housings used specifically to attach aftermarket oil coolers. I purchased on for close to $60, but now I see them on ebay for under $20.

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Attached to the cooler to the car using stainless rivnuts / nutserts and some aluminum brackets that I made. The brackets pictured below are actually some supports I made for the front air dam.

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Another pic of the brackets. and oil cooler as it sits with out the front air dam / spoiler attached to the car. I would eventually clearance the old bumper support for the oil cooler lines.

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Cooler lines from the filter housing.

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and, through the front valance. I would eventually clearance this more for serviceability.

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And how it sits under the front spoiler. I will probably add some wire mesh to protect the cooler from rocks and debris.

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