Don't Let Oil Temps Stop The Fiesta! Mishimoto Oil Cooler R&D!

[D1JL]

Maybe this has been covered but I also have a question.
I read before that as intercoolers got larger they started blocking the radiator more.
This may have been more on the FoST but the point is still valid.
Adding the oil cooler blocks the radiator as well.
For short race this may not be too bad.

(Ok, here comes the question.)
What about for a longer session like 20 minutes on a road race course?

I know that cooling charge air and oil is a very good thing.
However how is putting more things that dissipate heat in front of the radiator helpful?

We now cool air and oil but heat soak water and of course the PCM sees this and retards timing.


OK, so I guess that was two questions.



Dave

 

[Chuckable]

I asked a similar question a page or two back. I'm guessing that Mishimoto will recommend both the radiator and oil cooler for a track day car, but since they've stated that the parts are designed to be purchase separately, that a street driven car's water temps will not be adversely affected by the oil cooler.

A quick Google search turned up several articles/blogs/etc. on optimal oil temps. Here's one: http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/1310-engine-oil-temperature/

I think the 200F oil cooler thermostat would be good for the street car which is also tracked.

 

[Sourskittle]

Just for context about what we are talking about here...
Pretty sure nothing is based off oil temps. If it is, its not in access tuner that I know of.

 

[mishimoto1]

I'm a fan! Oil temp in this car bothers me.

Thanks Dylan!

Definitely interested. Hope the final version is a tad smaller.

Thanks for the interest! Are you looking for something a bit shorter? We do have a 10-row cooler which is around half the size of the 19-row unit shown in our existing prototype.

Am I the only one noticing the location they're mounting it seems made for it? Pre-existing holes and room?

Yes, it can certainly seem this way. We always use pre-existing mounting holes for our kits. We do not want customers to have to drill or tap any portion of their vehicle. The upper grille area leaves a great deal of room for an oil cooler system, we have no reason not to take advantage of this space.

Definitely a must buy for me in this awful TX heat, but would not like to hide any of the core with the bumper bar. How bout' a slimmer, but slightly longer core?

Thanks for the comment Izzy! Only a portion of the core is hidden behind the crash beam, which should not make a huge impact on cooling efficiency. Yes, it will not provide optimal airflow through the core but I imagine we will still see some impressive temperature drop results.

A shorter, longer core would certainly provide a bit better fit for the grille area. I believe this was discussed by our team at one point during development. We are looking at expanding our oil cooler line a bit in terms of shape/sizing for instances such as this. For this kit, we will be incorporating one of our existing coolers.

Thanks again for the comment!

Looking forward to seeing the data on this, and future updates!
Quick question: Are you assuming that removing the load off the factory cooling system by removing the OEM cooler will offset the decrease in airflow to the radiator by placing the oil cooler in the upper grille?

Thanks for following! We will need to keep an eye on coolant temperatures when evaluating the performance of our oil cooler system. The impact of airflow on the radiator will hopefully be marginal. The external fins of our coolers are not overly dense, so air should continue to pass through the heat exchanger. It is possible the drop in oil temperatures will make an impact on coolant temperatures as well. Previous testing with similarly mounted oil coolers (in front of the radiator) has proven to produce negligible changes in coolant temperatures.

Same and keeping an eye on this. Could be that the oil cooler/thermostatic sandwich plate setup alone will do the trick for me as far as cooling the temps for track days. That radiator install looks, well, nontrivial, although I suspect it would help a lot on hot days of lapping.

Thanks! Radiator installation is not a simple process, but we will be covering all of the details within our installation guide video. By offering both the radiator and oil cooler as independent items, you can pick and choose which component you need to keep from overheating. It may be just the radiator, or both items. Either way, it is nice to have options.

Looks good waiting to see results.

Thanks!

Definitely in for this to compliment a future mishimoto radiator

Thanks Perf!

Can't wait for this one

Thank you very much!

This is pure filthy R&D porn and i love it.
Nothing like seeing the process and fab that went into the products during testing and fitment.

Thanks for taking a look! More on the way soon.

This looks awesome guys. I two things you guys may have already considered, but none the less, I'll bring them up to maybe help it you all don't already know.

#1 is the most important. The fiesta ST does not have a real oil temp sensor at all. Its "inferred", which means.... Fake/calculated. I thing they base it off mostly coolant temps, but honestly, I'm not sure anyone knows just how its calculated, but most importantly, its not a real sensor. What this may do is give you guys baseline results that are accurate on the stock rad/oil cooler, but afterwords, your temps may not decline as much as you'd think because the ecu is basing the oil temps off calculated coolant temps, not real oil temps. This would lead you to believe that your oil cooler did only a little improvement, when really, it could be making a huge difference/improvement.

#2 sooner or later, everyone is going to know that DHM sells the only intercooler worth buying right now. Even DHM goes out of business, someone else will make a similar product. Honestly; someone in china is likely working on copying Russ's design right now. AGP had the only game in town for srt4 intercoolers that were huge and they charged like $750. Now? Look on ebay... Same giant sized intercoolers for $260 shipped, and.... They work great. What I'm getting at is that the crash bar is going to be removed or modified or changed in almost every fiesta ST that is serious about racing. Even the road race guys.... And I could be wrong, but that oil cooler looks like it may not fit those taller, thicker intercoolers ( look up the DHM one on this forum to see how big it is ). That being said, if you make it like you have it and it still fits huge coolers, than awesome !!! And you may have already thought of this and think people will have to make a choice between one or the other, IDK... But I wanted to bring it to your attention before you guys stamp out 7,000 of these. If someone posts a $340 bolt-on intercooler with brackets to ditch the crash bar, that is as big as DHM on ebay tomorrow, 1/2 the forum would be buying them within a week, lol. No question DHM coolers is way way higher quality, but just to be honest, $340 would be a big selling point. Anyway, not trying to force you in any direction, just wanted to make you aware

As a member in Florida and as someone that has seen the effects the ecu has on the fist when coolant/oil temps rise, I'm really loving this stuff guys. I'm just trying to help

Thanks for the in-depth response, this is much appreciated!

1: Yes, this is quite common with modern vehicles (even going back several years). Temperature gauges tend to perform a ?dummy? function showing nothing more than cold, operating temperature, and overheating. We will be using our AEM temperature/pressure sensors to record/collect data for both the stock oil cooler system as well as our prototype cooler.

2: Thanks! I just read through a few threads regarding the DHM unit. The core is massive and their crash beam does indeed eliminate the mounting points we are using for our kit. Very nice looking product. Although we will need to evaluate further, I can?t imagine a core of this size being necessary for the airflow/heat from the EB, even in a highly modified form. Could be wrong about this, just a first glance at the kit. As noted above, we are potentially going to explore a FMIC of our own, which would retain the oil cooler points. Definitely taking a closer look at this product as well as our options in regards to the mounting points we have currently selected.

Thanks again!

Looks great. Shame it doesn't look like a direct bolt on for an Australian car as we don't have that middle bar above the crash bar. On the plus side that means a bit more air to my radiator. Still, it might be worth looking at another bracket for ROW market?
Anyway looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

Interesting, I was unaware of this particular difference for the AUS market. Passing this on to our team for some further evaluation.

Thanks for the heads-up!

He brings up a great point. The most serious of us, who will want an oil cooler may be swapping out their crash bars. I get that you want to market to the bigger audience, and a lot of the others "not so serious" guys will buy. But I think if you guys found a decent compromise, you could bring all of us in. As it stands, if I have to use the OE crash bar to mount, I'm out because I won't have anything to mount it to.

Got it! We are attempting to take into account FMIC upgrades during the development of this kit. The mount is not directly connected to the actual crash beam, just the upper support running behind the beam itself. From the looks of a few FMIC replacement crash beams, this component is removed as well.
Passing this information along to our engineering team as well. I do know that we intend to look into a possible FMIC of our own in the future, which would certainly retain the mounting points for our oil cooler kit.

I am interested in doing as many things as makes sense for my needs, and in order to better protect my engine and promote a longer and more trouble free operating life.

With that being said and not to intentionally thread jack, but can someone please explain to me how exactly increasing oil temps impact performance? Let's assume 1st that we have a radiator doing its job of keeping the coolant under acceptable control. After that and also taking in to consideration that the FiST uses a calculation based off of coolant temps to "estimate" oil temps, how do increasing oil temps negatively impact performance?
Thank you,

Ryan

The quick response is oil gets thinner as it gets hotter. Thinner oil = more wear. Both lead to more heat and faster oil degrading. Less friction more power. Its a balancing act though because too thick of an oil weights more and takes more power to move/pump. So best case.... To use the correct oil and keep it in the correct temp range.

I hope that others feel my question is relevant to the thread, and perhaps Mishimoto can chime in too. I changed out my factory oil at 500 miles to a 0W-30 full syn that looks to be thinner on initial startup and thicken with heat. Am I understanding correctly then that our ecu pulls timing on hot coolant temps and not hot oil temps? I guess that would only make sense if current oil temp readings are only calculated best estimates based off of actual coolant temp readings?

Great points here guys. As noted by Skittle, engine wear is what we are trying to avoid when designing such a product. Our goal is to keep temperatures in spec during the most strenuous driving conditions. Sticking with the factory recommended oil weight would be our advice, along with keeping temperatures within an acceptable range. Modern oils are more resilient to high temperatures in terms of breakdown, but 250+ degree oil temperatures can make a track day a very unnerving experience.

What I am asking might not have been evaluated yet, but I believe that it's relevant. What is the optimal oil temp operating range that the FiST oil temps should be maintained within? Obviously we want the oil temp up hot enough for the oil to properly do its job, so at what temp is hot enough and at what temp does it cross over in to the "unsafe zone"?

I have read that 200F with regards to coolant temps is when the ecu starts to pull timing, so obviously on coolant we want the temps kept below 200F. Before I invest in an oil cooler, I would like to better understand the range for ideal oil operating temps. Example, 170f-200f?

175 to 190 is what I would be shooting for.

Good discussion here! We typically include a 185?F thermostat within our oil cooler kits, which is a nice baseline for operating temperature. Obviously during use this temperature will rise, but we typically like to keep temperatures below 230?F on track. This is normally easily achievable with our 19-row cooler on most vehicles. Obviously we can?t speak for every vehicle in terms of engine/suspension/tire setup, but we have a ton of customers running our kits with fantastic success.

Once we have our testing data complete, you will get a good look at how the factory setup performs compared to our oil cooler setup.
More information on the way!

Maybe this has been covered but I also have a question.
I read before that as intercoolers got larger they started blocking the radiator more.
This may have been more on the FoST but the point is still valid.
Adding the oil cooler blocks the radiator as well.
For short race this may not be too bad.

(Ok, here comes the question.)
What about for a longer session like 20 minutes on a road race course?

I know that cooling charge air and oil is a very good thing.
However how is putting more things that dissipate heat in front of the radiator helpful?

We now cool air and oil but heat soak water and of course the PCM sees this and retards timing.

OK, so I guess that was two questions.

Dave

Good points here Dave! We will need to evaluate coolant temperatures in terms of the response to additional heat exchangers placed in front of the radiator. You may be aware from our other thread, we are also working on an aluminum radiator for the FIST. In any instance, blocking airflow will make an impact on heat exchange, it just varies to what extent. Hopefully we can put together some data that better answers this one!

I asked a similar question a page or two back. I'm guessing that Mishimoto will recommend both the radiator and oil cooler for a track day car, but since they've stated that the parts are designed to be purchase separately, that a street driven car's water temps will not be adversely affected by the oil cooler.

A quick Google search turned up several articles/blogs/etc. on optimal oil temps. Here's one: http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...l-temperature/

Good link! As noted above, our thermostatic kits normally include a 185?F thermostat unit. We do have a 200?F option for those who seek a higher temperature. Depending upon vehicle use and environment, the optimal temperature may vary.

Just for context about what we are talking about here...
Pretty sure nothing is based off oil temps. If it is, its not in access tuner that I know of.[ /QUOTE]

Very good information here. The ECT compensation seems like a fair number, but could certainly be hit with the stock radiator on a hot track day. Considering the size of the factory intercooler, I imagine this will also cause issues in terms of pulled timing during extended track use.

Thanks for the responses guys!
-John

 

[Hijinx]

Mishimoto:

Your customer support is out of this world. Seriously. That's the kind of support and presence that makes people want to buy things they don't need lol. Better than a marketing campaign, IMO.

 

[doubletap]

Thanks for the interest! Are you looking for something a bit shorter? We do have a 10-row cooler which is around half the size of the 19-row unit shown in our existing prototype.

The 10-row looks like it might actually work and will be less in the way of the radiator for airflow (which was my main concern). Might actually be a cheaper option for some of us who'd like something for everyday driving. I imagine it's better than the OEM setup. Options are always great.

It probably just requires a different set of brackets.

 

[Sourskittle]

If it will fit, Russ/DHM maybe able to make a bracket or nut-serts into the his aftermarket crash bar as like a $20-$40 option to use with his giant intercooler, but that assumes it will fit.

Something most of us prob have not thought about as well is.... Oil capacity which is something we could all use more of. Adding a bigger cooler will increase how much oil your engine holds, which helps in every single way, other than costing another $3.00 or so in oil for every oil change. Ask a 5.0L owner how many quarts his high horsepower engine requires.

 

[Etyrnus]

If it will fit, Russ/DHM maybe able to make a bracket or nut-serts into the his aftermarket crash bar as like a $20-$40 option to use with his giant intercooler, but that assumes it will fit.

Something most of us prob have not thought about as well is.... Oil capacity which is something we could all use more of. Adding a bigger cooler will increase how much oil your engine holds, which helps in every single way, other than costing another $3.00 or so in oil for every oil change. Ask a 5.0L owner how many quarts his high horsepower engine requires.

Heck, even the supercharged Cobalt SS took 6 quarts, and it had a 2.0

 

[doubletap]

If I could use straight up 5 qts. I'd be ecstatic. No more measuring.

 

[kjohn09e]

If I could use straight up 5 qts. I'd be ecstatic. No more measuring.

Couldn't agree more. That 4.3 quart capacity is the most annoying thing. Eventually I'll work my way up to a free oil change essentially. Well just the cost of a filter.

 

[TheStig]

Heck, even the supercharged Cobalt SS took 6 quarts, and it had a 2.0

Off topic, but the Turbo version of that is a very under-rated and awesome car. Ill be happy when they hit sub 5k prices in the future, little sucker lapped the 'Ring quick for a FWD GM car.

Carry on!

 

[Etyrnus]

Off topic, but the Turbo version of that is a very under-rated and awesome car. Ill be happy when they hit sub 5k prices in the future, little sucker lapped the 'Ring quick for a FWD GM car.

Carry on!

I was an active member when the first LSJ (supercharged) broke 700 hp on a turbo swap. It was actually kinda sad when the turbo version came out because the board went to s---. But when I stopped checking, the turbo ones were capping out about 400 hp due to fuel limitations.

Back to FiST oil cooler goodness now!

 

[mishimoto1]

Mishimoto:

Your customer support is out of this world. Seriously. That's the kind of support and presence that makes people want to buy things they don't need lol. Better than a marketing campaign, IMO.

Thanks buddy! We're here to chat cars and give you some insight into our new projects. Not a bad way to spend the day. More updates on the way soon!

The 10-row looks like it might actually work and will be less in the way of the radiator for airflow (which was my main concern). Might actually be a cheaper option for some of us who'd like something for everyday driving. I imagine it's better than the OEM setup. Options are always great.

It probably just requires a different set of brackets.

Very good point here! The 10-row installation would necessitate a new lower bracket, but the upper brackets should be identical with both coolers as the upper mounting points have the same footprint. The 10-row unit would reduce the impact of airflow blockage and would also provide some additional clearance for FMIC kits. That being said, this would most certainly produce less benefits in terms of temperature drops. This will need to be discussed a bit further by our team. We typically stick with the 19-row unit for similar turbocharger-equipped vehicles.

If it will fit, Russ/DHM maybe able to make a bracket or nut-serts into the his aftermarket crash bar as like a $20-$40 option to use with his giant intercooler, but that assumes it will fit.

Something most of us prob have not thought about as well is.... Oil capacity which is something we could all use more of. Adding a bigger cooler will increase how much oil your engine holds, which helps in every single way, other than costing another $3.00 or so in oil for every oil change. Ask a 5.0L owner how many quarts his high horsepower engine requires.

Couldn't agree more. That 4.3 quart capacity is the most annoying thing. Eventually I'll work my way up to a free oil change essentially. Well just the cost of a filter.

Good point regarding the additional fluid capacity. With the lines and heat exchanger volume (19-row cooler) we should be adding around .65 qts, bringing you right up to that mythical 5 quart number!

Off topic, but the Turbo version of that is a very under-rated and awesome car. Ill be happy when they hit sub 5k prices in the future, little sucker lapped the 'Ring quick for a FWD GM car.

Carry on!

+1 agreed!

-John

 

[doubletap]

Very good point here! The 10-row installation would necessitate a new lower bracket, but the upper brackets should be identical with both coolers as the upper mounting points have the same footprint. The 10-row unit would reduce the impact of airflow blockage and would also provide some additional clearance for FMIC kits. That being said, this would most certainly produce less benefits in terms of temperature drops. This will need to be discussed a bit further by our team. We typically stick with the 19-row unit for similar turbocharger-equipped vehicles.

-John

You guys are awesome! I understand that it will not be as good as the 19-row but I'm thinking it has to be substantially better at cooling than the stock setup. Looking forward to your findings!

If you're going to use the upper bracket in the pictured prototype I imagine it's just going to sit just as high and would block the radiator as well. Maybe fab a bracket with "low and high " hole settings?

Your responses to our feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[XuperXero]

[MENTION=1848]mishimoto[/MENTION] can you guys ship ddp to china?

 

[mishimoto1]

You guys are awesome! I understand that it will not be as good as the 19-row but I'm thinking it has to be substantially better at cooling than the stock setup. Looking forward to your findings!

If you're going to use the upper bracket in the pictured prototype I imagine it's just going to sit just as high and would block the radiator as well. Maybe fab a bracket with "low and high " hole settings?

Your responses to our feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks!

Yes, it is likely that any additional cooler will make an impact, but of course we are seeking the most efficient setup possible. We will have results up for the 19-row testing soon, this should provide a nice base for achievable performance gains.

Thanks for the kind words!

[MENTION=1848]mishimoto[/MENTION] can you guys ship ddp to china?

We do offer shipping (not DDP) to China. Sending you a PM with more details!

Thanks for the interest.

-John

 

[me32]

Lots of great info being provided to us. Thanks for sharing with all of us.

 

[mishimoto1]

Lots of great info being provided to us. Thanks for sharing with all of us.

Thanks for taking the time to check it out!

Project update! Check it out below.

Don?t Let Oil Temps Stop the Fiesta! Mishimoto Oil Cooler R&D, Part 2: Product Testing and Data Crunch

Testing time! It?s always fun to see the results when you make changes to your vehicle, whether bolting on a new wheel and tire combo, or installing a new set of dampers. In this case, we are expecting our Fiesta ST oil cooler setup to drop fluid temperatures by a substantial margin during our on-road testing.

Testing Setup and Conditions

Testing the stock Fiesta ST oil cooler is relatively simple. Only one temperature and pressure will need to be monitored, so we can utilize our sandwich plate sensor adapter shown below.

Mishimoto oil sensor adapter sandwich plate

To collect data with the stock Ford Fiesta oil cooler, we installed this plate along with one of our temperature sensors and one of our fluid pressure sensors. These would provide a baseline for oil temperatures produced with the stock liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.

Testing the Mishimoto Fiesta ST oil cooler system would be a bit different. We decided to experiment with retaining the stock heat exchanger or removing it. We knew this would make an impact on fluid warm-up, but we were unsure of the impact on temperatures at speed. Would the stock Fiesta oil cooler inhibit or improve cooling performance when used in conjunction with our liquid-to-air unit? We will know very soon!

Our testing rig for the liquid-to-air setup involves sensors spliced into the oil lines going to and coming from the heat exchanger. Check it out!

Oil temperature and pressure sensors installed in cooler line

These were then installed on the vehicle before hitting the road to collect our data for each Ford Fiesta oil cooler setup.

Oil temperature and pressure sensors installed on Fiesta

Now, just as a recap, we will be testing three Fiesta ST oil cooler setups on the road to evaluate differing cooling efficiencies.

1. Stock liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger only
2. Mishimoto oil cooler supplementing stock liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger
3. Mishimoto oil cooler system only

We complete our Fiesta ST oil cooler testing in a similar fashion for most of the kits developed here at Mishimoto. This includes steady-state temperature collection data. Yes, track data would certainly help in supporting our product and providing data that would benefit customers. That said, the efficiencies we see during steady-state driving can be used as a basis for comparison to track driving. Since we own this ST, we may hit the track later for testing numerous developed products, including our Fiesta oil cooler. For now, though, this highway data will be sufficient to support the benefits of our Ford Fiesta oil cooler setup.

Testing Conditions

• Ambient temperature: 83? to 85?F (28.3 to 29.4?C)
• Vehicle: 2015 Ford Fiesta ST
• Modifications: stock
• Data equipment: AEM AQ-1 Data Logger
• Sensors: temperature and fluid pressure
• Driving conditions: 65 mph highway cruise for 10 minutes
• Sandwich plate: Mishimoto non-thermostatic

These conditions should provide a solid baseline for the performance of our Fiesta ST oil cooler kit. You will notice we are using our non-thermostatic oil sandwich plate for testing purposes. This will eliminate the variable of the thermostat as it restricts how low temperatures will drop.

Data Crunch!

The numbers are in! Check out the temperature plot from our three different Ford Fiesta oil cooler setups.

Oil temperature data from road testing the Fiesta ST oil cooler

Time to review.

Stock Liquid-to-Liquid Heat Exchanger

The stock Ford Fiesta oil cooler setup performed just fine on the highway. We saw temperatures start just below 190?F and climb to around 194?F by the end of the run. This is likely right around the temperature of the engine coolant, which is what we would expect with this setup. You can see that the plot slopes upward during the run.

Stable Temperature: 194?F

Mishimoto Oil Cooler Supplementing Stock Heat Exchanger

Here is where we begin to see the changes and advantages provided by a liquid-to-air heat exchanger. Temperatures at the start of the run hover in the neighborhood of 163?F. The plot then slopes downward over the duration of the data collection, eventually stabilizing around 161?F. This is a substantial drop of 33 degrees in fluid temperature during this driving condition. Keep in mind that these temperatures are a bit low for typical daily driving. Our final product will include an optional thermostatic sandwich plate that would peg this temperature at 185?F during equivalent conditions. We were simply testing efficiencies by eliminating all variables with our Fiesta ST oil cooler.

Stable Temperature: 161?F

Mishimoto Oil Cooler with Stock Heat Exchanger Removed

By removing the stock oil cooler we can reduce the impact of engine coolant temperatures on our oil cooler efficiency. With this setup installed, our plot begins at 159?F and quickly slopes downward. It peaks and then rises a few degrees, coming to a final stable temperature of 157?F. We saw 40?F maximum drops, with an average temperature drop of 35?F. As with the second Fiesta oil cooler setup, we will be recommending a thermostatic sandwich plate for this kit to retain temperatures within operating range specifications.

Stable Temperature: 157?F

Our next plot looks at fluid pressure. The addition of fluid volume presents changes in pressure, as does the differences in fluid temperatures. The hotter the oil, the thinner it will be, which will drop the pressure.

Oil pressure data from road testing the Ford Fiesta oil cooler

This data is pulled from the runs we used for temperature testing. The testing compiled with our Fiesta ST oil cooler system provides a 2 psi increase. How can that be so? It is likely that the cooler temperatures result in higher fluid viscosity, creating a slight increase in pressure. This is acceptable and will not cause any ill effects.

Great results!

Recap and Plans

We have seen positive results from the addition of our oil cooler system on this Fiesta. With this testing complete, we are ready to move forward with producing these kits. Our initial offering will be a 19-row unit. Based on our results here, we believe this will be necessary for track driving. Our 10-row unit may suffice, but we believe that our 19-row cooler will provide properly regulated temperatures in any track environment. For those concerned about fitment with large FMIC kits, we will have a solution for this soon. Our team is currently working on a large FMIC of our own that will be completely compatible with our oil cooler setup.

We will be offering a kit that eliminates the stock Ford Fiesta oil cooler. Fitting our sandwich plate on top of the stock cooler is quite a pain, as fitment was very tight. By removing this unit, we can also achieve better temperature drops.

Since we are removing the stock cooler, we needed to address the rubber coolant lines that run to and from this heat exchanger. We will include an aluminum splice connecter, which will mate the two lines and allow for proper coolant flow through the system. Our 3D-printed prototype is shown below!

Delete fitting for stock Fiesta oil cooler

Sandwich Plate Options

We?ve discussed the two options (thermostatic and non-thermostatic) we have in terms of sandwich plate selection throughout this article series. One of the most common questions we get from these posts is in regards to the function of the plate and which plate is best. Check out some quick answers below!

What?s The Difference?

Thermostatic: The thermostatic sandwich plate utilizes an internal thermostat to regulate fluid temperature. When the engine is cold and fluid is below thermostat temperature (185?F for this application), the sandwich plate restricts flow to the heat exchanger in order to allow the fluid to warm up quickly. Once up to temperature, the sandwich plate will regulate temperatures by restricting flow if fluid begins to cool to the activation temperature. This operation is similar to a coolant thermostat.

Non-Thermostatic: Unlike the thermostatic plate, this unit will not restrict flow based on temperature. When the vehicle is running, fluid will be routed to the heat exchanger regardless of temperature.

What Results Can I expect With Each?

Thermostatic: The thermostatic plate will warm the oil quickly and will also work to keep temperatures as close to the thermostat activation temperature as possible. During commuting or highway driving, the fluid temperature will likely hover right around activation temperature (185?F). During aggressive driving, temperatures may rise above activation temperature but the liquid-to-air heat exchanger will work to keep them as close to thermostat temperature (185?F) as possible.

Non-Thermostatic: Oil warmup will be a bit slower with this particular sandwich plate with our Fiesta St oil cooler. Expect to idle the car for a period of time and take it easy in terms of engine RPM during the first few miles of use. During normal driving conditions or highway cruising, the Fiesta will see temperatures in the 160?F range with the non-thermostatic plate. This is because the fluid is reaching the heat exchanger at all times and is actively being cooled even if it is not up to operating temperature. Remember, cold oil is just as harmful to your engine as hot oil. Keep this in mind when selecting a Ford Fiesta oil cooler system.

What Will Work Best For My Needs?

Thermostatic: For 95% of applications, we recommend our thermostatic option for the Mishimoto Ford Fiesta oil cooler. This is absolutely necessary if you drive your Fiesta daily. Like we noted above, you do not want to overcool the oil in your EcoBoost. Even track-specific models can utilize the thermostatic kit. The internal thermostat can be swapped out for two other optional temperatures (160?F or 200)?F for further fine tuning in your specific environment.

Non-Thermostatic: The non-thermostatic version should be reserved for track-specific models that will not see road use, or vehicles in very hot climates. We saw huge temperature drops with the Fiesta ST oil cooler and do not recommend this particular setup for commuter use.

Discounted Pre-Sale

As with some of our other Fiesta ST products, we want to launch a discounted pre-sale for those interested in picking up our Ford Fiesta oil cooler. Once we get a bit closer to the completion of these kits, we will release information about pricing and estimated shipping dates. Additionally, we will post a couple shots of our Ford Fiesta oil cooler final prototype brackets once they are complete!

Thanks for reading guys!
-John

 

[Young L]

Word

 

[CanadianGuy]

with that sandwich plate how much room is left between the filter and the radiator? Will the taller fl400s still fit?