I am planning on putting a hydraulic oil cooler on my 180. Given that the 180 is supposedly built not to need one, I am leaning toward one without a fan, maybe a motorcycle oil cooler. Any comments or suggestions? Also, I was wondering if somebody could post or send me a picture of how their oil cooler is set up from under the hood, maybe somebody with a 422?
PT180 Oil Cooler
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Phils
Platinum Member
I wouldn't mind taking and posting photos, but I think you would be making a mistake by not installing a fan. If it's placed in the top of the motor cover, as it is on most, without a fan you'll just be HEATING your oil from rising engine heat. IMHO you'd be better off without the cooler than mounting it without a fan.
But if you still want photos, PM me and I'll try and help.
Phil
But if you still want photos, PM me and I'll try and help.
Phil
I have taken into some consideration that if mounted on top, a cooler without a fan would soak up heat from the engine. I was actually thinking of a motorcycle oil cooler that is designed to mount on the front down tubes of a motorcycle, and kind of thinking of mounting it somewhere off the side or back of the tractor so that the coolers actually stick up kind of like antenae. I thought it would catch more of a breeze there. My current method of cooling the oil involves a spray bottle filled with water that I mist the oil tank with every now and then and let it blow off some steam!
cqaigy
Silver Member
cqaigy
Silver Member
tracdoc
Platinum Member
I would second Phils rec for a fan. These tractors move far too slowly to achieve sufficient airflow through a conventionally designed oil cooler. The downtube and fork mounted coolers on motorcycles take advantage of speeds of 25 mph or above to effectively cool the oil. Unless your PT is a racer, those speeds are not gonna happen.
For effective cooling at LOW SPEEDS, w/o a fan, you might consider a different technology, such as aluminum wire wound coolers {HERE} . The ones made by SHE are very efficient, and are designed to replace much larger tube coolers and to be used at low air flows.
With that said, I still think a fanned cooler is the way to go for your PT. You can get a fused Perma-Cool Maxi Cool Junior {HERE} and it will measure around 3x10x12, a pretty darn small footprint. The 10 blade fan will give you 950 cfm airflow. I believe you need that, especially on hot days when that engine heat is rising.
For effective cooling at LOW SPEEDS, w/o a fan, you might consider a different technology, such as aluminum wire wound coolers {HERE} . The ones made by SHE are very efficient, and are designed to replace much larger tube coolers and to be used at low air flows.
With that said, I still think a fanned cooler is the way to go for your PT. You can get a fused Perma-Cool Maxi Cool Junior {HERE} and it will measure around 3x10x12, a pretty darn small footprint. The 10 blade fan will give you 950 cfm airflow. I believe you need that, especially on hot days when that engine heat is rising.
Schultz
Gold Member
Seems like a motorcycle cooler would be too low of capacity. If I remember right the oil flow is 8 gpm? Surplus Center has hydraulic coolers $35. You could also use a trans cooler for a truck or car. They are about $35-40 new from an auto parts store. I also would recommend a fan.
BillCroasmun
Gold Member
Hmmm... I have a couple questions.
1. What's the block/knob inline with the hose in the bottom left part of the picture?
2. Does anyone know why they use the parallel pipe design for the flow?
Most automotive radiators "S" the piping back and forth thru the fins don't they? I guess their design would slow down the flow, redirecting the 8 GPM into 4 2 GPM streams.
The only problem then is that the 2 GPM is only being cooled for the width of the radiator vs the 8 GPM flow which could be cooled over the 6 to 8 passes through the radiator with an "S" design.
1. What's the block/knob inline with the hose in the bottom left part of the picture?
2. Does anyone know why they use the parallel pipe design for the flow?
Most automotive radiators "S" the piping back and forth thru the fins don't they? I guess their design would slow down the flow, redirecting the 8 GPM into 4 2 GPM streams.
The only problem then is that the 2 GPM is only being cooled for the width of the radiator vs the 8 GPM flow which could be cooled over the 6 to 8 passes through the radiator with an "S" design.
J_J
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That black knob is the heat sensor that cuts the fan on.
BobRip
Elite Member
A car radiator is rated at 15 psi typically. I don't know what the pressure is at the oil cooler, but the tubes look pretty heavy duty. I would think that the back pressure created by the car radiator would build up much too high a pressure in my opinion.
Have you measured the temperature? What makes you think it is too high?
I wonder if just adding a fan on the side of the back cover would remove a lot of heat? This would sure be easy to do and keep you out of the high pressure hydraulic lines. The engine heat would not add nearly as much heat to the hydraulics and most of the heat generated in the system is from the engine. At best the engine is about 30% efficient, meaning that 70% of the energy in the fuel goes out of the engine as heat. Thirty percent is probably a high figure.
Bob Rip
Have you measured the temperature? What makes you think it is too high?
I wonder if just adding a fan on the side of the back cover would remove a lot of heat? This would sure be easy to do and keep you out of the high pressure hydraulic lines. The engine heat would not add nearly as much heat to the hydraulics and most of the heat generated in the system is from the engine. At best the engine is about 30% efficient, meaning that 70% of the energy in the fuel goes out of the engine as heat. Thirty percent is probably a high figure.
Bob Rip
