ZF oil cooler

quote:

Originally posted by Bosswrench:
I really think you're worrying about a non-problem in a 30 minute event.

For those that don't know, Mark averages over 150mph at the Silver State. IMO, if anybody needs a cooler it would be Mark!

OK- fine. I based my comment on the fact that Larry Stock has the first trophy for a Pantera with a 150.00 average at the Silver State. He says the ZF in his red car gets too hot to touch at the finish line but he has no problem driving the car home from events with no ZF cooler or even a gauge- which he says is a distraction. I only put a sensor in our ZF to see what heat really builds up back there- the engine oil temp gauge was already mounted.

Haven't verified but I don't remember Jr Wilson running a ZF cooler on The Monster back in the day. And that steel body Pantera ran well over over 200 at the SS several times with no ZF troubles (but plenty of tire problems!) There are other Nor-Cal big-block owners that get along fine with no ZF cooler- Darryl Johnson's 545 inch Pantera ran well at several recent Standing Mile events.

Vintage enduros like Pat Hals runs (without a cooler) in Europe are another thing entirely. If I was going to run a ZF cooler on a dedicated enduro roadracer and it was legal, I think I'd investigate the water-to-oil Laminova take-apart type and avoid air ducting problems. I have a Laminova in our engine oil system- the same curiosity & equally unneeded- and it takes out 15 degrees F from 10 qts of 30-wt. Dennis Quella uses a Laminova on his Pantera roadracer's engine, but not- I don't think- on its ZF. Al Bloomberg's record holding C/Sports Bonneville pushbutton didn't use one, either. Stuff that's not there can't malfunction....

2 questions, 1.) your oil cooler is it pulling the air from the out side in? 2.) what is the Ford / Pantera tin for?

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
When I built my car I made provisions for a trans cooler. I am not driving in a way I need it now but it would not take much to finish the setup.

First I removed the A/C. I don't use A/C even in summer....what can I say, skinny guy who loves the wind in his face. The A/C saved 100+ lbs. The cooler went in the A/C location. I have a Tilton pump on the shelf ready to install. I have relays for the fan and the pump installed on rear firewall.

Fan is hooked up and can be useful to evacuate air from rear engine area. I have a trans temp gauge installed on the dash.



If I am not going to use it right now I just need to plug the cooler so the mud dobbers don't block it.

quote:

Originally posted by pantera chris:
2 questions, 2.) What is the Ford/Pantera tin for?

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...971031066#6971031066

I presently have the fan blowing out which is hooked up. The oil cooler is not presently hooked up but i can use fan to move air through and out the back.

I also have the relay setup on the back firewall wired and ready to go if i do decide to finish the setup.

I've spoken with Lloyd at RBT and he suggested to have a bung welded to the top of the case above the R&P and pump the oil from the drain through the cooler and onto the R&P.

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
I presently have the fan blowing out which is hooked up. The oil cooler is not presently hooked up but i can use fan to move air through and out the back.

You want the fan to draw air in not push out.

Expanding on my friend Chris's comment, the problem with using the screened area in the rear for oil cooling (or for an AC condenser as well) is, at low speeds (below 100 mph or so), tuft studies show there is a big swirl of air from over the roof and out the rear 'window' opening behind the car, that actually pushes against the rear bumper. So at low speeds the AC condenser or oil cooler fan should be set to suck air in, not blow it out from inside the rear trunk against positive pressure.

But at higher speeds yet (above 100 mph), the same swirl moves back away from the rear of the car; now there's a partial vacuum of variable size behind the bumper. Trying to suck air in when there's little available has been implicated in blowing AC lines. At those higher speeds where the engine is also highly loaded in 5th gear, you need oil cooler air flow to be from the inside to the outside. DC motors reverse easily but not fan blade orientation on the fan shaft.

Bottom line: unless you ALWAYS drive slow, or always drive fast, that's not a good place for either an AC condenser or an oil cooler. And note that without the trunk tub in place to help direct airflow thru the rear screen, air flows both stock & modified are all messed up both at low speed and at high speeds. Its not as convenient but oil coolers should be mounted in front, and AC condensers work better up there, too. Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Bosswrench:
...tuft studies show....

I was thinking the fan current could be measured at rest. If the motor current decreased with speed, then the natural aerodynmaics is in phase with the fan direction.

If the current increases, then the fan is fighting agaisnt the natural.

having a 2 pole toggle would allow the fan direction to be easily reversed at the transition speed

Which way flows is a gotcha question people like to state but for me, yes I can reverse the direction of the fan but I am not in present need of cooling at speed. Since the cooler is not hooked up if I am in traffic I do so to keep airflow through the engine area when stopped in traffic.

If I ever hook up the fan I had thought about experimenting with ducting air from the bottom of the car or other tricks to force air out the back. A certain type of deflector on the rear vent may block the reversal and siphon but that would take some thought.

Or I may just reverse the fan. Messing with stuff is the fun in it all.