Re: Cooling Upgrades

["H. Jones" <hjones1@airmail.net>]

John Wrote: 

> Actually, I haven't upgraded my radiator and I don't know the answer 
> to any of these...but this line did make me think of another question 
> I had.  It relates to oil coolers.  I know that we can snag an oil 
> cooler off an early Saab.  What I want to know is:  Could I exchange 
> the oil cooler from my 85 GTI with the regular oil contraption (???) 
> on my 80 Scirocco?  I've checked both my bentleys (for 85 and 80) and 
> the actual oil filter mount looks pretty much the same).  Also, this 
> is a water cooled oil cooler - is the oil cooler off the Saab any 
> better than the VW cooler?

The oil cooler on your 85 is a rather unique device, kind of a water-cooled
oil cooler. I believe it is referred to as a "water-to-oil" cooler. I have
seen these devises fail (1 time) and the resulting mixture of water and oil
is a bit hard on the engine. I would not attempt a retrofit of the 85 unit
to your 80 Scirocco. 

There is one interesting GTi retrofit that I have seen on a few racing
Sciroccos / GTi's, but it is quite EXPENSIVE ($250+). If you can find a
European GTi in the junk yard (good luck), they have a rather interesting
oil filter adapter that has both a thermostat and the male fittings for oil
- cooler lines (atmospheric - air cooled unit) on it. The adapter is a
bolt-on conversion and it is a factory part. I think some of the US VW
tuner shops carry this adapter, but I am not totally positive.

Be careful using a used oil cooler! Make totally sure that the unit is
flowing properly and is not contaminated with sludge. You would be amazed
how quickly an oil-cooler can become clogged! Also be watchful of oil
pressure! Remember that the oil pump in your 80 Scirocco was designed to
circulate X quantity of oil through Y volume of passages. You could see a
drop in oil pressure that could negate any benefits of additional oil
cooling. 

> What is a blank unit?

A "blank" is a metal plate that replaces the stock thermostat. The device
simply slows down the circulation of water through the system in order to
maximize cooling. It does not open and close like normal thermostat. Often,
if you totally remove a thermostat, the engine will overheat or not cool
efficiently. The blank has a opening just the right size in order to
maximize the cooling effect by slowing-down the water / coolant.

Harry  
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