By all means save the oil cooler for extreme heat conditions - well over 90 F and under load, for example.  Use a piece of sheet aluminum (or duct tape wrapped cardboard) to block off air flow through oil cooler - can go on/off as suits - and easily if you have quick release grill.

From experience, in 2000 we traveled across Canada (over the Coquihalla, the Rockies) with a loaded 998 (2,100 lbs.) and had no over heating issues even in Montana at 106F at Interstate speed and under load with oil cooler in the airflow.  On the other hand, with the same power unit and no oil cooler (and a little lighter load), we ran into over heating/falling oil pressure in hot weather, climbing the short steep ascents on the I5 in southern Oregon hweading for MMW '97 in Vallejo.

Yesterday in cool weather the 1380 ran the whole parade route at idle barely making normal coolant temp without any "extra help".

Good to keep thinking about the conditions you are driving in and what your right foot is asking of the engine!

Mini friends!  Mini rides!

Restored/modified Mini 1000 with 1380cc power unit, 2.95:1 FD, adj. suspension, S discs/drums, 10x5 Minilites, 165x70 A008s, custom trim and matching custom trailer.

Jesse, does your car overheat? If your cooling system is confirmed to be up to snuff and you still manage to overheat (because you regularly drive in super hot weather, use the car for racing, or towing a trailer), then an oil cooler might help. But even then, please install an oil thermostat in the cooling lines so that your oil will reach the proper operating temperature (especially important on cooler days). That is, unless you are solely racing, in which case, you'll be rebuilding the engine periodically anyway and may want to save the 10oz. weight the thermostat would add (even then, I'd still use a thermostat though).

Norm

I know the cooler is a stock Cooper S type, but also know it has been removed, and reassembled by me. Below are pictures of how it is installed. Excuse the oil, dirt, rust, and aftermarket lines. P.S. Flares ROCK

Mark Looman, Ada Michigan 1967 Austin Cooper S

Thanks for the pic. I think maybe I would have an easier time getting the 10-row cooler to fit, it looks like it's significantly smaller than my 13-row. Placing it unde the distributor would make the hoses I have make sense. I'll have to go look at it again tomorrow. I gave up on it today and started on an easier task - trimming a set of Works style fender flares to fit. Haha!

Is that how the fatory mounted the the oil coolerin the cooper s cars?

Here is a 10 row oil cooler in the traditional "S" position.

 

Mini friends!  Mini rides!

Restored/modified Mini 1000 with 1380cc power unit, 2.95:1 FD, adj. suspension, S discs/drums, 10x5 Minilites, 165x70 A008s, custom trim and matching custom trailer.

I tried to shoot it, but I need to pull the grill to get a better angle. Basically the cooler is mounted in the center of the car, on the lip of the grill opening. The lip is bent over, and there is a mounting bracket the cooler is resting on. The lines run from the oil filter, to the cooler, back out to the front of the block next to the dizzy. I can't imagine it could be mounted very far from this position, as it is wedged between the generator, the horn, the wiring harness, etc. I assume you realize the slam panel is mounted diagonally to allow the cooler to fit.

Mark Looman, Ada Michigan 1967 Austin Cooper S

This is supposed to be the cooper s style cooler. It's about a foot or so long, about 4" tall (I'm guessing here) with the inlet/outlets on top. I'd love to see pics of what you have.

~Jesse 

is this the horizontal center mount cooler or the vertical under the alt cooler? I have and engine with both if you need pics. The ones I have are stock Cooper S, not aftermarket.

Mark Looman, Ada Michigan 1967 Austin Cooper S

The April Mini magazine has an article on how to do it. Itl keeps the oil too cool in a street Mini which is detrimental to performance and engine longevity.

I just bought te 13 row oil cooler kit and can't seem to figure out how to make this thing fit. There just doesn't seem to be enough space behind the grill for it. I'm trying to put it up against the grill below the alternator. This car didn't come with one originally, but I thought it would be a good addition. I can get the cooler in there but it's really wedged between the grill, the oild filter and the alternator. I also can figure out how to route the supplied hoses around teh alternator and distributor. I was hoping maybe somebody could post some pics of how they have theirs installed to give me an idea of how to do this.

Thanks!

~Jesse