Thread: Oil Cooler + VVL

Read through the other oil cooler threads, but nothing definitive comes up. Anyone has installation pics? Would like to see the routing of the lines etc. Especially with the remote mount filter option. Thinking of going this route.

Just to be sure. The setup should be Motor->Cooler->filter->motor correct?
Also, is there anything you need to do differently when starting up the first time after the installation, or when doing oil changes? Is there any chance of the motor not getting enough oil while the cooler system fills up?

I'm considering a 13 row setrab with -10 fittings. Should be good enough for a hard street setup revving to 9k? I'm concerned a 19 row may overcool the oil.

I think ny5speed did one on his B13.

In theory, one of the best setups would be...

When oil is cold.
Oil Pickup Tube → Oil Pump → Anti-drain-back Valve → Oil Filter → Oil Thermostat → Engine

When oil is warm.
Oil Pickup Tube → Oil Pump → Anti-drain-back Valve → Oil Filter → Oil Thermostat → Oil Cooler → Engine

I have seen at least one setup like this commonly available for our engines.

Anyone has a flow diagram for the SR20VE's oil channels? Curious to see what the stock flow direction is.

I'm assuming the oil goes from the filter to the motor (crank,bearings, cams etc) and from there just back into the oil pan, from where it gets picked up, go through the pump, into the filter and back to the motor?

I read somewhere that going to the cooler first, and then the filter next is better because in the off chance that something gets into the (cooling) system then it will get filtered before reaching the motor.

Looking at Ben's argument the benefit I see in going filter to cooler means the oil will be warmer/thinner when passing through the filter.

And this might be a silly question, but does a cooler and remote filter put addiontal strain on the oil pump? Perhaps increase parasitic losses?

yes usually you put the oil cooler before the filter. Your oil comes out the threaded spout on the housing. So when you do a sandwich plate to attach lines to and do a relocated filter you would go from that threaded part to the cooler and then the cooler to the filter relocation and then the filter relocation back to the other threaded fitting on the sandwich plate.

As far as the extra strain goes, the ve pump has more than enough volume and pressure to handle an oil cooler and filter relocation kit.

Pull the plugs and crank the motor over to prime the system giving it bursts of about 10 seconds at a time so you don't heat the starter up too much. Crank until the oil pressure light goes out and you're fine.

Cool. Thoughts on parasitic losses? Not something us N/A guys wanna hear....




Thanks I was thinking the same thing to be safe.


I'm about to head out to get my cooler. Thinking 16 row should be sufficient? It's fairly warm where I live.


Does the SR16VE N1 have any sort of cooler/heat exchanger? I get that a regular VE wont' have one, but if even a DE has a heat exhanger then surely a N1 with it's 8500rpm redline should have one from the factory?

I always figured you'd want to make sure you filter the oil before it gets to the cooler so nothing gets stuck in the cooler... But some coolers don't have any real tight passageways I guess. Also if you're going to by-pass the oil cooler when the engine is cold, you need to feed the filter still.

I forgot to include the temp-based valve you should have to bypass the oil cooler when the oil is cold. I edited my post above to show it. I know there's a setup available for our engines just as I describe above.