Crosspost: 440 oil cooler questions

[70chargerAZ]

I'm building a 440-to-543 stroker. I'll leave the bulk of the build's information out of this topic for the moment.

I plan on installing an oil cooler, but have never done really messed with oiling systems before. I'm running an aftermarket, external oiling system by either Milodon or Melling, and had some questions:

1. I've seen oil coolers run off of a filter adapter, is this really the optimal set-up, or is there a better way?
2. Could I run an oil cooler off of the oil pump itself if I have the required fittings installed? (for example: from the oil pan pickup to oil cooler, then from the oil cooler back to the to oil pump?)
3. Does anyone make a kit in either of these configurations?
4. Is there anything I'm missing here?

[Challenger340]

Sorry, I have never even SEEN an Oil Cooler installed on a BB Mopar ?

Nor though, have I ever seen the Oil get hot enough ? to require external cooling ?
As long as the machined internal clearances are blueprinted for the application, 200*F is about max, still well within operating ranges.
I assume you are in Arizona ?
and are expecting substantially more heat, therefore if one is required with the single line external pickup, I am thinking it would be on the Filter mount somewhere ?

[70chargerAZ]

Yep, I'm in AZ. Since asking this question, I've come to find that coolers are always run off a filter adapter. I just wasn't sure if this was the best/most efficient option for me.  However, after more research. I'm going with a modified internal pickup, so my only option will be a filter adapter. I'll have the proper clearances, but would like to run a thermostatically controlled oil cooler in the event of excess heat, and it can't hurt.

[RallyeMike]

An oil cooler won't do much on a street or drag car. If you build an effective water cooling system, it will keep your oil at the correct temperature, which is typically just a bit more than water temp. An oil cooler is pretty much just going to be window dressing unless you do certain types of racing or tow heavy loads.

I can give feedback on the filter-adapter style: I use a filter-adapter style with 383 race engine which will see sustained speeds of 130-165 mph / 3500-5500 rpm for 40 minutes a a time. It is a double row cooler about 16"x8" in size. Most race time oil temps are around 200-220. Under maximum sustained load (95 degree day, 5500 ft elevation, uphill, 5 minutes at 150+mph) oil temps will max out at 260. This is still way inside the range of any synthetic oil.

So to answer your question - Is the filter-adapter style optimal? Not sure, but it does work if one is needed.

[70chargerAZ]

Thanks for your reply! I was thinking about that, and figured that yeah an oil cooler may be a bit overkill for my intended application. Though I DO love cooling things down, I may just run without it for a bit and monitor temperatures and install one later, if needed. My cooling system is going to be top-notch, so I probably won't encounter any issues along the way with the oil being too hot.

Thanks again.