Almost one third of the heat generated by the engine must be removed by the vehicle's two cooling systems. That's correct, your engine has two cooling systems. (1) The top of the engine: the area around each cylinder in the engine block, the combustion chamber areas in the cylinder heads and the intake manifold, dispel heat through the engine's radiator coolant system. (2) The rest of the engine: the crankshaft, bearings, camshaft, lifters, connecting rods and pistons are only cooled by engine oil.
The ideal operating range for engine oil is 180°F through 200°F. While operating within this range, the oil works as a lubricant, coolant, and cleansing agent in the engine. Modern engines generally run with radiator coolant temperatures between 200°F and 220°F with oil temperature ranges between 20°F and 75°F HOTTER. In other words, when the engine is performing flawlessly, the engine oil is already overheating! Oil that exceeds 220°F rapidly loses its ability to lubricate and cool causing accerlerated fatigue and premature component failure.
Perma-Cool® oil cooler coils are engineered for maximum cooling efficiency with no restriction in oil flow. Because different engines have varying oil flow requirements, Perma-Cool® rates Engine Oil Coolers by engine horsepower and oil flow rates. This results in cooler coil and engine flow rates that closely match.
Perma-Cool® Engine Oil Coolers can reduce the oil temperature to between 180°F to 200°F and keep it there. Benefits are:
If you spend any time in stop-and-go traffic, do any kind of towing, drive in a hot climate, or frequently use your air conditioning, your engine needs a Perma-Cool® Engine Oil Cooler!
The two primary oil cooler designs are tube-and-fin style coolers and stacked-plate coolers. As oil cycles through tube-and-fin style coolers, heat is extracted through the tubes to the external fins where it is absorbed by the air flowing through the cooler. In ordinary coolers, the oil nearest the wall of the tube cools quickly, forming a thin, sludge-like insulating layer. The oil flowing through the center of the tube remains hot, never receiving proper cooling.
Some manufacturers use "Swizzle Stick" style agitators in the tubes to prevent the build-up of sludge. The result is random, uncontrolled oil flow which does little to improve the efficiency of the cooler.
Stacked-plate coolers extract heat by flowing the oil through multiple passages in the stacked cooling plates. The plates are stacked so close together that they impede the flow of air through the cooler. The result is diminished heat extraction and a less efficient cooler. The oven brazed construction is prone to failure when the cooler is used in stressful environments such as auto racing, marine applications, etc.
The Perma-Cool® advantage begins with our exclusive TurbulatorTM fin (U.S. Patent No. 4,190,105). The TurbulatorTM increases the tube's inner surface area over 350%. The hot oil is forced to flow between the Turbulator's small solid core and its outer wings, significantly increasing the amount of heat extracted from the oil with minimal pressure drop. The TubulatorTM is mechanically inserted into the tube, increasing the cooler efficiency and allowing all Perma-Cool® Coolers to be flushed clean with ordinary cleaning solvents. Perma-Cool® Coolers eliminate the need to discard the cooler in the event of torque converter, transmission, or engine failure.
The Perma-Cool® advantage includes material selection. The superior heat rejection rates and overall light-weight of aluminum make it the best alloy for oil cooler construction.
The Perma-Cool® advantage includes thermally cured, aerospace epoxy construction. This process provides a contaminant-free cooler environment, preventing corrosion and metal fatigue.
The Perma-Cool® advantage includes multiple barbed hose ends (where applicable) for secure oil hose sealing and corrosion resistant universal mounting brackets.
The Perma-Cool® Advantage concludes with 100% pressure testing oil coolers to 300 p.s.i. and backing them with a lifetime warranty.
It's no wonder that Perma-Cool® Oil Coolers produce temperature drops unmatched by any other cooler.
Comparison tests between Perma-Cool's TurbulatorTM Tube-and-Fin Cooler, a "Swizzle Stick" Tube-and-Fin Cooler, and a Stacked-Plate Cooler were conducted by the Environmental Testing Laboratory in Dallas, Texas. Each cooler was tested under identical preset conditions: inlet oil pressure, entering air temperature, and entering oil temperature, to insure the validity of the results. The results of the tests were reported on Environmental Testing Laboratory Certification #D939 which states:
Perma-Cool's 3/4"-thick Thinline TurbulatorTM Tube-and-Fin Cooler extracted 21% more heat than the 1-1/2"-thick Stacked Plate Cooler and 51% more heat than the 3/4"-thick "Swizzle Stick" Tube-and-Fin Cooler.