Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Addition engine cooling thoughts and ramblings...
From:David Marshall
Date:Mon, 13 May 2002 21:44:04 -0700

My 2.0L I4 that I installed in my Syncro 16 is now running great (using
European T3 Diesel hardware).  The coolant needed is above the LED when the
engine is warmed up by about 2 needle widths.  The rad fan doesn't come on
and there is sufficient heat when the heater is on.  When I do turn the
heater on I notice the temp will drop about 1 needle width - hmmm.....

This weekend I was looking at ways of keeping the oil temps down.  Currently
there is the Audi 3A water -> oil cooler on there and from what other people
have told me it does an OK job of keeping the temps down but not really when
you are working the engine up a good hill.  The local wrecking yard has some
2.3L Audis in it with the external air -> oil coolers mounted on them.  The
cooler is pathetically small, but there are lots of bigger oil radiators out
there.

My idea is to do the following to keep the temps down to a minimum in the
engine.  First, mount an 12'x4' oil cooler on the right side of the engine
bay where there is all sorts of room below the coolant bottle - protect it
from my 4x4ing adventures with an extension of the skid plate.  Then I was
thinking of how to further cool things - if I turn on the heater, the water
temp drops slightly - so, why not install a small heater core in the engine
bay as well in line with the other heaters in the van - one could even
install an on-off switch on this so in the winter time I could get more heat
inside of the vehicle.

Suggestions and comments are welcome.

David Marshall

Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada  V2J 6Z3

http://www.fastforward.ca    mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775        FAX: (250) 992 1160

- Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
- Vanagon, Transporter and Iltis Sales and Importation
- European Lighting for most Volkswagen models