sure cut it off, just why the heck did VW go to all that troubled
adding one.

(And continued to use it in various models through the years)

But you seem to have done a thorough analysis.

(it actually does work. it helps oil to get to op. temp during warm
up and does moderate oil temps during running)

alistair

On 24-Sep-10, at 7:08 AM, Don Hanson wrote:

   I understand that many VW motors, some WBX included, have the oil
filter/coolant heat exchanger like the one 'above' the oil filter that I
found on my 93 Jetta (recent) transplant block. I just swapped this
new ABA
motor into my 84 vanagon  in place of a 92 1.8liter  inline VW.  The
1.8l motor has no exchanger like that.  Looking at this thing, it
seems a
bit....useless?

   Is it supposed to 'cool' the oil?  Heat the oil? Up or Down to the
temp of
the coolant?   That temp. is about 188f with an 87c
thermostat...about normal oil temp anyhow.  The temperature
difference, as
influenced by the coolant circulating around the oil filter pipe, is
that
same condition not present all over the motor?  As coolant circulates
through the head and block, it shares the same contact with the metal
as the
oi/ in adjacent passeges, right?  Is there a real advantage to adding
that
extra small 'interface' at that "cooler? Heater?" ...whatever you
would call
it?   It looks like there might be very little thermal exchanging
going on
there, between the oil and the coolant, given the surface areas
involved.

  It seems like that device just a couple of extra hoses and clamps
to an
already painfully complex cooling system,  for not much 'real world'
difference, other than another possible failure point to lose coolant..
Looks a litte cheesy, too..that stamped chamber of flimsey alloy.

   My 1.8 liter without that type exchanger had no issues whatsoever
involving oil temps in the 60k hard hard miles I put onto it..

   Just curious..any body else have an opinion or give a darn about this
little widget?

   PS...I am leaving mine on there, for now, without any coolant
circulating
through.  I might sometime hook it up and monitor the oil temp...see
what
happens in the motor...I bet Not Much..

   Don Hanson