In all my years (decades) of VW ownership, starting with a '78
Scirocco thru the current '03 EuroVan I have never had the stock
sandwich oil cooler fail.  There's got to be more than a dozen models
represented in the mix.

Ch

Date:    Wed, 25 Oct 2017 06:27:25 +0000
From:    Todd Last <rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Oil heat exchanger fail.. more

This style of heat exchange is common in many engines these days. I
had heard that they are to aid in engine warm up as well as cooling -
the main reason was to help meet tightened emission requirements.

Todd

----- Original Message -----

From: "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 10:00:25 AM
Subject: Re: Oil heat exchanger fail.. more

You are correct in the theory of operation for the cooler and how it
is plumbed. When I had a motor home with the Ford Triton V-10, the oil
cooler was fed from the lower radiator hose with a venture manifold.
Yes, the oil cooler feed and return went to the lower hose. No
radiator flow such as cold engine, no cooling for the oil. As flow
increased, cooler coolant from the radiator would be used to cool the
oil, not hot coolant from under the thermostat.

As for warming the oil faster during warm except for short trips in
very cold weather there is little benefit. Fun Bus had the original
cooler removed and replaced with a thermostatically control oil to air
exchanger, placed in front of the radiator before its first oil
change. Just turned 321K last Saturday so no engine harm there.

Dennis