Oil cooler

[Fast Willy]

Newbie here, just about done building my first go fast boat & need to know if an oil cooler is needed. The boat is a 94 Checkmate 253 Convincor with a 454 stroker engine & bravo 1 drive. Also wondering what prop to run the eng. was dynoed at 523 hp & the boat weighs 4700 lbs. Is the 4 blade the way to go.

[Rexone]

FW I'd recommend you check your oil temp with a gauge first to see if it's actually needed. I will let the prop gurus comment on the prop issue.

[Fast Willy]

Thanks REXONE I will do that, also need to know if I need to run external oil lines for the oil filter. There is plenty of room to get filter off from standard location, I just didn't know if there is a purpose for relocating if you can get to the filter easily.

[Rexone]

Thanks REXONE I will do that, also need to know if I need to run external oil lines for the oil filter. There is plenty of room to get filter off from standard location, I just didn't know if there is a purpose for relocating if you can get to the filter easily.
A remote filter is only a real advangage if the stock filter is difficult to get at.
Now if you end up running a remote cooler then a remote filter would go hand in hand since you'll likely be bringing hoses off a bypass unit attached to the filter boss. Normally you'd run it through the filter hot then through the cooler and back to the engine. We have all the hardware if you end up needing it. Good luck.

[Fast Willy]

Hey man thanks for the quick replys & advice you deff. will see buisness from me when I need stuff.

[BadKachina]

You need an oil cooler. It will only help protect your motor. All big blocks come from the factory with them, (Merc and Volvo). It will only help your motor live longer with less wear and tear on it.
Put an oil adapter plate where your filter is, relocate your filter, have the line from your adapter go to your cooler, then your filter and back to the oil adapter. (or like Rex said)
I would start out with a 24 or 26 Bravo and get some readings. Is your hull stepped? If not you could try a three blade Mirage in about a 25 pitch.

[acatitude]

Hey Rexone you stated filter then cooler then motor........wouldnt cooler then filter then motor, be better..... thats how mine is set up... want everything filtered before motor just my thoughts

[BadKachina]

Hey Rexone you stated filter then cooler then motor........wouldnt cooler then filter then motor, be better..... thats how mine is set up... want everything filtered before motor just my thoughts
Merc does set them up cooler first. I don't know what difference it makes???

[acatitude]

Merc does set them up cooler first. I don't know what difference it makes???
BK the filter should be last in line before motor to filter out whatever.. maybe oil cooler has chips, who knows , just makes more sense to me that way.... let the filter do what its suppossed to do

[superdave013]

BK the filter should be last in line before motor to filter out whatever.. maybe oil cooler has chips, who knows , just makes more sense to me that way.... let the filter do what its suppossed to do
two schools of though on that.
1. yours
2. Hot oil flows better though a filter then cool oil does. Also if you blow up an engine you don't puke metal in your cooler.
I'm kinda on the fence on what way to do it myself. I see the point of both ways. I do have a big cooler that's had an engine puked in it so it's pretty much trash now as you can't take them apart and clean them.

[acatitude]

personal preference I guess SD013... I'm more concerned with my filter keeping shit outa the motor then outa the cooler...if my motor pukes the cooler will be the cheapest thing I replace ..as long as you have one I guess both ways are ok..

[superdave013]

oh I'm leaning that way too. And I agree that even a high buck cooler is cheep when looking at the big picture.
I have always ran Baldwin 279 filters and they have an internal bypass. So my thinking is if the oil is cool it might make the bypass open and that would be no good. I guess I might have to change filter brands.

[Havasu47]

Hot oil always flows through the filter better and is filtered better. Why would you be installing a cooler with debris in it??? By the way, Mercruiser routes the warm oil to the filter before the cooler.

[superdave013]

Hot oil always flows through the filter better and is filtered better. Why would you be installing a cooler with debris in it??? By the way, Mercruiser routes the warm oil to the filter before the cooler.
well I work on alot of heat exchangers like these oil coolers and if you saw how they cleaned them you would be wondering too. lol
There is a company in I think Fullerton that does ultrasonic cleaning on coolers. I saw them at the PRI show. I'll prolly send them a new cooler and have them clean it just to be sure.

[TIMINATOR]

Filter it,then cool it. You have allready read the reasons. TIMINATOR

[BadKachina]

BK the filter should be last in line before motor to filter out whatever.. maybe oil cooler has chips, who knows , just makes more sense to me that way.... let the filter do what its suppossed to do
I had never really given it any thought as to what was first, last, or why. After doing some research and reading some threads on OSO, it seems the concensus is to have filter first, then cooler, mostly for the reason that hot thin oil filters easier than cool oil, there by giving you the least amount of restriction through the filter. That sounds like a good enough reason to me. :cool:

[acatitude]

hey BK, thats good enough for me , I just wonder what the temp difference really is between cooled before filter as opposed to after and if its enough to really make a difference on oil flow thru filter???? Ive never had a problem to my knowledge, just the way I was taught to plumb them....filter last... prolly like who likes what filter better and why.......