Hey everone, hows it going. Well I actually have a few questions regarding the oil cooler lines on my 81 zxt. One of the lines decided to spring a leak on me thus makeing it not possible to drive my car safely. I did a search on here to see if anyone had posted the same question and found one but, they did not know where to get the line? They just said it could be made at a truck hose shop??? That being said, there isnt a truck shop or car shop here in my town that could remanufacture the line that I need. Does anyone know where I could pick up one of these lines? I checkd e-bay and black dragon with no sucess. Now for my second question. Since I did the 5 speed conversion and no longer have the auto tranny, do i need to have the oil cooler? What would be the positive and negative affects of having it and not having it? Can I get rid of it, and if I did how can i mount the oil filter on the block like the N/A or 82-83 zxt manuals.

Thank you for reading my long A$$ post. LOL

To the best of my knowledge, with a 5 speed, you can safely remove the oil cooling system. Never having dealt with one, I cannot tell you exactly how to remove it, but I've seen quite a few offered on Ebay. Not often, but a couple or three each month. It varies.

I think the lines use "banjo" fittings, so those you just unscrew the bolts holding them together. Once the oil lines are removed from the block filter adapter, remove the filter, and you should be able to find a way to spin the adapter off the engine block. The filter should then spin on directly on the block.

You might be able to use the same "band wrench" that is used to loosen the filter to loosen the adapter plate.

The above comments are based on what I've read on Ebay descriptions from parts sellers I trust, when they describe how easy it is to add a used cooler system to a ZX block that never had one.

We in the forum have speculated on why the auto trans turbo cars got the cooler, and why manual trans turbo cars did not, but I don't think we ever came to a consensus on the matter. My personal SWAG is that the auto trans fluid heat exchanger in the radiator loads the engine with waste heat from the tranny, and that the engine oil cooler is acting as a 2nd stage cooling device, to help cool the tranny a little more by cooling the engine oil. Since the manual tranny does not dump heat into the engine radiator, the engine does not carry the extra heat burden, therefore does not require added oil cooling.

That said, there are Ebay sellers, and others I'm sure, that sell aftermarket oil cooler parts to build your own.

For ordinary driving, you are probably just fine to delete the leaking cooler.

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Bob, in San Diego
1983 280ZX Turbo Coupe 5 speed

Visit [xenons130.com] for ZX Manuals, or
[www.xenons30.com] for 240Z, 260Z, or 280Z manuals.
Blue's Tech Tips [www.atlanticz.ca]
member Z Club of San Diego [www.zcsd.org]

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Keep your cooler, normally people pay extra and add those to vehicles. Any performance vehicle that is actually going to be driven should have one.

Yes you can remove it and there are details here, posted last week I believe on exactly how to remove the mount from the block and the few things to do.

However I would not, I would leave it intact.

I have a hydraulic hose manufacturor in my town. He did the lines for my RX7, since I had the fittings it only cost me like $30 total.

Buying used who knows how deteriorated the rubber is on the inside.

If you still have the line, you could send it to me and I'll get the guy to make you a new one. It would be smart to do them both as you make one thing stronger you will find the next weak link in the chain.

I would just charge you the shops price with receipt, shipping and $20 for time.

you don't need the oil cooler for a 5 speed. It was there for the auto tranny not the engine. If you somehow managed to hook it up to the engine oil system disconnect it and put it back the way it was. If you hooked it up to the manual tranny how do you think oil is getting to the cooler and back to the tranny? there is no pump to force it there and back such as in the auto tranny. The 81 turbo was the only zx that had it so should tell you about the necessity for it. The 82, 83 turbos with 5 speed had no cooler.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit was february 09, 06:18am.

An oil cooler is good on any vehicle, especially a turbo. The tranny fluid is cooled in the radiator, not the oil cooler. It's called oil cooler for a reason. Having cooler oil going thru your turbo is very good.

From what he desribes it is still in place with just a busted hose. That's why he asked how to remove it from the engine.

Is it necessary no, is it beneficial yes it certainly can be and it's free and already there. Normally people are on here looking for the parts cause they want to add it to there car turbo or not. I run one and am NA, my temps stay much more consistent regardless of how hard I run the car.

So again Yes you can remove it and the car will run fine, unless you track the car or live in very hot areas then you will probably never notice it.

If you don't want it and can remove everything correctly let me know I may buy it.

I have read that the 3 speed trans(auto) equals more revs, more heat, more cooling.

Still a good idea though for a turbo though as mentioned.

A H20 cooled turbo is the way to go.

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82 zxt 5-spd, oil cooler!
96 240sxes
78/81 jeep j-20

Well I'd like to keep the cooler on the car but, im guessing you cant order these lines anymore?

RogerZ - You had better check your source of information again. Only 280ZXT's with an automatic transmission came with a separate ENGINE OIL cooler, as well as the transmission cooler in the radiator. Doing the 5-speed transmission conversion would eliminate the transmission cooler but not the separate engine oil cooler.


luvmy280zxt - I would disconnect and cap the hoses at the engine oil cooler adaptor. Drain the hoses and cooler, then remove the hoses from the cooler. Some where in your area there is a shop that sells industrial hydraulic fittings. Take your hoses there, they will be able to make the hoses for you or tell you who can make the hoses for you. With the 5-speed transmission installed, there should be no overheating problem.

If you can't find a shop in your area, someone on this site (Matt78Z has already offered) will help you get it done.

If you are going to continue to use the oil cooler, install an engine oil temperature gauge, you don't want the engine oil to get too cool. Consider installing an MSA thermostatic oil valve (17-8057) in the lines to and from the oil cooler.

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If you put it all back together and it runs beautifully, be afraid - be very afraid.

8/70 240Z Mountain car (only things stock left-engine, differential & brakes)
12/70 240Z Totally stock (in restoration)
12/70 240Z SBC wannabe

Reno, NV

OH snap, Your right, someone did offer to help me with them. LOL Had to reread a few posts up. I might just take you on that offer. Im going to do a little bit more searching for a shop. Trust me, Im on an island in the puget sound and there is no shop here that can make the line for me. LOL The weather up here does not get too hot so i think i also might just eleminate the oil cooler. If I do I guess I'll just sell it.

With that DoD sticker on your windshield, I would venture to guess that you are on Whidbey Island. I spent four beautiful months in 1981 there, attending the NAMTRADET course for the A6E Intruder digital nav/ballistics computer system AN/ASQ-155.

I wrote to my folks that it was like living in a national forest, with a five minute walk to a beach on the Sound. An agate beach rather than sand, and cold water, but still very pretty.

I don't imagine that Oak Harbor has very many garages that can perform unusual tasks like yours. 29 years ago, Oak Harbor was a very small town on the water, even if it was a Navy town.

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Bob, in San Diego
1983 280ZX Turbo Coupe 5 speed

Visit [xenons130.com] for ZX Manuals, or
[www.xenons30.com] for 240Z, 260Z, or 280Z manuals.
Blue's Tech Tips [www.atlanticz.ca]
member Z Club of San Diego [www.zcsd.org]

*** Help stamp out "texting" abbreviations!!! ***

Man maybe this is a NW thing....I have the same thing going on i think, where does your oil cooler lead to? Mine goes to the front bottom quarter panel. I'll get some pics of mine. -Jake

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1978z-Gone to Zcar heaven
1979zx Tokico struts & springs poly bushings
1982zxt Stock-for now

Up In the NW!

Why yes astro bob I am on whidbey island. And Im a "AD" on EA-6B Prowler. Well now on the EA-18G the "GROWLER". Its a version of the superhornet that is replacing the prowler. 1981, that was some time ago. I 1st got here in 97. Yea it is still a small town and its hard to find shops to do certain things. But I guess since it does not get too hot here I can get rid of the cooler.