mx5cartalk.com

Hello,

Has anyone here run any form of trans or diff oil coolers on their track MX5's?
I've been doing some mild googling, and there are a few short topics on it at mt.net, but nothing that says "here buy this, it's the best option and it works great".

I am presuming the people who do run coolers, know what they're doing because they have been doing it for many years.
Looks like its a matter of buy a pump, lines, cooler, and maybe a temp switch to allow the ecu to control it all.... and the right fittings to go in the fill/drain holes of the diff/trans.

Any input would be handy as I think it is time to invest in the longevity of my drivetrain.

Thanks

I've thought about this too... I don't think it's all that complex but just needs to be thought through in terms of getting airflow through the radiators etc.

As you say you just need to tap into both trans and diff with some AN lines, run them each through an electric pump that's PWM controlled or on a therm switch. You could in theory merge the two into a single system however I think it's better to keep them separate in case one fails. I wonder if there is a spot on either that has a higher pressure so as to passively pump the fluid rather than run electric pumps.

My suggestion would be to at least first monitor the temp of the diff with some temperature strips to see if it is over heating.

http://measuretech.com.au/non-reversible-thermax-label-strip/13-thermax-10-level-strips.html

I picked up Liam McAdam's diff cooler (complete with pump) and it is sitting at home. Plan is to first collect some temp data (surprise) on the diff (and gearbox) before making a decision on installing it. Happy to post some photos of the unit. From memory it is either on or off

I'm almost 100% sure that I need both diff and transmission coolers in my car.
In my case, the car will have basically zero airflow through the tunnel, so temps are definitely going to be beyond an acceptable range.
I presume, similar to engine oil, you want diff/trans oil temps somewhere around say 110degC. And at least certainly not beyond 140deg or so.

I'm hoping I don't need to 'tap' into the casings, and can just replace fill/drain plugs with fittings.

Anyone have any opinions on the best items to use in terms of pumps, sensors, coolers etc? Looks like tilton oil pumps are around $200.... but that's USA pricing https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/ ... /overview/

I'm sure you know but don't go pulling out random plugs from the transmission. Most of those allen key bolts are there to hold something inside and if you take one out to see what it is things fall out inside the box. There are the two sump plugs but I'd prefer to have them separate so you can drain the oil easily.

Given you need two pumps you could cheap out and go for the ebay special: http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-Electric-Oil-Pump-Diff-Cooler-Turbo-Scavenge-Conversion-Gear-Pump-/281765875529?hash=item419a8e0f49:g:yAQAAOSwNuxXX6qt&vxp=mtr

There are also electric power steering fluid pumps on some Suzukis I think. I've seen one installed on an electric conversion so they exist and were supposedly cheap from a wrecker as no-one wants them.

It would be much easier and lighter to just run naca ducts to cool the box and diff. Your not doing 1 hour races. You could even run a duct pipe from the naca to blow fresh air directly at the fins.

I was just about to point out what lightyear said, but slightly differently. Have a look at this from the Honda crowd https://honeddevelopments.com/honed-air-guide-track-testing/ and they're in Melbourne too!

A naca duct might sound 'much easier', but it will be nowhere near good enough.