Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I did have the thermostatic plate fitted, but even so, in winter it seemed to slow down the heating up of the engine oil, so I removed it. I guess the thermostat is not on/off, but analogue, so will progressively open as the oil warms up. Fine in summer, as the whole process is faster, but not good news in winter, so I removed the unit for re-use in warmer times. The extra pint of oil probably helps in summer as well...

Jeremy

A bit off topic, but here is an option for the Oil Cooler itself, if you have not already selected one, as AHM has. Derale, Russell & perhaps others, [no connection here, usual disclaimers] makes what they call a ?heat sink? type Oil cooler.

One of the advantages of this item is that it can be mounted anywhere, in any orientation & does not need to be in the airstream. This is all aluminum, and the thicker fins are not subject to the usual type of damage from rocks or road debris. These are especially useful for Trans & diff coolers where road damage may be more of a concern.

Derale lists single pass & dual pass units of varying of lengths from about 10? [inches] to 26?, O.D. at the fins is about 2-1/2". Custom lengths were available when these were made available where I worked some years back, not certain if that service is still offered. It was a new product back then, and we could have them anodized in any of the available colors. Prices appear to be mostly in the $60 - $90 USD range in the U.S. now, not known if avail elsewhere. I have not seen any specs on weight or comparisons to rate of heat rejection vs the tube/fin type.

BTW, when you add an oil cooler, do not forget to increase the amount of oil in your system initially. You may not need to include this extra capacity at a routine oil change, but there will be some added capacity in the system, and the added capacity is part of the increased cooling capacity of the system. Derale says 1 quart, but this will clearly vary by the length of the unit being installed. It could be possible to include a drain & flush feature to the installation & plumbing depending on where & how the unit is mounted.