Oil stat?

[Chillidoggy]

Where are you ordering from Glyn?

[glynherron]

Where are you ordering from Glyn?

Ordered from Burton Performance Ian.

You have PM.

[glynherron]

A thought just occurred to me...

Fitting the oil stat to a rebuilt engine with new coolers etc will mean everything is dry. When the engine is first filled with oil it will give a false reading. And worse will be when the oil is up to temp and the engine starved of oil whilst the coolers and oil lines full up and the oil level drops.

Drawing my own conclusions now but must the oil cooler pipework be filled and any techniques which folks use?

Glyn

[Chillidoggy]

Ordered from Burton Performance Ian.

You have PM.

Got it, ta.

[cammmy]

Hi Guys, just to answer a couple of questions.

 

The plate came with everything required to fit it.

 

As for priming, I had this thought and called Mocal. Their response was that the stat will never physically block oil from entering the cooler, there is simply a bypass that is open when the oil is cold. This means the oil will take the path of least resistance and allow the lines and coolers to fill. When hot, the bypass closes and forces the oil to go through the cooler.

 

Although they have said it's designed this way to avoid the need to prime. My advice would be to prime the best you can, then pull the plugs and injector fuses and crank by hand followed by the starter. Might be OTT but better safe than sorry.

 

Cam

[mdw]

I back filled my cooler lines and new cooler until they overflowed before I connected them to my newly rebuilt engine.  They took quite a large amount of oil.  Im not sure I would fire the engine up on empty lines. Too many things to think about and one thing you know for sure its they should be full of oil.

[cammmy]

That's my thinking too but it was just to clarify that flow to and from the coolers isn't blocked by the thermostat, the oil is simply given another option until it's warm, at which point it's forced through the coolers.

[Loose Cannon]

There's so much oil in the cooler lines I have often thought there should be a drain tap at the front end to reduce the amount of dirty oil left in during a change.

[Chillidoggy]

I'm wondering how much engine oil is in the coolers and pipelines? By the amount that leaked out on my garage floor overnight when I took the engine out, I'd say about a litre, maybe a bit more. Whatever, it was a few rag's worth.

[glynherron]

Oil stat fitted this afternoon. I did have to file one corners off each fitting to clear the oil filter.

[MrDangerUS]

Two thumbs up!

After stat plate installation, I have experienced a much better oil pressure at idle!

[Roy Lewington]

A nice addition but only with an oil temperature guage to cover you for the day the thermostat packs up and doesn't open.

[MrDangerUS]

Combining stat plate with Ford 4.3L engine 90degree oil adapter makes filter changes much easier and cleaner. Plenum stay/support brace has to be bent and twisted to fit between the filter and hose fittings. Use thicker, 4.5mm thick O-ring on the adapter side facing the stat plate.

Stock Ford ring is too thin and may cause leaks.

[jonwat]

9 hours ago, MrDangerUS said:

Combining stat plate with Ford 4.3L engine 90degree oil adapter makes filter changes much easier and cleaner. 

Do you get a much faster build up of oil pressure from a cold start as the oil hasn't drained out of the filter?

[sailorbob]

What internal diameter does the 4.5 mm O ring need to be?

[MrDangerUS]

3 hours ago, sailorbob said:

What internal diameter does the 4.5 mm O ring need to be?

62mm ID for 4.5mm O-ring

With thicker ring you must chamfer sharp edges of the adapter  ring groove.

!!! Never use ANY silicone parts/hoses/rings, etc.,  for ANY oil installations !!!

Use only Buna-N rubber or Viton rings.

Great variety here:  https://www.mcmaster.com/o-rings

Edited March 21, 2020 by MrDangerUS

[MrDangerUS]

4 hours ago, jonwat said:

Do you get a much faster build up of oil pressure from a cold start as the oil hasn't drained out of the filter?

John,

Yes, since the thermostatic sandwich plate remains closed until oil temp 82C, it shortens immensely the length of the oil circuit and the oil pump can build up the pressure almost immediately. Also, the stat plate shortens significantly the oil warm up period.

Edited March 21, 2020 by MrDangerUS

[sailorbob]

Thanks John.

[flowersrj2]

Price at BatInc.com for Mocal stat is now $121 in July 2022 but MOCTB3 is no longer a valid part number.  Instead just talk with salesperson on details of what you need.  they can still make it for you.

[tomcattom]

Setrab do a suitable equivalent too. You'll need:

• x1 Setrab HyperFlow Sandwich Adapter with 3/4" UNF filter adapter - 19-SPT76-34-180-22 (http://www.setrabusa.com/products/oilcontrol/oilfilteradapters/sandwich/index.html). The thermostat inside operates at 82°C.
• x2 Setrab ProLine adapter fittings M22x1.5 to 5/8" BSP - 22-M22BSP58-00 (http://www.setrabusa.com/products/connections/adapterfittings/index.html). Beware that the ProLine adapters while more expensive than others on the market do have rubber sealing rings for the adapter mating face.

I got mine from Merlin Motorsports for anyone looking to buy one in the UK.

[MrDangerUS]

Beware of the reversed flow of the MOCAL type stat plate. To make it function properly, one has to switch position of the in/out hoses on re-assembly.

For more pictures visit:  https://lotuscorps.org/pictures/index.php?/category/48

 

[Vulcan Grey]

On 23/07/2022 at 07:51, MrDangerUS said:

Beware of the reversed flow of the MOCAL type stat plate. To make it function properly, one has to switch position of the in/out hoses on re-assembly.

For more pictures visit:  https://lotuscorps.org/pictures/index.php?/category/48

 

Shouldn't matter. The system is totally symmetric.

Though Lotus does say this "Ensure that the oil cooling hoses are always re-connected to the engine in the original orientation in order
to maintain the direction of oil flow. Due to the significant volume of oil held in the oil cooler circuit, it is
recommended to purge the cooling system when changing the engine oil."

[philcool]

I wouldn't recommend draining and trying to refill the oil cooling system on an oil change unless you have leaks or other issues as the purging process if not completed properly can cause oil starvation when the stat opens.

Fare better to just change the oil in the sump more regularly.

Standard 4.5L including oil filter and if I remember correctly  3.5L in the colling system 

[MrDangerUS]

Oil stat plate with 90 deg filter adapter

How many times you cussed when changing the oil filter?
Pretty simple maintenance operation (on other cars), ends up in the Biblical scale flood of black stinking oil all over the engine and the garage floor.

Here is an elegant solution:
Ford M-6880, or 89TM6884, 90 Deg Filter Adapter designed and prototyped by Zig G. (AKA EspriS4 on LT)

Adapter was widely used on 94-01 Ford 4.0L V6 engines (Explorer, Ranger, Aerostar)
Be sure that the "banjo" bolt has 3/4"-16 thread and the filter mount has the "right" offset, (away from the block). The only other modification required is creative "twisting" the plenum stay to clear the filter cartridge.

 There are a couple of different versions of this adapter. Use only the "right offset" part, which moves filter AWAY from the block, as shown below.

You can buy Viton O-rings here: worldwindow2010 | eBay Stores     (27 mm and 3.5-4 mm thick. DD required.
Got the other (large/ thick) O-ring in the same ebay store. You can fit up to 4mm thick O-ring in the existing adapter groove. 3.5 mm is too thin (black ring in the last picture).

I went even further buying 5.0 mm thick O-ring, but to fit it correctly, I had to open up the groove in the adapter to 70mm OD.

[jonwat]

2 hours ago, MrDangerUS said:

How many times you cussed when changing the oil filter?
Pretty simple maintenance operation (on other cars), ends up in the Biblical scale flood of black stinking oil all over the engine and the garage floor.

If you leave the sump plug out for the oil to drain overnight then all the oil in the filter will have drained out past the crankshaft bearings allowing you to remove the filter the next day without spilling a drop.