Well guys I am scratchong my head here. I cannot figure out a way to mount the FC oild cooler in my 85 AND keep the air conditioning. The A/C lines prevent me from mounting it anywhere where the stock FC lines will reach.

Someone has to know how the hell this can be done...

The only other option would be to make my own lines and mount it further up, but I dont want to cough up $200 plus to make my own lines.

 

I have an 80 with the front mount oil cooler, and I still have my air conditioning. E-Mail me, and ill try to get some pics. myrxseven@yahoo.com

It just mounts right underneath the radiator.

 

you have 2 choices,,, 1 make the lines lomger,, or 2 get the early short radiator and mount the oil cooler below. the choice is yours!

 

yeah, with an 80 it be a piece of cake, but the 83?-85 have the beehive oild coolers by default, and 84-85 have the mount for the SE air/oil cooler.

My original idea was to make a bracket that would attach to the stock SE mounts. The problem is that unlike the SA, and the GSL-SE oild coolers, the FC has the hose inlet and outlets in different places. The inlet sticks straight up on the top left side. That one isnt a problem. The problem one is the outlet is on the bottom left SIDE of the oil cooler. That damn banjo bolt smacks straight into the metal A/C line. Thats about the only area where the stock FC lines will reach.

I may end up having to go out and get a SA radiator, oild cooler and lines, or a SE oil cooler and lines. Thats $$$ I dont want to spend... especally when I dont have to.

 

Yeah I am beginning to see those and using a SE oil cooler as my only other options.

Is there any cheaper way to make your own oil cooler lines? I looked at the supplies from mazdatrix, and that would cost ~$200.

Is there -AN fittings and braided stainless for considerally cheaper? Or mabey some other way to make the lines?

 

I looked at this a while back. Easiest option is use an SE oil cooler cause I bet you have the mounts installed.

If you use an FC cooler, the best place to mount is on the crossbar in front of the radiator--to do this you will need longer lines.

I bet you could get longer lines made up locally for around $125.

Good Luck

 

damn, that really sucks. If I could have figured out some way to make the FC cooler work with the stock FC lines, I'd be turning the key on my project car for the first time next week. Looks like I'm going to have to wait for another paycheck.

On a side note, I'm going to have a huge picture post of my engine swap next week as well.

If I'm going to have to pay $125 to get the lines locally made, I might as well just get the -AN lines. If I have to wait another paycheck, I'll have enough money to do it.

It just kills me when I'm soooo close to being done!

 

dude, i know what it's like. but DOOOON'T RUSH IT over some lines. do it right the first time! hahaha, it'll be so worth it. have patience my son.

 

Go to a local hose shop, bring the fittings, dimensions of new hoses, and the old hoses. Then get plain old hydraulic hose made in the length you need with crimped on fittings. You should get out the door under $50 and have a very durable and lightweight setup.

 

Yeah, you should be able to find a local hydrualics place make some lines for you pretty cheapy.

SE oil coolers are rare and expensive as I need one to replace my leaking one. I am looking at using an FC one.

 

You say that the 'hard' ac hose hits the banjo bolt ?
that doesn't sound right, or is it the 'hard' oil line ?
Go to the junkyard and get the hose's off an fc, . The
long hose's only. The ac should be out of the way.
An air/air oil cooler is way better then that beehive crap,
IMO.

 

The a/c lines are one problem I saw, the width of the cooler with the side mounted banjo bolt was another. Better to just mount it on the cross bar and use longer hoses.

 

I'll have to look into that. $50 sounds MUCH better than $150+