THE ROVER SD1 FORUM

chris_derby · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:03 pm Post subject: Oil cooler

Does the Vitesse have an oil cooler fitted as standard?

Chris P · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:47 pm Post subject:

No. The autos had the gearbox oil cooler, and later cars had a power
steering fluid cooler, but there was never an engine oil cooler.

chris_derby · Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:41 am Post subject:

Thought this might be the case. My auto Vitesse has an oil cooler fitted. Would there be any problems you think if I took it off? & will the oil filter just screw on where the cooler take off was?

Chris P · Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:17 pm Post subject:

I'm guessing, but the oil cooler may have been added to the car
if it was regularly towing - something the SD1 was very good at!
I don't see why taking the cooler off you'd cause any problems,
aside from you may drain the pump and have to prime it?

chris_derby · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:39 am Post subject:

Why would I have to drain the oil pump & re prime it if I'm taking off the oil cooler? It's only the same as changing the oil filter, as that's where the take off for the cooler is, you don't drain & prime the oil pump every time you change your oil do you?

Chris P · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:41 am Post subject:

No, you won't *have* to prime the oil pump. You know what you are
doing (change the filter with oil in the engine, not drained)
so you won't have to prime it.

chris_derby · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:19 pm Post subject:

Have decided that maybe it's too much hassle taking the oil cooler off for now, all it needs is one of the hoses replacing as it's perished. Plus it seems that what ever is behind the oil cooler take off under the engine is a narrower diameter than the oil filter. can anybody shed any light on this?

ramon alban · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:56 pm Post subject: Re: Oil cooler

chris_derby wrote:

Does the Vitesse have an oil cooler fitted as standard?

Chris, Both my auto vdp efi's had oil coolers, and I believe so did the auto vitesse and i'm sure they were factory fitted, not options.

I dont know their logic, but bear in mind that the auto box lube was routed into radiator tanks presumably to cool the ATF or possibly to equalise the gbox and engine running temps.

So, I submit that Rover decided the total available cooling capacity of the radiator and its ATF tanks would be insufficient to provide the requirement for certain climate/traffic conditions in the UK so they added cooling capacity to the engine oil system.

On my first VDP efi i removed the oil cooler and never had any problems with overheating. But then I rarely travelled with a full load and the car was mostly driven in the winter when extreme hot climate conditions would not exist.

Another part of the equation would be that oil cooling would only be achieved when the car was moving as there was no viscous fan action that low down.

_________________
Ramon

chris_derby · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks Ramon,
Thought it might have been a standard fitting on the auto Vitesse. It looks like a standard fitment anyway, any idea where I could get replacement hoses for it though?

Chris P · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:39 pm Post subject:

Interesting Shocked

The parts guide is a bit misleading as it's hard to
spot any reference to oil cooler and Vitesse. But there is one, on a
page with 'illustration to follow'.

ARH 185 Engine Oil Cooler...... 3500/Vitesse

There is no further information on this item, or any other reference
to hoses for the Vitesse, or drawings of an adaptor or anything else!
There is a note on another page which reads "For use with automatic
vehicles when towing".

Out of interest, were the two VDP EFi's and Vitesse fitted with tow
hitches?