1.6 TD Syncro cooling

Post by **andrew** » 30 Aug 2006, 21:47

Hi chaps! Need some help here in Norway: heated discussion here concerning the virtues of the protective plates under and around the 1.6TD motor on a Syncro. Many Syncro owners here have been told by VW to remove all of it in order to keep the motor as cool as possible to extend its life. I'm not convinced. a)There must have been a reason for fitting it, b)Anyone doing any offroading certainly needs the protection(mine is built for wading and very bad roads, even the front driveshafts have mudflaps!), c) the motor noise reduction is considerable, and d) the engine warms up more quickly on short winter journeys. I can concede that a) mechanics hate the things as they have to be dismantled every time something underneath needs attention, b) that the insulating mat in the skidpan keeps the oil in the sump hotter, and c) that you can't immediately see if you have any serious leaks until it's too late. Many complain of an oil temperature round 120 degrees which is too warm in the long run. I have driven long distances both with and without and I notice no difference in the position of the temperature gauge. Surely, if the coolant system is working properly, this should regulate the engine temperature whatever. What say you syncronauts in the UK?

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 30 Aug 2006, 21:56

Fit an oil cooler.
Guards are there for a reason.
Matting is there for noise reduction means.
I would be tempted to keep the lot and fit an auxilliary oil cooler to keeo the temps down.

Post by **HarryMann** » 30 Aug 2006, 21:57

You're posting in the wrong forum for one thing

So i will move the thread, magic, see

Many complain of an oil temperature round 120 degrees which is too warm in the long run. I have driven long distances both with and without and I notice no difference in the position of the temperature gauge.

They're talking oil temperature and the coolant temperature where you are will have no trouble being kept constant by the radiator, but further south in a very hot day, the diesel does generate alot of heat, which is why VW made the cooling duct wider than all other T25s and put a more powerful fan in it (550W).

So they do run the oil very hot and a good way of extending the engine life is to fit an oil cooler (see current thread under Alternative Engines).

The underrun protection plates probably won't make a lot of difference to water temperature, especially here you are. But would help the oil temp a bit. They are a pain for maintenance but then there'd be a lot moe maint if you went off-road seriously without them... go down a steep ledge and the first thing would be the engine's oil filler tube - from experience that one!

Leave protection plates on, but maybe get an oil cooler, OK?

Post by **HarryMann** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:02

Oops!
Did I do cockup there, moving this thread Simon - maybe it was meant to be in Brickyard

Eelp, it's all far too confusing

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:03

HarryMann wrote: Leave protection plates on, but maybe get an oil cooler, OK?

Is that your talking to a foreigner voice.
Speak slower and louder!

Post by **HarryMann** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:08

Well, its the bottom line anyway

That intercooler/oil cooler thread..

http://www.club80-90.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 75&start=0

Post by **andrew** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:09

Sorry about the wrong posting, was meant for the brickyard but got confused by being sent to another forum as a refugee! Thanks a million for your tips, I have indeed considered an extra oil cooler. I imagine the little one by the oil filter is just not effective enough. I fully intend to keep my plates on, syncronauts in this country seem to be unscientific and paranoid. I cannot drive around in the summer with the windows down and all that engine noise blasting in every time I drive past a brick wall! I have been confusing an oil cooler with an intercooler, have now realised that these are not the same thing. Where do I get an oil cooler and for how much? Easy to fit? Syncrospares? CJ, are you out there?

Post by **HarryMann** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:13

Simon is doing a Brickwerks oil cooler kit very soon...

My fault, you posted correctly...

This may help though, long thread but should be of interest..

http://www.club80-90.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 75&start=0

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:15

Im just putting a TD oil cooler kit together, it will be under £300 using a Setrab 25 row cooler, thermostaic take of plate (Sandwich plate) and hose of a diameter as not to create too much of a pressure drop.
I have the kit at work, I just need time to fit it and test it, and get the brackets made/drawn/produced so that it is a complete bolt together T3 specific kit.
Otherwise there is the way of using second hand MKI Golf GTI oil filter head and cooler, but the diameter of the pipe makes positioning the cooler difficult, as the pipes are quite a narrow bore running them to the front is out of the question and there is not rally anywhere else to mount the cooler on a syncro other than infront of the radiator.

Post by **R0B** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:28

i recon i will be spending some dosh with you si.soon as you have the kit sorted....

Im just putting a TD oil cooler kit together

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 30 Aug 2006, 22:50

sukhoi27 wrote:i recon i will be spending some dosh with you si.soon as you have the kit sorted....

Im just putting a TD oil cooler kit together

To be honest I can't see them being massive sellers, I want to do a kit for myself anyway, getting ready for a bigger engine at some point so it makes sence, start at the beginning, it's the first thing you should do if you want to increase power. Like I said in the other thread, once this kit is sorted I will start looking into a charge cooler set up, once that is done then it's AAZ, pump mods off we pop!

It seems silly not to note down what I have used, take drawings and measurement of what I do, if anyone else wants a kit I can do it.
I won't hide the fact of where the stuff is coming from, I will just charge the same as what the suppliers would if you bought from them, it's just if you buy from me you know it's gunna fit and it's been tested, it takes the guess work out of it.

Post by **andrew** » 30 Aug 2006, 23:26

Reckon you can count on me as a buyer. When will you have such a kit ready?

Post by **Russel** » 31 Aug 2006, 06:37

Now the plates u are refering to from whot i gather are not the protection
rails but all the other plates beetween the rails and the body.These are
there to reduse noise and the effect of unwanted rubish being thrown up into engine bay(causing unwanted corrosion and other related problems)
Personaly if u still have them then refit them.Most UK modles dont have them any more,for some reason lots of UK mechanics think they now better than VW and cant be bothered refitting them.
There are variouse T3 specialists out there who do oil cooler kits.
Buschmiede(dont know if that is the correct spelling)in germany dose
a complete kit for around 300 euro.I am busy fitting one to a customers vehicle at the moment and i find it to be a very good product.

Post by **andrew** » 31 Aug 2006, 06:48

When I got the car, it had everything underneath. I removed it all to rebuild the engine (including about 2 litres of oil soaked into the mats from a leaking oil filter bracket), cleaned everything up, renewed the mats and reinstalled it all correctly with new stainless screws and bolts. Having driven it both without and with, the noise reduction is incredible. I shall keep the lot and fit an oil cooler. Thanks for the tips!

Post by **syncroand101** » 31 Aug 2006, 12:30

Buschmiede(dont know if that is the correct spelling)in germany does a complete kit

Oil Cooler