Removing factory oil cooler?

Hey guys,

I have a 97', how effective is the factory oil cooler?

Is it possible to remove it and replace it with a sandwich plate (to keep the appropriate spacing for the filter)?

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4702/...56cb7edc_z.jpg

If you don't know, i'm talking about what Greg is pointing to in this picture.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4621/...4cda81ff_z.jpg

This is whats behind the factory oil cooler, the O-ring looks special but i'm sure I can find one that is not a double lip seal.

Shoutout to Greg at TheCarPassionChannel on YouTube for the pics.

Thanks.

It's a little effective. The 1.6 guys envy that.

You can remove it, but the threaded pipe should be changed with a shorter one (like from a 1.6) if you aren't putting anything else there. Most aftermarket oil coolers or filter relocation kits will replace that plate with in/out hardware.

Why would you remove it though?

More effective than most people think. We run one on our endurance car without auxiliary cooler (rules add points for additional coolers). We run 7-14 races in the SE US. So races are typically hot and humid. We see temps higher than what an auxiliary unit would be, but nothing we get too concerned about. It also helps to warm the oil on cold start ups.

Thanks guys! I think i'll leave it in as I heard it also warms the oil on colder days. Thats quite useful for me as I daily the car.