Oil Cooler Pipes

[haynes]

I heard somewhere that braided oil cooler pipes are better because plain rubber pipes cause a drop in oil pressure. Does anyone have any experience of this, all advice appreciated. Also, as I intend fitting it on the clutch side inner wing and will go for the clubman length pipes, does the length of the pipe cause problems / higher pressure drops?

[plotloss]

I think the argument goes along the lines of rubber pipes having the ability to swell under pressure where as the braiding stops this.

Length shouldnt matter as long as you put extra oil in to compensate for the length of the pipes.

Braided hoses do also look better...

[Cooperman1]

I think you'll find that all oil cooler pipes are braided. It's just that some have the braiding inside them and you don't see it with the result that they look like ordinary heater hose.
An oil cooler pipe must take a nominal maximum working pressure of 100 psi, with a reserve factor of at least 2, so they should take a safe working pressure of 200 psi. No ordinary rubber hose will take that. A heater hose only takes about 15 psi.
You aer unlikely to fit unsuitable hoses, however, as oil cooler ones have proper end fittings, not jubilee clips.

[sagalout]

Used to have a cooler on my Imp with Jubillee clips. Still have the cooler in a box somwhere.

[Cooperman]

sagalout said:

Used to have a cooler on my Imp with Jubillee clips. Still have the cooler in a box somwhere.

It's asking a lot of a jubillee clip to hold 100 psi pressure in. I know it's been done, but it's really not to be advised. Maybe this stems from the days of old Fords with 20 to 30 psi (if you were lucky). I once had a Ford V8 Pilot and if the oil pressure guage moved off the stop it was a good day! However, with a Cooper running at up to 90 psi when cold, and i've even seen more than this, and a normal workin pressure of 60-ish, you really do need proper swaged-on end fittings and metal braided hoses.
I even use braided hose for the heater pipes where they run inside the car, but I do use jubille clips on those (it's 15 psi max, remember).

[haynes]

yesterday afternoon placed order with minits, and my oil cooler and braided pipes arrived before 10.00 this morning.

[sagalout]

That's a good response, who's minits and what else do the sell. Are they cost competitive and who do they use for delivery. Sick of stuff only being delivered during the week when I am at work. At least Royal Mail, I can collect from local sorting office.

[haynes]

ive always found minits excellent, theyre in the west midlands and usually have a 2 page ad in mini mag. Have a look at the prices in their ad and judge for yourself, ive always found them very competitive. Delivery has always been very quick, they use a courier and send stuff to my work address. Ive always spoken to the same chap and hes always given spot on advice.