Cooler for turbos

Rob09msport

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I searched and couldn't find anything I am wondering why no one has made a seperate cooling circuit for the coolant from the turbos as that has to be a huge factor in overheating at the track plus I would think would help performance.
 

Aaron

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Uhhh no, I think he's talking about using a seperate(sic) cooling circuit for the coolant from the turbos.

So basically adding an additional cooling system, with its own water pump, overflow, radiator, and lines.

It's absolutely possible, though it obviously increases cost and adds failure points to the car. However is it necessary? Remember your turbochargers, like your engine, are supposed to be hot. I always hate the millions of posts about aftermarket oil coolers, radiators, thermostats, and all this shit to make something cold that's supposed to be hot. Unless you are going into limp mode for oil or water temps, leave it the fuck alone. It's supposed to be hot, and in a lot of cases, really fucking hot. Oil doesn't magically turn into dust and blow your motor at 300*. In fact manufacturer testing has shown although high (Over 300) temps reduces oil life, the oil maintains protection standards to well above 300.

Now that being said, we aren't testing water and oil temperatures AT the turbocharger, so inside they are obviously going dramatically higher. We also aren't looking at actual cylinder/piston temperatures. I know of a car that melted the #6 piston on a FBO stock turbo 51,000 mile motor at 19psi after repeated road course laps. During all these laps oil and water temps never exceeded safe operational parameters. Ambient was around 50* which certainly helped keep the oil/water temps in check. But point is the relentless ass-fucking given to the cylinders/pistons melted the #6 down. I am not sure yet if the turbochargers are ok, but I have no reason to believe they aren't. In which case my piston failed before my turbocharger(s) did.

One other thing to consider, adding a separate cooling circuit for the turbochargers will dramatically extend both oil and water temp warm-up time, which is a huge negative. Even if the water system is still thermostatically controlled it will still extend warm-up time. For this reason alone I'd be terrified of doing this.

In summary, you need more data before jumping to doing something like this. That data needs to show the turbo, oil, and/or coolant are vastly exceeding their max temperature. So you need oil temperature readings before and after the turbo, coolant readings before/after, and an overall turbocharger temp reading (Via IR camera would probably work).
 
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doublespaces

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There are many cases of the N54 going into limp modes or reduced power modes. Perhaps a better radiator or some modification to those tables would be a wiser choice.
 
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Rob09msport

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I wss thinking more along the lines of adding a cooler right after the turbo on same circuit so like a ppl aux radiator but feed from turbo could have a bypass thermostat as to not affect warm up times but I would think would be way more effective with the higher temp delta wouldn't really lower turbo temps that much but would drastically reduce impact on coolant temps
 

Aaron

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Are you going into limp mode because of coolant temperatures? Because if not, and I doubt you are, that won't do anything for you but add some failure points. Most N54's I've seen encounter oil temperature issues long before coolant.

Next, I don't think the cooling effect will be as dramatic as you think. The turbochargers don't have a whole lot of coolant volume flowing through them, the head flows significantly more coolant through it, and it is also directly where the majority of heat is produced.

I applaud you for thinking outside the box, but you're offering answers to questions not asked.
 

Rob09msport

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I just wasn't sure if worth taking different route I don't get limp mode but have gotten timing pulled from high oil temps do you know if their is a large amount of oil flow through turbo?
 

Aaron

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That seems more likely, oil temp issues come before coolant temps on these cars it seems. Which is why addressing coolant temps is illogical.

Does your car have the factory oil cooler? If not that'd be a good place to start. And it'll probably be the end too, as it is a competent upgrade and your oil temps aren't going stupid out of control (Limp).
 

Rob09msport

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Ya i do I have thought about running sport cooling in mhd but not sure if that's better for engine or just adding water wetter it's not a common occurrence I was a little worried that my fmic upgrade will make it worse this summer due to blocking radiator I have an ade fmic I know some people just say changing oil changed temps as well I am going back to Mobil 1 from motul xmax next oil change as i have short intervals anyway
 

Aaron

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This thread is exhausting.

Stop focusing on coolant when oil is the problem. That's like beating the neighbor kid because your kid is misbehaving.

Sport cooling is worse for your engine, but would have an effect, albeit small, on oil temperatures. Water wetter and oil brand/type won't have a significant impact.

Have you thought about upgrading the oil cooler? Search, there's plenty of discussion on that.
 

9krpmrx8

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I have a divorced coolant system on my Turbocharged RX-8. I use a standard Bosch coolant pump that is used on a few OEM applications and I have a front mounted heat exchanger for it along with it's own reservoir running 50/50 and fail safe alarm and temperature gauge. I feel like it has helped to keep the turbo alive as my previous two turbos did not last very long. But there are other variables such as the two previous turbos were rebuilt by different companies.

 
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Rob09msport

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I am deciding my upgrade path right now I started thinking about this but my original plan is a Mt radiator with a seperate setrab transmission cooler and earls thermostat and water is a much more effective coolant hence why the heads are coiled by water not just oil I would think improving radiator cooling would be better for performance and will effect oil temp and vice versa