Should I ditch the oil cooler?

[Chris Dixon]

In the process of overhauling the carbs on my 3.8S, and while they are off its an opportunity to do some other jobs while I can get at things. Like the hoses. My car also has an oil cooler and the pipes are in the way generally, and particularly of the bottom hose. Given the car gets limited use I wonder if the oil cooler is doing anything useful, or worse, when really hot is the oil pump working harder pushing oil through the cooler?

I'm assuming the oil filter head with cooler takeoffs was sourced from another Jag, so if I removed it I'd need to either replace it or blank off the connections. I'm also thinking of fitting a spin off oil filter and have seen the Flexolite product. But if I replace the filter head is there one from a later car (XJ6 S3?) that has the correct pressure relief valve and will fit my 3.8, removing the need for an adaptor?

[Horse Power Junkie]

the oil-cooler on my car was short-cut (cooler removed) by the last owner and during my last -very hot- trip to Le Mans I had no problems with an overheating car, so I assume you could also get rid of your oil-cooler.

regards, John, the Netherlands

[Chris Dixon]

It is off! And now I can see that the fitting is by way of an adaptor on the filter head, so I should be able to remove this and retain the canister filter. Don't see any point in upgrading to a spin off filter in tha case.