Oil Cooler Swap

[darmahsd]

I have a new to me 2005 XLT and my old reliable '97 5.4.
Before sending it out to pasture, there are some desirable parts I may want to swap. The '97 came with the remote engine oil cooler and the '05 3 valve did not. I know the 3 valve heads and a strengthened engine block are the obvious differences between the two 5.4's. Before crawling and poking (it's cold and wet out), does anyone know if the oil filter adapter from the '97 will bolt up to the '05?
Thanks

 

[darmahsd]

OK, let me put it a different way. When looking through the lower grill of both Expy's, the '97 and '05, I see the same thing, on the passenger's side, a seven or eight row transmission oil cooler. On the driver's side , what looks like a power steering cooler or, is that the oil cooler? My '97 has the oil filter mounted remotely, on the front driver side frame rail behind the bumper driving light. Much easier to get to than the '05, with the spin on filter directly into the block. If I swap these, easier to ad an oil cooler for towing my car trailer. Anybody?

 

[ZombieSoldier]

I'm not sure if the factory one will swap over but remote oil filter kits are pretty cheap through summit racing. Sorry I couldn't be more help. Only thing I can think of is compare oil filters if they are the same it should work....

 

[darmahsd]

Thanks, Zombie. I'll probably end up with an aftermarket adapter and leave my '97 for the next guy.

 

[darmahsd]

Got a Trans Dapt single oil filter remote adapter and a Saab 9000 16 row
flat tube cooler to plumb in between for an air to oil setup unlike my '97s water
cooled setup. Only problem now is how to hookup to cooler's 20mm x 1.5 inlet/outlet.
The Trans Dapt hoses are pipe threads.
Worth the trouble 'cause the scrap yard Saab unit is so much better than aftermarket,
accept if you go with something like an Earls cooler or an MGB with fractional threads.

 

[trdragons44]

OK, let me put it a different way. When looking through the lower grill of both Expy's, the '97 and '05, I see the same thing, on the passenger's side, a seven or eight row transmission oil cooler. On the driver's side , what looks like a power steering cooler or, is that the oil cooler? My '97 has the oil filter mounted remotely, on the front driver side frame rail behind the bumper driving light. Much easier to get to than the '05, with the spin on filter directly into the block. If I swap these, easier to ad an oil cooler for towing my car trailer. Anybody?

That is the tranny cooloer and power steering cooler. The 97 has a remote oil filter; i love it on mine. Wish i had the additional tranny cooler though.

 

[rburch]

The 97 remote oil filter mount will work on all 5.4's and 4.6's! It uses the same oil filter adapter gasket as the 05!

The only difference between the the two are how the adapter looks. the 05 has the filter adapter and the 97 has the line adapter!

05 Expy Oil Filter Adapter


97 Expy Oil Filter Adapter w/ remote mount


I have been saying this will work for a while but nobody has wanted to try it! LOL! And i dont have the need to prove it works since i have it already!

 

[darmahsd]

Great diagrams, rburch. Thanks. Now, I need to re-think my options. From these diagrams, it looks like that water pipe to the block, while being part of either adapter, doesn't contribute much, or at all, to any water to oil intercooling. So, was there ever this type of oil cooling to the engine, either '97 or '05? I have a flow concern with using the Saab cooler. It's metric IN/OUT fits a 5/16 equivalent barb, which would be between AN fittings of -4 and -6. Quite small compared to the Trans-Dapt 1/2 inch pipe thread of the remote oil filter adapter, which is AN -8. So, I'd like to find the ID of the pipes and hoses to the remote filter. I'll measure OD with a caliper tomorrow. I hope the standard hoses to the remote filter on the bottom diagram for the '97 is closer to the Saab oil cooler ends. Otherwise, I'd be concerned with the change of oil volume and flow between the oil filter bypass, the oil cooler and then back to the engine. Then, I may have to spring for an Earls AN -8, 16 row cooler, which is better matched to the bypass adapter. It would be easier to make up hoses for that. Can the engine take the reduced volume that might come from using the smaller dia. of a Saab cooler in this system? It was designed for a four cylinder turbo.
The 16 row Earl's unit would be physically the same, but AN -8 IN/OUT's would flow more volume.

 

[rburch]

Here are some cooling options I found! They are both alternate mounts. Not sure if you are concerned with the current filter location and / or just cooling but here is what I found.



The part circled in red is the cooler. It would probably be cheaper to go aftermarket. they have it listed for 4x2 and 4x4 but i cant find a pic to see if there is a difference. I couldn't imagine there is! the 4x2 is listed at $113 and you don't wanna know the price for 4x4! LOL! Tasca has the parts cheaper but the site i use has better diagrams.

 

[sgtowing]

I have wanted to do this but I think I am going to use an aftermarket cooler in front by the radiator.