This oil cooler comes directly from our GRAND-AM racing program and is the best solution for an under-radiator cooler. Our BimmerWorld/C&R Racing E36 Oil Cooler is the ultimate oil-cooling solution for your E36. Your 3-Series didn't come with an oil cooler from the factory, but if you drive it on the track and want to extend the engine life as long as possible, adding this protection is critical.
Comes with a 2 Year Manufacturer Warranty! (View PDF)We often see big rectangular coolers mounted in front of the radiator to cool the oil. Unfortunately, this actually heats up the engine by blowing the now-hot air leaving the oil cooler into the radiator, causing you to lose power. A plate-type oil cooler also lacks the true capacity needed to cool an engine unless using a very large size, which we utilize, but these are hard to mount and not commonly used. The Euro E36 oil cooler is a decent solution for adding a factory-based oil cooler to your car, but it's not a performance-focused part - we can do better...
We've partnered with C&R Racing, the leading US manufacturer of cooling systems for the Motorsport industry, to bring you the best E36 replacement cooler on the market. Filled with features, this piece just plain works:
Capacity - Yes, we've doubled the cooler capacity, but capacity alone isn't the key to cooler oil. It helps, but it's a minor point.
Counterflow Two-Pass Design - The stock Euro oil cooler is a good design with its long cooler under the radiator. Oil flows from one end to the other and gets cooler as it flows through. The best way to add capacity is to add more length, but we only have so much room to work with, and the same goes for the next best option - increasing height. Unfortunately, every two-pass cooler currently on the market divides the height (and efficiency) in two, sending the oil across the top and then returning it on the bottom (or vice-versa).
The
worst way to attempt to get more cooling is to add depth - this adds capacity at the expense of thermal efficiency, which is greatly decreased as the air flows through the cooler, heating up along the way.
What's left? Stacking! By stacking coolers front to back, we can strategically cool the oil in stages, achieving almost double the effect of the factory design, or even high-capacity aftermarket units. Oil first flows through the back of the cooler through warmer air (warmed from the second pass), but still with a significant delta of air vs. oil temp. Then, the second cooling stage routes the oil through the front cooler, through the fresh, ambient air, again with a significant delta of air/oil temperature.
Core - The casual observer sees a radiator or oil cooler as some sort of core that the air flows through with differences in end tanks and finishing. In fact, some competitors even polish their cooler to give an appearance of performance or quality. Unfortunately, polished coolers don't win races, and it's the internals that matter in the business-end of a performance oil cooler - the core.
All cores are not the same. Due to the space constraints and desired cooling efficiency, we chose the best core available for this cooler, which has an aerodynamic tube design, spaced specifically to maximize cooling for this application, and it's fully furnace brazed with no epoxy. The tubes are extruded to withstand higher pressure which is extremely important for cold start up. Turbulators are located inside the tubes to agitate the oil as it passes through - air passes across the top and bottom contact surfaces of the tube and the oil flowing along the sides is cooled. Without these turbulators to stir and mix the surface flow with the rest of the oil, you are only cooling the oil on the surface and efficiency is not maximized.
Mounting - This custom BimmerWorld piece utilizes two mounting tabs and includes fasteners to secure directly and easily to either your stock U.S. radiator or our C&R performance radiator. No fabrication or additional brackets are required, unlike with the Euro cooler. Slight trimming for air duct fitment may be required.
Plumbing - We offer this cooler with two plumbing options - either direct-fit for your stock oil cooler hose (E36-specific) or a pair of -10AN fittings if you prefer to run braided stainless lines for additional abrasion protection.
Size: approximately 21.25"L x 3.5"H x 2.25"D.
As with all C&R Racing products, this piece is manufactured completely in the USA and individually tested.
BMW Fitments:3 SeriesE36 (92-99) > 323ic
E36 (92-99) > 323is
E36 (92-99) > 325i
E36 (92-99) > 325ic
E36 (92-99) > 325is
E36 (92-99) > 328i
E36 (92-99) > 328ic
E36 (92-99) > 328is
E36 (92-99) > M3 (1995)
E36 (92-99) > M3 (96-99)
