slicky rick

we have seen diy posts, comments about the third radiator install on our 997's. whats funny is we are all trying to lower oil temperatures not really water temperatures. of course the benefit of a third radiator will affect both water and oil temperatures but why is it that no one brought out the topic of just adding an improved oil cooler to directly cool the oil?? is there no available upgrade of the oil cooler? i the problem seems to be more oil than water and an oil cooler will be a more direct solution to the problem

utkinpol

it is not uncommon to see oil cooler on transmission, it goes into 2 existing holes there, for drain/adding oil. to put it into engine loop is not that simple.
plus if you get that far it most likely means you will want a race engine rebuild, and it is much more $

Money Pit 951

I'm not sure I agree with wanting to lower the oil temp. I see 200F on my gauge (haven't verified the gauge) but I don't know if I'd really want to go much less than that - maybe 185? Are you seeing high oil temps that you want to do an oil cooler?

But short answer - the oil is putting heat into the coolant from the oil/coolant heat exchanger and an extra coolant radiator is less than the price of a decent oil radiator. It's bolt on, looks factory, don't have to deal with AN fittings and SS hose, and the average person can do it. Why complicate things unless you're seeing a problem with your oil temps?

USMC_DS1

+1 on the 3rd rad, at ~$200 from suncoast... it's a no brainer for those of us in hot climates like TX. If you're in a cold climate like Canada and only DD the car... I'm not sure it's warranted. Runny the car too cold is not good as well from what I've read.

slicky rick

Yes that is the price for a.1 version the .2 version is almost 4 times as much! Wnder why this is the case. Has anybody tried installing the .1 version on the .2? If the radiator core, mounting hardware and hoses are the same then it should work!

slicky rick

Heard that the only difference were the plastic shrouds and other small items.

Luxter

Gents,
I run 3-rd rad in relatively cold(er) climate. Together with 160*F t-stat. My oil temp is in steady 200*F or just a tad below. You can't really run your engine too cold, the t-stat will not let you do that. The benefit is that the system reacts to extra heat much faster and dissipates it more efficiently. I am (was) more concered about D-chunks and 6 cyl. bore than anything else.

Not sure about the pricing, however when I saw 997.1 3-rd rad kit for $200, I thought that was a bargain for what you get. I guess, Porsche figured it all out too and increased the pricing.
Not sure if .1 kit fits .2 cars.
Contact Suncoast, they are good at this stuff. If the rad fits then just get new shroud and whatever else .2 car requires.
I can tell you that the upgrade is really easy DIY, but you MUST use Airlift to properly fill cooling system.
Don't even attempt if you don't know what Airlift is. Your good intentions may turn into a disaster very quickly. These cars are tricky to work on.
Edit:
Wheel well liners are included in 997.2 kit that are not part of 997.1
See Suncoast:
"For performance enthusiasts, Porsche now offers a third radiator kit to balance cooling requireemnts for sports driving events. Consisting of the radiator, brackets, hardware, ducts, and wheel well liners. All items are plug and play, and direct from Porsche. Triming of the bottom side of the bumper is required."


Cheers,
=L=

USMC_DS1

+1 on Airlift... well worth the $100 investment. Gr8 for the p-car and I've used it for our Lexus and Toyota's as well. Once you've used one... well, let's just say I wished I had known about this little gem of a tool 25 yrs ago when I started working on my own cars.

Chaos

Where do you get Airlift? Details?
Thanks

Spokane5150

There is a nice DIY 3rd radiator install with pictures and link to bumper removal if you search 997 advanced option. This guy didn't use an airlift vacuum system to pull the air out of the cooling system, he did it the old fashion way. Why do you think you need the airlift system? For expedience?

Also, the DIY OP said that he added deionized water and I think he meant distilled. Not sure why you would need deionized water for a cooling system. I'm not even sure you can buy deionized water but I suspect compatible 50/50 anti-freeze would be fine.

Do you have any pictures of your installed radiator?

Spokane5150

Here is an article:

http://www.crookedriverwriter.com/in.../air-lift.html

USMC_DS1

Got mine from .

USMC_DS1

I like how it allows me to test for leaks before I buttoned her back up. Removing/re-installing the front fascia off is certainly doable but time consuming. It would be a PITA to discover a leak after putting everything back together. Vacuum leak test is the way to go. There are also numerous lines throughout the system... I'd rather play it safe especially with how these engines don't do well with heat. Just imagine what havoc an air pocket could potentially do... I've used the airlift twice and both times I burped the system but it did such a good job that burping was really unnecessary.

slicky rick

if someone here says that the .1 system is good for the .2 cars im sure suncoast would have a sudden burst in demand for that 3rd radiator. i have been thinking about the whole thing but im sure suppliers and porsche will not say that this is compatible. someone who has tried will be the one to shed light on the subject. i have a feeling its only the shrouds that are different.

utkinpol

call suncoast and ask but from what i know 3rd radiator part number is same for 997.1 and 997.2 cars. call them and ask. they should also have list of models it fits on the web site.