The Top Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Resource

Join the best E39A 1991-1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 community and document your GVR4 journey.

  • Software Upgraded - Reset Your Password to Login
    In order to log in after the forum software change, you need to reset your password. If you don't have access to the email address you used to register your GVR4.org account, you won't be able to reset your password. In that case, follow the instructions here to regain access to the forum.

There are three styles of Oil filter housings

Bimmubishi

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
5,702
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
This is one for the archives. I know most of you guys know this.

img.php



The first is the most desirable (moving left to right in the pic)
It's a housing from a 1990 DSM and earlier Japanese engines that has M16*1.5 outlets for an oil cooler that transfers heat via air.

The next (and center) is from a god-knows-what non turbo or Mighty Max and has no outlets for anything, no water-oil- heat exchange.. nada but you can buy it for 60 bucks from some shops for some reason.

The last is the old water-oil heat exchanger type. The advantages are in the quick warmup of the oil for a daily driver as well as the cooling properties of good thermal conductivity. The problem is that the lines leak and burst and the exchange becomes literal as the water seeps into the oil system and vice versa, the filter backs off the housing, leaks, falls off.. you name it.

So there you have it. You can get the good housing at the dealer but the lines are 190 or so (I don't recommend used lines) We can make lines from braided stainless and aluminum Aeroquip components for $220. Money well spent.

All the gaskets to the oil housing are the same. You have to pull a bunch of stuff off the engine to get the housing off, like the pulleys and timing belt cover which means the motor mount has to come off as well. It's not a quick job but it's worthwhile. You will also have to block the heater pipe outlet that runs behind the turbo down to the filter housing as it will remain unused.

That's all for now. Someone will find this someday doing a search I hope.

 
Last edited by a moderator:

Matticus

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 30, 2002
Messages
1,184
Location
Pasco, WA
Just to add some information that I discovered when I switched from the water cooler to the air cooler.

- You can switch them with out pulling the TB cover off. The crank pulley will have to be removed as well as the accessory belts. But you can put a hole in the TB cover just big enough to get the 1 bolts behind there. You then can tape the hole back up. The crank pulley covers the hole anyways. This is the lazy way. The correct way would be to pull the cover entirely.

- If you are switching from a water cooler to a 90 style air cooler, 3 of the 4 bolts can be reused. There is one bolt that will be too long to use. You will need to acquire a new, shorter bolt.

- Like it was already stated, you will also need to find a solution to the now open coolant lines. Either plug them or route them back to each other.

- I used the stock lines to the cooler, but before you mount the cooler you may want to go the route of new lines. While the filter head is off the car, now would be the time to tap the banjo bolt threads to fit aftermarket lines.
 

Post some part numbers and I will put it in the "How too's" if you want. This is Good info. Please add to this thread peoples.
Thanks
 

I think there are four, actually. Two without any sort of cooling, one facing the filter the normal way, one facing the filter forward (which means the filter wouldn't fit on our cars). But it might be a good starting point for a remote filter mount.
 

Bimmubishi

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
5,702
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
I'll upload a pic tonight (is hertz's upload still available?) as well as add part numbers if I can find them. (I forgot to finish this post last night)

AL
 

I wish I had taken pictures, but I still need to photograph the conversion that I just did. After crushing the fins in my oil filter housing/oil cooler I decided to convert to the 1990 style housing and air-oil cooler. I bought use 1990 lines and oil filter housing as well as a used stock oil cooler. I mounted the oil cooler by bolting it to the piece of the body that stretches horizontally from one side of the car to the other, just in front of the steel bumper. I have a modifed (cut) bumper for my intercooler, so it worked out fine. I set everything up and start the car and notice that the oil cooler has a leak. I called Nate over at DSMotorsport and he set me up with an aftermarket oil cooler that they sell. It's about the same size as the stock cooler, but it's thinner and a bit shorter I think. It's an aftermarket oil cooler meant for a transmission, but works well. I bought stainless braided line and attached 6- AN fittings to either end of both lines that I cut to length with a hacksaw. In order to put these fittings on the OEM housing you'll need to tap the two holes for the lines on the filter housing with a 3/8 inch npt tap. Luckily the threads in there are close enough to that size that you DON'T need to drill it out. Just grease the tap up a little and run it through. If you do this while it's on the car, just make sure that you run the tap through a couple times with axle grease on it so the metal shavings stick to it and you don't risk leaving metal shavings in the housing after you finish. Now, the BEST part about the setup that he sold be (besides it only costing me about $140 for the aftermarket cooler, lines and fittings was that it's meant to be mounted on the radiator. Supplied in the kit are 4 "nylon bolts" which are almost identical to zip ties. You need to bend the fins on the oil cooler a bit and slide each through. The same thing is needed in order to slip it between the fins on the radiator. I have an oversized RRE radiator and it worked beautifully. I'll take pictures this afternoon hopefully and post them shortly after. One used 1990 oil filter housing = however cheap you can find one. Then about $140 for the aftermarket cooler, lines and fittings. In all honesty, the only PITA thing about this is creating your own length lines by having the cut them and then put AN fittings on each end. What a nuisance it is to put the AN fittings on the lines. It was my first time having to do that. I stuck the lines in a vise and put some oil on the end as I held the AN fitting with pliers and twisted it on.
 
Support Vendors who Support the GVR-4 Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned
Top