N54 Oil Cooler Replacement/Upgrade

Morningstar · 08-02-2023, 06:21 PM

Alright so I scooped up my E92 ~December 2022 and I’ve loved it so far, but now it’s been parked for about a month while I’m trying to figure out what to do.

My oil cooler is dumping oil all over the ground anytime the car gets up to temp and I know for sure that it isn’t the stock oil cooler because the previous owner installed different lines and I can’t see any branding anywhere. With all of this being said, has anyone on here had any experience with some decent aftermarket oil coolers that can handle some spirited driving?

I’ve also been considering relocating the cooler to a front mounted oil cooler setup since the car is lowered and I’m in Pittsburgh where there isn’t a single road that’s even (I’m actually pretty sure that’s how the oil cooler failed is because I ended up smacking my bumper just a little too hard pulling into my street), but looking into that I’ve heard debates over oil pressure being affected too much from different inlet and outlet line lengths.

I’ve also seen people deleting the oil thermostat from the oil filter housing with one of those plates, has anyone tried messing around with that all? I could see where it would be beneficial but at the same time I’m not tracking the car and it’s driven year round so would that then lead to over-cooling?

If anyone has any recommendations or advice with this whole thing it would be much appreciate. I just want to get out there and drive my car while it’s nice out and before my next semester of school starts up.

whyzee125 · 08-02-2023, 06:25 PM

CSF, Mishimoto, Stett, ER competition, Dinan all make quality oil coolers for this platform. Any of them can be trusted, just a matter of budget and which option you like best.

Jaronbwall · 08-03-2023, 10:32 AM

The name brand coolers are the go to option. You said it's an unbranded unit so I'd bet money its leaking at one the fittings. From what I've seen on YouTube and the forums that's where the cheap oil coolers leak (unless it's cracked). You can't over tighten them to band-aid the leaks. It's poorly designed or uses cheap O-rings, etc. I wouldn't delete the thermostat from the OFH. Not worth the headache if you're not tracking the car. I'd just replace the cooler or fix the leak and leave it in the stock location but that's my opinion. BMW engineered it to be there. Like you mentioned I hate to screw up something up by re-locating it.

BRG_N54 · 08-03-2023, 01:12 PM

Just wanted to offer an alternate approach that has not been mentioned yet. You can retrofit the OEM oil cooler with a kit like this from ECS. I am doing this on one of my cars, but going the used route for most of my items. Just be aware that there are several ducting pieces and fasteners that are not shown in the ECS kit. The OEM cooler on the '08 has never leaked and my temps never go above 240.

zero2sixtyZ · 08-10-2023, 09:45 AM

Glad someone brought this topic up again. I would avoid the ebay stuff. Pinnacle had a good kit but they are gone as far as I know.

Looking at the new options myself, and leaning towards a Mosselman thermostat + a Setrab core to fit either stock location or behind kidneys. Ideally, I'd like to keep the lines tucked so they don't interfere with removal of the fan assembly.

Here's another thread with a decent DIY: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=727958

Morningstar · 11-15-2023, 11:42 PM

So update on this one for anyone interested:

It turns out the wonky setup the previous owner dropped on the car was actually a pretty decent setup from Evolution Racewerks.

Basically the oil cooler itself failed. I’m assuming some sort of road debris came up and smacked it pretty hard or the lovely unavoidable potholes of pittsburgh city driving caused it to get bent up and eventually fail prematurely, but I reached out to Evolution Racewerks and they were awesome about the whole thing. I couldn’t warranty out the cooler because the owner before me bought it off of the original owner that installed everything and then sold the car to me because of financial situations and I didn’t know that original owners name and couldn’t tie the part to an invoice at all. After a few pictures, however, and some phone calls to ER they gave me a very good price on a new cooler by itself without the whole assembly and within a few days I had the new cooler bolted up.

The car rarely hits over that 220 oil temp mark (running 5w-40) even on hot days and heavy driving, but can sometimes jump to around 230 if I’m sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for a while. It drops back down after hopping on the highway though so I’m not complaining.

Jaronbwall · 11-16-2023, 01:56 PM

That's amazing man! Thanks for the update. This stuff keeps the community alive.

whyzee125 · 11-16-2023, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jhony54

The preferred choice is the name brand coolers. Since you mentioned it's an unbranded unit, there's a good chance it's leaking at one of the fittings. Based on information from YouTube and forums, these cheap oil coolers often develop leaks at the fittings, potentially due to poor design or the use of inexpensive O-rings. Attempting to over-tighten them as a temporary fix isn't advisable. Deleting the thermostat from the OFH might not be worth the hassle unless you're using the car for tracking purposes. It's suggested to either replace the cooler, address the leak, and keep it in the stock location as BMW engineered it to be there. Relocating it might risk unintended complications. Here you can check this site baseball 9 mod apk.

GTFO

STATIC A$TRO · 12-22-2023, 02:30 PM

what do your coolers look like? I don't know how our roads compare but what is your front clearance looking like? just recently bought my 335 and I got these coolers, but I would like to drop it some more.

Mikasa_e92 · 08-12-2024, 07:49 AM

Hi,

Its an old thread, but instead of making a NEW thread on the same topic, maybe the conversation can be continued.

I'm looking at replacing my old N54 oil cooler, the original one looks a little beat up, and the fins are very fragile due to oxidation of the aluminium over the years.

Has anyone ever used the M3 DCT oil cooler upgrade to replace the original cooler, I found some aftermarket ones, for half the price of original new part. OEM fitment, uses original mounting points.

considering eventually i would be looking to do track days, having the extra capacity would be a bonus also.

i dont know if theres any negatives? or if anyone has gone this route also?

fyi, im also using the mossleman thermostat.

autoart · 08-24-2024, 03:29 AM

The m3 trans cooler is the same as our oil cooler. Make sure you flush it out 1st.
CSF makes a cooler thats a drop in unit. I installed one years ago and made a post about it. It is only about a 10% improvement.
Also, don't forget to prefill the cooler with oil.
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...&highlight=csf

Mikasa_e92 · 09-02-2024, 09:27 AM

After some research, i did check and found the M3 dct cooler, being the exact same part as the n54 engine oil cooler.

i picked up the FMIC pro DCT cooler, and its a really nicely made part. clean welds, decent coating. finished well.

https://fmic.eu/183167-racing-transm...ro-or-060.html

everything looks like it will match up with the OEM n54 cooler setup.

the only issue I foresee now is how to handle the ducting. OEM ducting will only direct air to the top half of the cooler, also the brake ducting in the front bumper will now be in the way.

what im thinking is too chop down the brake ducting and turn it into a sort of secondary lower ducting to feed the oil cooler.

then address some sort of direct brake ducting to blow air towards the inside of the wheel's. Ive seen some audi RS oem ductings, that attach to the suspension arms, and basically just divert airflow towards the inside of the wheels.

tbh, the oe brake duct just blows air at the front of the tires, so I doubt it does all that much anway.

autoart · 09-06-2024, 02:40 AM

If you look at my posts about it, I used a m3 cooler duct that only goes to the cooler. I had to modify it.
just another option. good luck.

Mikasa_e92 · 09-18-2024, 05:37 PM

Update:

fitted the FMICPRO dct radiator.

everything kind of work, went together ok, i had to cut the brake duct and i kinda made some diy ducting, so it opened out towards the whole bottom half of the cooler.

issue i ended up having is the Holes that receive the oil lines, arnt the correct size. they are just slightly too small.

enough to start damaging the lines. so thats a no go.

considering the m3 DCT cooler is the exact same PN as the N54 oil cooler, and also the o-rings uses are the same, it didn't fit.

quality control issue, or just a poor product, i dont know yet, waiting for them too respond to some dissapointed emails.

Mikasa_e92 · 10-03-2024, 07:57 AM

Updated.

returned the cooler,

FMICPRO said that they produce 2 different version of the DCT cooler for the m3, with different size bores for the hoses. becuase theres 2 different OEM e9x m3 dct oil coolers, although i cannot find anything to back this up in the BMW catalogues.

this isnt mentioned ANYWHERE on their ebay listings or their own website.

out of pocket about £100 from this, poor service, wouldnt recommend.

08-02-2023, 06:21 PM	#1
Morningstar Registered 3 Rep 4 Posts Drives: E90 328i, E92 335i Join Date: May 2023 Location: Pittsburgh iTrader: (0)	N54 Oil Cooler Replacement/Upgrade Alright so I scooped up my E92 ~December 2022 and I’ve loved it so far, but now it’s been parked for about a month while I’m trying to figure out what to do. My oil cooler is dumping oil all over the ground anytime the car gets up to temp and I know for sure that it isn’t the stock oil cooler because the previous owner installed different lines and I can’t see any branding anywhere. With all of this being said, has anyone on here had any experience with some decent aftermarket oil coolers that can handle some spirited driving? I’ve also been considering relocating the cooler to a front mounted oil cooler setup since the car is lowered and I’m in Pittsburgh where there isn’t a single road that’s even (I’m actually pretty sure that’s how the oil cooler failed is because I ended up smacking my bumper just a little too hard pulling into my street), but looking into that I’ve heard debates over oil pressure being affected too much from different inlet and outlet line lengths. I’ve also seen people deleting the oil thermostat from the oil filter housing with one of those plates, has anyone tried messing around with that all? I could see where it would be beneficial but at the same time I’m not tracking the car and it’s driven year round so would that then lead to over-cooling? If anyone has any recommendations or advice with this whole thing it would be much appreciate. I just want to get out there and drive my car while it’s nice out and before my next semester of school starts up.
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08-02-2023, 06:25 PM	#2
whyzee125 Brigadier General 1991 Rep 4,013 Posts Drives: Dinan stage 2 335i Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Chattanooga Tn iTrader: (0)	CSF, Mishimoto, Stett, ER competition, Dinan all make quality oil coolers for this platform. Any of them can be trusted, just a matter of budget and which option you like best.
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08-03-2023, 10:32 AM	#3
Jaronbwall Driving cars and riding bikes really fast 296 Rep 1,023 Posts Drives: 2009 335i Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	The name brand coolers are the go to option. You said it's an unbranded unit so I'd bet money its leaking at one the fittings. From what I've seen on YouTube and the forums that's where the cheap oil coolers leak (unless it's cracked). You can't over tighten them to band-aid the leaks. It's poorly designed or uses cheap O-rings, etc. I wouldn't delete the thermostat from the OFH. Not worth the headache if you're not tracking the car. I'd just replace the cooler or fix the leak and leave it in the stock location but that's my opinion. BMW engineered it to be there. Like you mentioned I hate to screw up something up by re-locating it. __________________ 335i, sport pkg, 3 pedals, Blacked out, LED markers, OZ Ultraleggera wheels, Firestone Indy 500s, x-pipe, vibrant 1792, PE mod MHD stage 2+, BMS DPs, ARM charge pipe, Tial BOV, ARM FMIC, dual cone, CSF radiator, M3 control arms, sways, HAWK pads. https://www.strava.com/athletes/8309149 Follow me on Strava Last edited by Jaronbwall; 08-03-2023 at 10:37 AM..
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08-03-2023, 01:12 PM	#4
BRG_N54 First Lieutenant 395 Rep 340 Posts Drives: Green '07 & Arctic '08 335i's Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: Monterey Peninsula iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i [0.00] 2007 BMW 335i [0.00]	OEM? Just wanted to offer an alternate approach that has not been mentioned yet. You can retrofit the OEM oil cooler with a kit like this from ECS. I am doing this on one of my cars, but going the used route for most of my items. Just be aware that there are several ducting pieces and fasteners that are not shown in the ECS kit. The OEM cooler on the '08 has never leaked and my temps never go above 240.
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08-10-2023, 09:45 AM	#5
zero2sixtyZ Colonel 1032 Rep 2,719 Posts Drives: e92 + f15 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cambridge, MA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2007 335i Coupe [9.62] 2015 X5 xdrive50i [10.00]	Glad someone brought this topic up again. I would avoid the ebay stuff. Pinnacle had a good kit but they are gone as far as I know. Looking at the new options myself, and leaning towards a Mosselman thermostat + a Setrab core to fit either stock location or behind kidneys. Ideally, I'd like to keep the lines tucked so they don't interfere with removal of the fan assembly. Here's another thread with a decent DIY: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=727958
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11-15-2023, 11:42 PM	#6
Morningstar Registered 3 Rep 4 Posts Drives: E90 328i, E92 335i Join Date: May 2023 Location: Pittsburgh iTrader: (0)	So update on this one for anyone interested: It turns out the wonky setup the previous owner dropped on the car was actually a pretty decent setup from Evolution Racewerks. Basically the oil cooler itself failed. I’m assuming some sort of road debris came up and smacked it pretty hard or the lovely unavoidable potholes of pittsburgh city driving caused it to get bent up and eventually fail prematurely, but I reached out to Evolution Racewerks and they were awesome about the whole thing. I couldn’t warranty out the cooler because the owner before me bought it off of the original owner that installed everything and then sold the car to me because of financial situations and I didn’t know that original owners name and couldn’t tie the part to an invoice at all. After a few pictures, however, and some phone calls to ER they gave me a very good price on a new cooler by itself without the whole assembly and within a few days I had the new cooler bolted up. The car rarely hits over that 220 oil temp mark (running 5w-40) even on hot days and heavy driving, but can sometimes jump to around 230 if I’m sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for a while. It drops back down after hopping on the highway though so I’m not complaining.
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11-16-2023, 01:56 PM	#7
Jaronbwall Driving cars and riding bikes really fast 296 Rep 1,023 Posts Drives: 2009 335i Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	That's amazing man! Thanks for the update. This stuff keeps the community alive. __________________ 335i, sport pkg, 3 pedals, Blacked out, LED markers, OZ Ultraleggera wheels, Firestone Indy 500s, x-pipe, vibrant 1792, PE mod MHD stage 2+, BMS DPs, ARM charge pipe, Tial BOV, ARM FMIC, dual cone, CSF radiator, M3 control arms, sways, HAWK pads. https://www.strava.com/athletes/8309149 Follow me on Strava
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12-22-2023, 02:30 PM	#9
STATIC A$TRO NEWBIE 51 Rep 51 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 335i Join Date: Dec 2023 Location: PNW iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 BMW E90 335i [4.75]	what do your coolers look like? I don't know how our roads compare but what is your front clearance looking like? just recently bought my 335 and I got these coolers, but I would like to drop it some more.
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08-12-2024, 07:49 AM	#10
Mikasa_e92 New Member 11 Rep 19 Posts Drives: E92 335i M Sport N54 Join Date: Mar 2023 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Hi, Its an old thread, but instead of making a NEW thread on the same topic, maybe the conversation can be continued. I'm looking at replacing my old N54 oil cooler, the original one looks a little beat up, and the fins are very fragile due to oxidation of the aluminium over the years. Has anyone ever used the M3 DCT oil cooler upgrade to replace the original cooler, I found some aftermarket ones, for half the price of original new part. OEM fitment, uses original mounting points. considering eventually i would be looking to do track days, having the extra capacity would be a bonus also. i dont know if theres any negatives? or if anyone has gone this route also? fyi, im also using the mossleman thermostat.
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08-24-2024, 03:29 AM	#11
autoart Colonel 366 Rep 2,318 Posts Drives: 2009 335i e90 M/ 22 X3 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: socal iTrader: (8)	The m3 trans cooler is the same as our oil cooler. Make sure you flush it out 1st. CSF makes a cooler thats a drop in unit. I installed one years ago and made a post about it. It is only about a 10% improvement. Also, don't forget to prefill the cooler with oil. https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...&highlight=csf
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09-02-2024, 09:27 AM	#12
Mikasa_e92 New Member 11 Rep 19 Posts Drives: E92 335i M Sport N54 Join Date: Mar 2023 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	After some research, i did check and found the M3 dct cooler, being the exact same part as the n54 engine oil cooler. i picked up the FMIC pro DCT cooler, and its a really nicely made part. clean welds, decent coating. finished well. https://fmic.eu/183167-racing-transm...ro-or-060.html everything looks like it will match up with the OEM n54 cooler setup. the only issue I foresee now is how to handle the ducting. OEM ducting will only direct air to the top half of the cooler, also the brake ducting in the front bumper will now be in the way. what im thinking is too chop down the brake ducting and turn it into a sort of secondary lower ducting to feed the oil cooler. then address some sort of direct brake ducting to blow air towards the inside of the wheel's. Ive seen some audi RS oem ductings, that attach to the suspension arms, and basically just divert airflow towards the inside of the wheels. tbh, the oe brake duct just blows air at the front of the tires, so I doubt it does all that much anway.
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09-06-2024, 02:40 AM	#13
autoart Colonel 366 Rep 2,318 Posts Drives: 2009 335i e90 M/ 22 X3 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: socal iTrader: (8)	If you look at my posts about it, I used a m3 cooler duct that only goes to the cooler. I had to modify it. just another option. good luck.
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09-18-2024, 05:37 PM	#14
Mikasa_e92 New Member 11 Rep 19 Posts Drives: E92 335i M Sport N54 Join Date: Mar 2023 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Update: fitted the FMICPRO dct radiator. everything kind of work, went together ok, i had to cut the brake duct and i kinda made some diy ducting, so it opened out towards the whole bottom half of the cooler. issue i ended up having is the Holes that receive the oil lines, arnt the correct size. they are just slightly too small. enough to start damaging the lines. so thats a no go. considering the m3 DCT cooler is the exact same PN as the N54 oil cooler, and also the o-rings uses are the same, it didn't fit. quality control issue, or just a poor product, i dont know yet, waiting for them too respond to some dissapointed emails.
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10-03-2024, 07:57 AM	#15
Mikasa_e92 New Member 11 Rep 19 Posts Drives: E92 335i M Sport N54 Join Date: Mar 2023 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Updated. returned the cooler, FMICPRO said that they produce 2 different version of the DCT cooler for the m3, with different size bores for the hoses. becuase theres 2 different OEM e9x m3 dct oil coolers, although i cannot find anything to back this up in the BMW catalogues. this isnt mentioned ANYWHERE on their ebay listings or their own website. out of pocket about £100 from this, poor service, wouldnt recommend.
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