ND Miata Oil Cooler R&D, Part 2: Bracket Completion and Sandwich Plate Details
Interested in purchasing our new ND Miata direct-fit oil cooler kit? Check out our product page linked below!
Mishimoto Mazda Miata Oil Cooler Kit!
Not long ago we posted some initial details regarding plans for our direct-fit Miata oil cooler solution. We've been hard at work on our design, with hopes that our end product will provide optimal oil temperatures for track junkies.
Final Bracket Design
Last time, we constructed two mounting brackets for our kit. We prefer three mounting points for optimal rigidity. This Miata oil cooler is going to see quite a bit of airflow, so we want to ensure the cooler mounts can handle this force. Below is a shot of our third bracket, which ties into the passenger side of the radiator support.
ND Miata parts development
Each bracket will be constructed from 1/8" aluminum and will be powder coated for corrosion resistance. Not only will this provide strength, it will also be lightweight, reducing the impact of added weight on the front end. We don't want to throw off that perfect Miata balance. Below is a look at our fabricated brackets mounted to the 19-row oil cooler.
ND Miata parts development
ND Miata parts development
Keep in mind these brackets are functional mock-up prototypes. Our final version will be refined and cleanly manufactured. Below is a rendering of our Miata oil cooler brackets.
2016 Miata parts rendering
Sandwich Plate Install
With our cooler mounted, it was time to move on to the installation of our sandwich plate. As previously shown, the stock housing is not equipped with a heat exchanger, so we expected our plate to mate up directly to the housing.
2016 Miata parts development
Unfortunately, this was not the case. If you look closely, you can see a small spacer between the housing and our sandwich plate. The factory oil filter housing features a machined lip, designed specifically for the diameter of the filter. Our sandwich plate is slightly larger in diameter, causing contact with this lip.
Luckily, we have spacers for other direct-fit kits, which raise the sandwich plate above the lip. This is the black component shown in the image above.
These spacers are specific, although this one will work for mock-up and testing. Our final version will be slightly shorter, in order to improve ground clearance with the filter installed. After the new spacer, the filter will sit well above the factory metal undertray.
Explaining how this assembly goes together can be tough, so I'll let some images do the talking.
2016 Miata parts development
In this image you can see the spacer (left), the plate itself (center) and the adapter (right). The adapter fits onto the existing oil filter threads, compressing the sandwich plate and spacer in to create a seal. Check out these pieces assembled.
2016 Miata parts development
ND Miata parts development
Check out one more shot of our sandwich plate with fittings in place.
2016 Miata parts development
Line routing will be relatively simple and short. Our lines will go forward, make their way around the radiator support, and meet with the fittings on top of the oil cooler.
Coming Up - Testing
Before we continue finalizing our Miata oil cooler design, we must evaluate the performance. While our initial data collection won't include Hoosiers and a track pass, we should still be able to gather important data regarding efficiency.
Be sure to check our blog for development coverage of other ND Miata parts.
Check back soon for the results!
-John
