Us and OEM - Oil Cooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review and Renderings

A car of mine has been in desperate need of a new oil pan for months, and it is currently sitting on jack stands in the garage. The new pan, gasket, and bolts are sitting in the back seat, so why isn't the pan on the bottom of the engine?

I'll give you some hints as to the culprit: Only it will tell, nobody ever seems to have enough of it, and Pink Floyd wrote a song about it. No, I'm not talking about LSD - I'm talking about time.

In our modern age, this connected world has led us to expect the fulfillment of our desires in short order. I want my MTV, and I want it NOW! In the movie Castaway, Tom Hanks' character sums it up well: "87 hours is an eternity. The cosmos was created in less time." Nobody likes waiting for things. Why would you, after all? But I can say personally that nothing is worse than having to wait for something that other people don't have to wait for.

As the oldest sibling of three, I was adamantly forbidden from seeing the aforementioned PG-13 movie, Castaway, until after my thirteenth birthday. Would anyone like to venture a guess as to when my at-the-time eleven-year-old sister saw the same film?

Our two brothers together at our large R&D Center in New Castle, DE - so much room for activities!

It's a rude fact of life that younger siblings can enjoy this type of advantage (I'm sure you see where this is going"). The development of a 2016 Camaro oil cooler for our 2.0T's V8-powered older brother took a decent amount of time and some waiting, but fortunately, that 2016 Camaro Oil cooler for the SS is now officially released. I am happy today to make our SS one frustrated big bro by announcing that Mishimoto's Camaro 2.0T Oil Cooler Kit is coming very soon! (Don't worry SS - I feel your pain)

Why you gotta be so cool?

Oil obviously needs to be warm to lubricate an engine, but too much heat is a bad thing. Think of it like this: Oil's relationship with heat is like a college freshman's relationship with Miller High Life. If you don't have enough, the night may not go as smoothly as you want. With the right amount, things proceed swimmingly and everyone has a great time. But when you introduce too much into the equation" well, that's when you wake up in the morning, don't know where you are, can't find your hat, and find yourself wondering why you have a pocket full of dinner mints and a splitting headache. Too much heat can be a bad thing.

The reason for this is because oil's excellent lubrication qualities come primarily from its viscosity. Once the oil overheats, it loses said viscosity and can no longer lubricate your engine effectively. Friction will do its thing, and before you know it, you've suddenly become much more closely acquainted with the 2016 Camaro parts inside  your engine.

Tell me about the stock system"

Well first, you'll need to specify which stock system you mean! All Camaro 2.0Ts have oil coolers, but how they function varies a bit. For cars without the heavy-duty cooling and braking package, there is a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger mounted on the side of the engine to cool oil using engine coolant.

A stock GM image of the liquid-to-liquid exchanger found on non-HD package cars.

However, 2.0T Camaros that are equipped with the HD cooling package use a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that is cleverly mounted horizontally, just after the front bumper on the underside of the car. This location takes advantage of the low relative pressure behind the radiator to pull air up and through the exchanger.

The horizontal cooler that comes as part of the heavy-duty cooling and brake package.

How is Mishimoto making it better?

Glad you asked! We will be providing a direct-fit kit that uses a sandwich plate at the oil filter mount to direct oil through a heat exchanger in front of the car, mounted stylishly behind the front grille (in the same location as on the SS). The kit will be available in thermostatic and non-thermostatic options, and will also include oil lines and a sway-bar jacket to keep the lines to themselves!

Check out some renderings, below.

2016 Camaro oil cooler in silver!

Here's one of the 2016 Camaro oil cooler in black.

One more of our new 2016 Camaro parts

What's next?

Next, I will be sharing some shots of the finished product! As I told you, this one would be quick. We've got some solid numbers to back this thing up, too. Per usual, we will offer this product at a discounted price to forum members during our pre-sale, so look forward to all that and more in the next couple weeks.

Thanks so much,

-Gardiner