Went to change the oil for the first time on my new to me 1999 Sambar truck yesterday. Put it up on ramps in the rear and got the drain plug out and oil draining. The filter looked like it had been there for a while and was going to be a pita to remove, which turned out to be true, due to lack of space. The oil filter base looked really weird also, like a big donut. Looking closer I see 2 hoses attached to the donut…wth… did someone add an oil cooler? First things first, I need to get the filter off and I don’t have a filter wrench that small. I try some channels locks and that doesn’t work so I drive a screwdriver through the filter and get it to move. I get it unscrewed and can’t get it out so I have to remove the passenger side rear wheel. Long story short I finally get the new filter installed, oil added and things are good So, back to the donut thingy…..research on AI tells me that it is a heat exchanger type oil cooler with the hoses carrying coolant plumbed into the cooling system. Appears this is a factory install on 5th and 6th gen Sambar trucks and vans with superchargers with auto trans. Who knew? A search here brings up this thread from 6 years ago. https://minitrucktalk.com/threads/external-oil-cooler-locations.19925/#post-123208
Haha, yes, driver's side. Still getting used to right hand drive! Went to go for a drive and gotten in the wrong side a couple times so far. Not as often as I've turned on the wipers instead of the turning signals though
Do you have the factory oil cooler installed on your 92? I read your thread on the 3 gauge cluster and am interested in an oil temperature gauge for my 99. Not sure a sandwich plate adapter will fit with the donut and filter.
I listed it in the reply to your PM, but the Blitz "Type D" sandwich plate fits the EN07 engines perfectly. You can even leave the two O-rings on for double protection from leaks, at least with the oil cooler setup. I bought mine here as it was the cheapest place and I was ordering other things from Amazon Japan at the same time: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B00YBBOISO I had a generic "Upgra8" plate prior to that, which did work but I needed to modify the filter stud to make it shorter, otherwise it would bottom out and not put enough clamping force on the o-ring.. and then the o-ring turned to hard plastic causing it to leak in only 2 or 3 years. The Blitz one may have been a little more expensive, but it was a direct fit and has been leak free for the last 5 years now.
He would not as his is both Carbed and Manual. The Cooler only was on the Supercharged models, and then only on the Automatics and some later Akabou variations.
I have an oil temp gauge with a drain plug sensor and the oil temp never gets above 190F, so I don't really see a need on the non-supercharged anyway. There's not an advantage to having overly cool engine oil.
The oil in the sump is the coolest part of the oil loop. I measure well into the 240+ degree range at the sandwich plate which is directly after the oil pump.
For a supercharged engine I can believe it. For mine, I don't see it gaining 50F from the pickup tube to the outlet of the oil pump. Have you ever used an IR temp gun to check the oil pan temp to roughly compare to what your gauge reads?
This is an interesting and comprehensive video from YouTuber WADA, who installed the factory oil cooler on his Sambar van. He documents oil and coolant temps before and after the install. It is in Japanese but auto dubbed in English.
