I'm putting together the build list for my 59 B160 hauler project. Right now, the current plan is to swing in a good 392 I have, along with an IH 5 speed. My concern is cooling. It has a pretty big radiator and a lot of room under the hood, but is that enough when I'm pulling 3 trucks across the desert in August? I have read some people report a minimal drop in temp when using an oil cooler, but I cant help but think that anything is better than nothing. What other things should I consider besides a good shroud, 7 blade fan, and a clean cooling system? Also, I'm looking for some parts for the B160 parts like front brake drums and some misc trim parts. You can see what I'm working with...
My thoughts exactly on the oil cooler, some cooling is better than no cooling, and I plan on adding one to my 1-ton when I get it put back together. I suspect a large oil cooler might do quite a bit to help cooling, notice most modern autos have them. Other than that I'd just say make sure your radiator is in good working order and if not I'd get the biggest aluminum one that could be shoe horned in there. Is the current one cross flow or vertical? I've heard cross flow does a better job of cooling, but couldn't tell you why, maybe they get more consistent flow across all the rows instead of maybe just the ones closest to the water inlet or something.
Oil coolers don't do anything for fixing a bad cooling system. Its more for oil life. As oil temps above 230* will reduce oil life alot. I have a oil temp gauge on my 392. And had a cooler on it an it still saw 200-220 oil temps. Basically if you have a good style cooler not the fin and tube type. You will gain some benefit for oil life. I had a cheap large tube fin type and noted only a 10-20 difference in oil temps on a hot day. That's it. So I removed it as a line ruptured as it was just rubber hose. The rad style oil coolers work if I get another one I would get one with thread in fittings and use braid AN lines. The rubber lines are junk and will fail. When they do be lucky to save the motor I was. My engine temps are rock steady at 180-190 on hot day on freeway with A/C on and towing. Oil temps with no cooler are 210-220 at that time. But I run a full synthetic oil too. Most modern gas rigs with tow packages have oil cooler but they are tied into the radiator so oil temps stay 200-210 all the time the temps or the water. That's the ideal temp to evaporate off fuel and moisture in the oil. This helps oil life as well.
