To monitor the oiling system, I installed a trick Bosch oil pressure and temp sensor. This single sensor, cheapest when ordered under the Mazda Part Number SH01-18-541, combines what normally would be handled by two sensors into one unit. This cuts in half the number of potential leak points and makes installation a breeze on the Evo X, where fitting two sensors is very tough. I got the exceptionally tough to find ⅜” BSPT male to M10x1.0 female adapter from Fittings.Space. I’ll discuss how I will be monitoring this and additional sensors in a future article.
On to transmission
While the Dodson sump offers a small increase in cooling performance for the transmission, it is mission critical to cool the SST fluid or it will overheat in short order on track. It was recommended to me by Pike’s Peak competitors, Colorado Motorsports, to go with AMS Performance’s transmission cooler kit. Transparency time, AMS provided a small discount on their cooler kit.
AMS uses a Derale core, which looks beautifully constructed, and has a very well thought out mounting system. Install was a breeze and I decided against using the supplied cooling fan. My reasoning was the Dodson sump would cool the transmission at idle when adequate airflow is not going over the core. This would allow for minimum restrictions and maximum cooling airflow at speed. There are downsides to the AMS kit, one minor and one more significant. On the minor side, try as I might, with the OEM plastic liners, I get very mild tire rubbing at full steering lock. AMS says this is not an issue on other cars, so it could just be my particular Evo. On the more major side, the great OEM ducting cannot be used and they provided no replacement ducting. If only there was something I could do about that… (this is called foreshadowing).
Optimizing the cooling package
You can have all the best coolers/heat exchangers in the world, but if airflow isn’t going through them properly, they won’t work to their potential. I knew it was extremely important to duct all the coolers, but doing so was beyond my fabrication ability. I called my friends at Turn in Concepts in Cincinnati, OH and asked for help, explained what I was shooting for, drove the 4 hours through a snowstorm and dropped off my Evo X and let them get to work.
3 comments
I have issues with Mishimoto when they blatantly rip off another company’s design even leaving tracks like ordering a part to rip off on their own PO. It’s not even reverse engineering but a blatant copy of another company’s stuff like they did with Improved Racing. That just rubs me the wrong way.
I’ve run that oil cooler on my X for about 6 years without any issues. I did the exact same with the lines, and its worked out very well. Very interested on the oil sensor as I agree….running the sensors (especially with extension lines) is a massive PITA.
I am working with Turn in Concepts on the wiring soon with a dedicated datalogger. I’ll report back soon with how everything works out but we have used that same sensor in a different location on the Pro Awe Time Attack Evo VIII with good luck.