IND | Fall Line Motorsports F8x M3/M4 Oil Cooler Guard

[IND-Distribution]

The F8x M3 and M4 cars are incredibly well sorted from a cooling standpoint. Even in a road course environment with extremely high ambient temperatures, the S55 engine tends to operate beautifully, with consistent oil and water temperatures. BMW M invested a great deal of time, money, and effort into designing a cooling system that worked in nearly every condition that the M3 and M4 would be tested in.

Although excellent ducting, good core design, strong fans, and other factors all play in to how well a cooling system works, there is one ultimate factor which cannot be circumvented- you must have enough heat exchanger surface area, and you must have enough heat exchangers. When examining the front of an M3 or M4, then, we see the hard work of the M engineers in packaging the various cooling components of the car. Everything had to be accounted for, and given ample space, surface area, and ducting.

Unfortunately, this leaves the S55 engine’s oil cooler precariously exposed. A direct impact to the oil cooler can have catastrophic effects, draining the S55 of all of its oil in seconds, a fact that more than a handful M3 and M4 owners have had to learn in a painfully direct way.

Having seen that this was a critical need for the M3 and M4 cars, IND worked with Fall Line Motorsports to develop a robust oil cooler guard, specifically designed to shield the S55’s oil cooler from large road debris and prevent disaster.

The new Fall Line Motorsports oil cooler guards will be constructed from thick stainless steel plate, and will fasten directly to existing frame members on the F80 and F82 cars, spreading any impact across strong structural components. Special care was taken to ensure that the opening in the oil cooler guard matched the shape and size of the existing BMW oil cooler air outlet, ensuring that proper air flow is maintained. Installation is straightforward and uses all existing mounting locations, and also retains the factory BMW plastic shield and associated outlet ducting.

DIY installation instructions and photographs are available here: http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1182474

• Installation hardware is Included

• Made of Stainless Steel

• Maintains factory air flow

The Fall Line Motorsports F8x M3/M4 Oil Cooler Guard may be viewed here in our online store: https://ind-distribution.com/product?sku=FLM-F8X-3FSKID

Please contact IND by phone or email for more information or to place your order.
866.963.4520 | info@ind-distribution.com
































Fall-Line Motorsports is a premiere builder and fabricator of racecars for all levels of competition. Fall-Line specializes in BMW, Porsche, Audi and other high-performance makes. Fall-Line Motorsports unveiled their Grand-Am team in 2006 and won the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS Championship title in 2010. In addition to fielding 3 GS BMW M3’s in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Fall-Line also prepares and fabricates cars for other CTSCC teams, SCCA and NASA drivers, track day prepared and high-performance street vehicles.

[hl0m4n]

hey cat, a few questions:

1. this is a direct plug and play install? no cutting/trimming required?

2. what is the weight of stock and fall line?

3. will this rust over time?

[IND-Distribution]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

hey cat, a few questions:

1. this is a direct plug and play install? no cutting/trimming required?

2. what is the weight of stock and fall line?

3. will this rust over time?

The Fall Line oil cooler guard will reuse factory mounting points. Some plastic rivets will be replaced with metal hardware which will be included with purchase. Plastic tray will require bit of trimming.

We do not have weight for the OEM plastic guard, the Fall Line oil cooler guard weighs exactly 9.5 lbs

As the Fall Line oil cooler guards are constructed from 304 stainless steel, even a scratched portion will only expose new stainless steel, creating a durable product that will last for many years. The stainless steel may lose it's shine over time, but will not rust in the way that mild steel will.

[sh55]

Originally Posted by Cat@IND

The Fall Line oil cooler guard will reuse factory mounting points. Some plastic rivets will be replaced with metal hardware which will be included with purchase.

We do not have weight for the OEM plastic guard, the Fall Line oil cooler guard weighs exactly 9.5 lbs

As the Fall Line oil cooler guards are constructed from 304 stainless steel, even a scratched portion will only expose new stainless steel, creating a durable product that will last for many years. The stainless steel may lose it's shine over time, but will not rust in the way that mild steel will.

There is what appears to be a drill bit and another tool (black things at the top of the hardware) in the first picture, what are they for?

[///M Villain]

My question is; why is a sheet of metal priced at basically $700 dollars?.. Where is this metal from Ironforge? It's a non visible item that's only worth 200 bucks with M tax added and that's still overcharging. How did they reach 700? Price dart board? There is nothing that could be said to justify it period. And yea yea, we know, the stock one isn't efficient enough. This would be like paying that same price for replacement grill plates for my gas grill. But that's just my logic and views. Good luck with sell!

[SakhirM4]

Why couldn't they have used a steel mesh to cover the large openings to deflect smaller items and still provide air flow. Seems like the large openings would not have precluded several of the forum members problems.

[IND-Distribution]

Originally Posted by sh55

There is what appears to be a drill bit and another tool (black things at the top of the hardware) in the first picture, what are they for?

The drill bit is meant to remove the original BMW rivet that holds the OE plastic parking block to the car. The additional black tool is meant to install a rivnut in the same position, allowing you to use a bolt to re-install both the parking block and the skidplate.

Originally Posted by ///M Villain

My question is; why is a sheet of metal priced at basically $700 dollars?.. Where is this metal from Ironforge? It's a non visible item that's only worth 200 bucks with M tax added and that's still overcharging. How did they reach 700? Price dart board? There is nothing that could be said to justify it period. And yea yea, we know, the stock one isn't efficient enough. This would be like paying that same price for replacement grill plates for my gas grill. But that's just my logic and views. Good luck with sell!

The skid plate is first laser cut from 304 stainless steel, and then CNC bent by equipment typically used in mass production industrial processes. The CNC brake (bending) equipment used is tremendously expensive, and time consuming to set up. Once the parts are laser cut and CNC bent to shape they must be finish welded to make the skid plate. All installation hardware is then purchased and included in the kit.

As is typically the case- I am willing to wager that whatever industry it is that you personally are involved in operates at a much higher profit margin than the high end aftermarket parts industry.

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

Why couldn't they have used a steel mesh to cover the large openings to deflect smaller items and still provide air flow. Seems like the large openings would not have precluded several of the forum members problems.

Adding mesh is possible, but would increase cost. This piece is designed to protect from major impacts- the cooler core itself can deflect small pebbles without issue in most cases.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by Ilia@IND

Adding mesh is possible, but would increase cost. This piece is designed to protect from major impacts- the cooler core itself can deflect small pebbles without issue in most cases.

I wasn't thinking about pebbles, I was think about some of the forum members that ran over small pieces of steel and penetrated the cooler - new engine!

[KL07RPH]

Can this be retrofitted with an existing front lip already installed? Or does the lip have to be temporarily removed for the guard install?

[aboulfad]

Is the part made in NAFTA region? (Just trying to figure out how much more to pay if I decide to buy it). And why does it install on top of the plastic OEM part? I also think the addition of mesh for open areas, although it may decrease a bit cooling may increase somewhat the overall protection against other road debris...

[BRUNBERG]

Am I right in thinking that this fits over the oem plastic tray?

Can you PM me a price shipped to the UK please?

TIA

[F32Fleet]

I'm assuming that BMW designed the air flow to begin at the top of the cooler out the bottom.

Q: Why didn't you guys extend the solid section to cover at least 2/3 of the bottom of the oil cooler and move the opening at little farther aft to keep air flowing?

[YMB_F80]

How much further is it extended down? Interested in this but with my ride height being so low, and seeing that the design has it coming down further, I feel like I would be scraping this everyday lol.

[IND-Distribution]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

I wasn't thinking about pebbles, I was think about some of the forum members that ran over small pieces of steel and penetrated the cooler - new engine!

Absolutely. This guard covers most of the cooler from those direct impacts, but there's a point where you'll start to drastically impact cooling. I think the guard will prevent many potential impacts, but I can't say it will prevent all.

Originally Posted by KL07RPH

Can this be retrofitted with an existing front lip already installed? Or does the lip have to be temporarily removed for the guard install?

We installed our test piece with the RKP lip in place. The center bolt was loosened slightly, the cooler guard was positioned, and then the center bolt was re-tightened.

Originally Posted by aboulfad

Is the part made in NAFTA region? (Just trying to figure out how much more to pay if I decide to buy it). And why does it install on top of the plastic OEM part? I also think the addition of mesh for open areas, although it may decrease a bit cooling may increase somewhat the overall protection against other road debris...

This part was made in the US, which is a NAFTA country.

The original plastic guard has some rubber lining/ducting that is required for proper sealing of the oil cooler, and correct extraction of the air.

Originally Posted by BRUNBERG

Am I right in thinking that this fits over the oem plastic tray?

Can you PM me a price shipped to the UK please?

TIA

Correct, the plastic tray will maintain a good seal against the oil cooler to optimize airflow.

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

I'm assuming that BMW designed the air flow to begin at the top of the cooler out the bottom.

Q: Why didn't you guys extend the solid section to cover at least 2/3 of the bottom of the oil cooler and move the opening at little farther aft to keep air flowing?

Correct, air enters the front of the opening and exits at the bottom of the car.

The cooler guard is actually designed precisely as you suggested, but this is difficult to see in photos. The majority of the cooler is covered by the large flat plate at the front of the guard, leaving the rear of the guard as the exit. The leading edge (and leading 1/2) of the cooler is completely protected by a solid flat plate. I honestly think it's extremely unlikely that any debris will make contact with the cooler, with the guard in place.

You can see how much of the cooler the leading edge of the guard covers in this photo:

Originally Posted by Victorwu120

How much further is it extended down? Interested in this but with my ride height being so low, and seeing that the design has it coming down further, I feel like I would be scraping this everyday lol.

The guard adds about an additional 1/3" at most. When installed, the guard sits no lower than the OE plastics that are already in place on the car, and is in line with the RKP front lip (which is one of the highest on the market).

[dhoggm3]

When will these be ready to ship?

[IND-Distribution]

Originally Posted by dhoggm3

When will these be ready to ship?

We'll have the guards ready to ship by mid October at the latest, and early October if all goes well.

[gonoyaro11]

I think It's not worth it at all.

[Mandi90TT]

One opinion, backed by....nothing.

Come on, guys, if you are going to voice your opinion, at least state why you feel that way.

[ciaranob]

I guess when I first saw the plans for this posted I mentally had it capped at $400 - below the typical $500 deductible that most carry so a definite enticement to buy. At $700 even with $2.5-$3.5K damage that can happen when oil coolers get taken out it still makes me pause to buy, which may seem a tad ridiculous to some!

Certainly avoiding the hassle factor of the repair and time w/o vehicle could easily erase that $200 delta but I guess, based on some amateur/hobby metal work I have done in the past, it just seems the price point is too high on this. In addition, as a previous poster mentioned, the mesh solution or even a coarser diamond pattern would be preferable but I also get that it might well critically reduce airflow - the reason IND provides is additional cost which is interesting - was a mesh cover evaluated for increased restriction to airflow?

Having said all that, if no other options present themselves (including a consideration of making my own design) I may end up considering this!

[BuLoOoSki]

How much more would it cost to have this anodized/painted in black?

And do you guys plan to create a DIY guide for the install?

[Nate@IND]

Oil guards coming in today! We will have a PDF showing the step by step install. I'll add one up in the DIY section.

[IND-Distribution]

Originally Posted by BuLoOoSki

How much more would it cost to have this anodized/painted in black?

And do you guys plan to create a DIY guide for the install?

PM sent!

As the Fall Line Motorsports Oil Cooler Guard is made of stainless steel and will not rust, we currently do not have plans for a ceramic or powdercoated version.

The BMW OEM reinforcement panel that sits next to the guard is also bare metal, and looks rather nice when paired with the Fall Line Oil Cooler Guard.




Ultimately, we are more than happy to look into providing custom finishes for our clients if they so choose.