When it comes to keeping engine oil temperatures in check, a high-quality oil cooler is essential for performance vehicles and trucks (even those of the electric variety). Excessive heat can break down oil, reducing its viscosity and leading to premature engine wear. To combat this, Mishimoto offers two universal solutions—the 23-Row and 25-Row Oil Cooler Kits—each designed to serve different needs while delivering outstanding cooling performance. Both kits include an 8-inch fan capable of moving 600 CFM of air at 3,000 RPM, ensuring consistent cooling even in low-airflow conditions. But what sets these two oil coolers apart?
The 23-row fan kit is built with a robust 68mm-thick tube-and-fin core design and features strutted tubes. This extra thickness increases fluid capacity, making it an excellent choice for those who prioritize maximum heat dissipation. The strutted tubes provide additional strength, making this cooler a great fit for race applications or any setup where durability and thermal efficiency are paramount. The tube-and-fin construction allows fluid to move smoothly through the cooler while being surrounded by cooling fins that help dissipate heat. Because of its larger size, the 23-row oil cooler kit is best suited for vehicles with ample space for installation, as the added capacity and thickness may not fit into tighter engine bays.
On the other hand, the 25-row oil cooler kit utilizes a stacked plate design, which is a highly efficient configuration known for its superior heat transfer properties. Unlike tube-and-fin coolers, stacked plate coolers force the oil through multiple plates, allowing for maximum heat dissipation with minimal pressure loss. The plates allow oil to flow evenly across the cooler’s surface, ensuring effective cooling even under heavy loads. This design makes the 25-row kit a practical choice for performance oil cooling needs, especially in vehicles with tighter installation spaces. Unlike the 23-row kit’s natural aluminum finish, the 25-row kit features a black-coated oil cooler, adding a stealthy aesthetic to any engine bay while also providing an extra layer of corrosion resistance.
Both oil coolers offer universal fitment, are compatible with various performance applications, and feature female -10ORB ports to accommodate different fitting sizes and configurations. This adaptability makes them suitable for a range of builds, from track cars to off-road rigs and even electric vehicles, where cooling efficiency is essential for maintaining drivetrain longevity. The inclusion of an 8-inch slim fan and mounting brackets makes installation straightforward, providing an all-in-one cooling solution. Additionally, these coolers work with oil, coolant, and transmission fluid, offering versatility for different systems.
One of the key advantages of both oil coolers is the added oil capacity they provide. Increased fluid volume helps absorb and dissipate heat more effectively, leading to better overall cooling performance. This is especially beneficial for high-performance applications where extended periods of high engine loads generate excessive heat. By incorporating a high-capacity oil cooler into your setup, you can extend the lifespan of your engine and transmission components, reducing the risk of overheating-related failures.
Additionally, both oil coolers utilize a dual-pass design, which offers a greater cooling surface area over single-pass designs for more efficient heat transfer.
When choosing between the two, consider your vehicle’s space constraints and cooling demands. If space isn’t a concern and maximum cooling efficiency is the priority, the 23-row oil cooler kit is the superior option with its larger fluid capacity and durable strutted tube construction. This makes it an excellent choice for high-horsepower applications, track use, and off-road vehicles that demand the highest levels of thermal management. For applications where space is limited but efficient cooling is still essential, the 25-row oil cooler kit stacked plate design provides an excellent balance of performance and compactness, making it a great fit for street cars, daily drivers, and vehicles with tight engine bays.
No matter which option you choose, both kits come fully assembled and are backed by Mishimoto’s lifetime warranty, ensuring reliability and long-term performance. Whether you're looking for a heavy-duty cooling solution for aggressive driving or a compact, efficient oil cooler for a space-constrained build, our oil cooler kits deliver the performance and durability needed to keep your engine protected under all conditions.
