EMPI Super Kooler Oil Cooler 98-1189-B Doghouse VW Bug Beetle Ghia 1971-1979 For Sale - New and Used

EMPI Super Kooler Oil Cooler — Doghouse | Part 98-1189-B | Cerakote

This is the doghouse cooler — 1971 and later. Open your engine lid. If there is a rectangular oil cooler box hanging off the outside of the fan shroud on the driver\'s side, you have a doghouse engine and this is your cooler. If the cooler stands upright inside the shroud, you have an early upright engine and you need EMPI 98-1186-B instead. Not sure which you have? Message us before you buy and we will tell you — we look at these every day.

The EMPI Super Kooler is not a plain replacement. EMPI had CSF Radiators — a company that builds radiators for a living — engineer it specifically for doghouse fan shroud engines.

Vehicle Fitment

Fits Type 1 engines with doghouse cooling, from stock 1600cc through high-displacement performance builds:

• VW Beetle and Super Beetle: 1971–1979
• VW Karmann Ghia: 1971–1974
• VW Bus (Type 2): 1971–1979 — Type 1 doghouse engine only
• VW Thing (Type 181): 1973–1974
• VW Type 3: 1971–1973 — doghouse-equipped engines only
• Dune buggy / sand rail: any doghouse Type 1 build

Doghouse fan shrouds only. It will not seal on an upright (pre-1971) shroud.

Key Features

• Bar-and-plate core — EMPI rates it at 10% more cooling volume than the OE tube-and-fin unit in the same footprint.
• Cerakote ceramic coating — an ultra-thin thermal barrier that sheds heat faster than paint or bare aluminum, and will not chip, fade or burn off.
• Pressure tested to 120 psi (8.3 bar) — it will take a high-volume oil pump without fatigue.
• Billet CNC top, cast bottom for structural integrity.
• Built-in M10 x 1.0 sensor bung — run a real oil temperature or pressure sender at the cooler instead of guessing off a dipstick gauge.
• Comes complete — the \"Hoover bit\" air deflector tin and premium Elring seals are in the box.

EMPI\'s Published Test Figures

These numbers are EMPI\'s, not ours:

• 47% colder at the cooler outlet than the OE unit under equivalent conditions
• 5% better than the larger Type 4 oil cooler
• 86% colder at the outlet when paired with the EMPI Super Shroud

Worth saying plainly: that is the temperature of the oil leaving the cooler, not the temperature in your sump. Sump temperature still depends on your engine tin, your timing, your jetting and how hard you drive it. But the direction is right and the construction is honest.

Fit the Hoover Bit

The \"Hoover bit\" is the small piece of tin that seals the gap between the cooler and the shroud. Its entire job is to stop air taking the easy path around the cooler. Leave it out and the fan pushes air past the cooler instead of through it, and you will have bolted on an expensive part that does almost nothing. It is included here. Fit Part Number: 98-1189-B

OE / Interchange Number: 113 117 021

Manufacturer: EMPI / CSF Radiators

Core Type: Bar and plate

Material: Aluminum with Cerakote ceramic coating

Construction: Billet CNC top, cast bottom

Sensor Port: M10 x 1.0

Pressure Tested: 120 psi (8.3 bar)

Included: Hoover bit air deflector tin, Elring seals

Condition: New in original EMPI packaging

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I know if I have a doghouse shroud? Open the engine lid. A rectangular oil cooler box on the outside of the shroud, driver\'s side, means doghouse — 1971 and later. A cooler standing upright inside the shroud means upright — 1970 and earlier, and this will not fit.
• Will it fit a stock 1600cc engine? Yes. Any doghouse-shroud Type 1 engine, from stock 1600cc up through high-displacement builds.
• Do I need a high-volume oil pump? Not required, but one pairs well on built engines (1776cc and up).
• Will my stock tin still fit? Yes. The included Hoover bit replaces the stock cooler tin and fits the standard doghouse shroud.
• What sensor fits the M10 bung? Standard M10 x 1.0 temperature or pressure senders. AutoMeter, VDO and most aftermarket gauge senders use this thread.
• Is the Cerakote durable? Yes. It is the same ceramic finish used on firearms and engine components.
• Will it fit my 1969 Beetle? Only if that engine has been converted to doghouse cooling. A stock upright 1969 engine needs EMPI 98-1186-B.
• Does it fit a Type 4 engine or a 1972-and-later Bus? No. Those use a completely different cooling system.

Before You Buy

An oil cooler will not fix ignition timing that is too far advanced, a lean carburetor, missing engine tin, or a tired engine dumping combustion heat into the oil. If you are running hot, check the free things first — timing, jetting, tin, fan belt tension. If it is still hot after that, this is the right upgrade.

Safety and Compliance

WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

Parts legal for use on pre-pollution-controlled vehicles only.

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