How VPD Copied Our Oil Cooler Kit.

Back in January 2004, we started putting together an oil cooler kit for Technik Engineering Stage 1 supercharger kit (used to be known as ASA SK1). We sourced the oil cooler cap from VPD. For the past 2 years or so, VPD has been supplying our oil cooler caps.

We put together the Technik Engineering Oil Cooler kit that includes black fittings and a Setrab cooler. The length of the hoses and the size of the cooler are carefully chosen after we bench tested a variety of sizes. Even the way we route the hoses are from hours of relentless research and data acquisition. The reason is simple. The Technik Engineering supercharger taps into the existing E46 oil lubrication system. So we have to take into account the supercharger as an extra load in this system. A lot of work has been put into finding the optimial pressure and flowrate for our kit. Yes, that includes using knowledge from fluid mechanics and computer aided design.

Back in 2004, VPD sells an E46 oil cooler kit on its own that included a Perma-Cool cooler core (like the one shown below), Earl's fittings, steel braided hose and some universal brackets to mount to any E46s. This picture below shows an oil cooler cap for an E36. But the rest of the parts of the same for their E46 kit.

 

Do we have proofs that VPD used different parts in their E46 kit back in 2004? If you look at the bottom picture. If you observe closely, if you look at the picture under the so called "E46 Competition Oil Cooler kit", VPD still displays a picture of the old Perma-cool cooler. And if you go onto Bimmerworld website, they show the old kit as well.

Click for a larger picture

 


Click for a larger picture

 

Over the last two years or so, while the relationship with VPD has been good, VPD in fact has been upgrading their E46 oil cooler kit to look like ours. Some time in 2005, they started using Setrab coolers as well and Setrab fittings as shown on the website below. They started with the Setrab 613 then moving onto Setrab 915. We apporached VPD and propose that they offer our kit on their website so that Technik Engineering Stage 1 customers can choose the correct kit to install, but VPD declined the proposal.

Click for a larger picture.

 

We have sources that confirm that VPD started using the Setrab 613 cooler. In fact a seller on e46fanatics forum was selling a slightly older VPD E46 kit. The kit was bought from Bimmerworld in May 2006. We believe that Bimmerworld stocks some of the older kits that include the 613 cooler. Pictures can be view on this thread. Picture below is taken from that thread. Picture credit to YellowBird330.

 

As of July 2006, we found out that VPD has upgraded their so called Compeition Oil Cooler kit to include a Setrab 915 cooler. This can be confirmed by a buyer of that kit in this thread. Picture below is taken from that thread. Picture credit to vaio76109. We believe they have been using the 915 for as early as March 2006.

 

The Final Words

It is unacceptable that VPD cashes in on our R&D for the E46 with Technik Engineering Stage 1. We spent a lot of track time testing our OC kit. VPD believes that they have the right to offer a similar kit just because they supply us with the oil cooler cap. In addition, from our track testings, we realized that the earlier VPD caps were leaking and adviced that the o-seal rings be upgraded to a better grade. Whether they did upgrade the o-seal rings is still a question mark. Whenever a new VPD cap comes in, we will replace all the o-seal rings to a more expensive and high-temperature tolerant grade. This is something that most people do not realize.

They put together a similar kit and try to passes it off as ours. We find that what VPD did to upgrade their kit t look like ours is uncalled for. They want to go one step further to consume our share of the OC market for Technik Engineering customers. To make matters worst, VPD has been selling their kits to Technik Engineering Stage 1 customers and in turn blame us for the lack of sales. Whether their kits are working right with Technik Engineering Stage 1 superchargers is still beyond us.

VPD has no right to copy our kit. VPD has no right to name their kit as "Competition" because in actual facts, we are the ones who performed the track testings.

For those who buy the VPD Competition kit to be installed on an E46 WITHOUT a supercharger setup, you will be overcooling your engine oil. We have data to show that. Yes, we do research before we sell anything.