Engine oil temperature

[Norbie]

What is the ideal operating temperature for engine oil? I've recently installed an oil cooler and an oil temp gauge, and after driving for about half an hour last night (admittedly it was cold) the gauge never got far above the minimum which is 140 degrees F, I think at one point it got up to 150. Is that too cold? At the moment I don't have an oil bypass thermostat and I'm thinking that might be a problem.

[japlish]

i think the normal operating temperatures are around the 80-90 degrees C, 120 is the absolute max.

[HAVABEER]

yeah i've wondered this as well. as my exhaust on my 162 at the moment is pretty much resting on my sump. it might help the oil warm up and thin out quicker but not sure if its gonna make things to hot.

[Norbie]

i think the normal operating temperatures are around the 80-90 degrees C, 120 is the absolute max.

Hmmm 140F is approx 60C, sounds like it's running too cold.

[LeeRoy]

A guy i know on these forums had a similar problem on his starlet. He installed an oil cooler and guage and just like you his guage wouldnt even register unles you slightly covered the cooler.

The real problem lies in that the cooler is probably too efficient in the temps we've been having recently but when summer rolls around the cooler will probably get the oil alot closer to the desired range. You could opt for a smaller cooler but it will probably not work as well in summer at keeping you in the desired range so your best option is probably the thermostat.

[Norbie]

Yeah I already have a small cooler, I don't think they get much smaller and even if they did it would kind of defeat the purpose! Bypass thermostat it is.

[The Witzl]

Where is the sensor for the oil temp located?

You might be right thinking that the thermostat for the bypass is a bit funny. Well at least thats what my unedumacated guess is.

[Mos]

Karl - he said he didn't have a thermostat nothing funny about it

Norbie - use a thermostat

Mos.

[The Witzl]

Well then - my thoughts about the thermostat being funny were right! There is no thermostat.

I mis-read the first post and thought he said he DID have a thermostat. I am retard.

[Norbie]

Sensor is located in the oil filter adapter, and if I got it right it should be located before the cooler.

[thechuckster]

Keith (MonkeyMagic) runs a cooler out the front of his sprinter - without a thermostat he resorted to a removable metal plate in front of it for street use and at QR he removed plate.

[abently]

Maximum temperature depends on the Oil Weight used...... and whether it is Ester-based or not.

But for all types, 110 Deg Celsius is a safe Maximum.

Also having the Oil too cold robs power........

[Karma Supra]

Yup I have always been again oil cooler kits with no thermostat! I personally think they do more harm tehn good on a road car...


But then again its probably a lot colder where I live!
I run a Mocal thermostat take off plate on my car, it flows a tiny amount even when cold to keep the cooler purged and air lock free, then opens it up fully at 80 degrees C. I also removed the factory water jacket cooler...

[psychofox]

Perma Cool Make a good oil thermostat, about $85. The temp setpoint is 82deg C (180deg F). http://perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page14.html

[off-road]

Sensor is located in the oil filter adapter, and if I got it right it should be located before the cooler.

I would locate it after the cooler so you are reading the actual oil temp the motor is receiving.

[Draven]

oil temp should be somewhere in the vicinity of water temp ... as stated, 80-100c is a vague sort of idea.

[Negative Boost]

I would locate it after the cooler so you are reading the actual oil temp the motor is receiving.

I was thinking the same thing, is this correct? Or should the temp be taken from the oil in the sump?

[off-road]

You are better off knowing if the oil being pumped into the motor is too hot or cold.
In high performance applications where oil temps are approaching the point of oil break down you could always use teletemp strips that record highest temperature. Stick some on the sump and on the hot side of the cooler if you can.

[YLD-16L]

I was asking myself this exact same question a few weeks ago and a lot of searching on the net brought up very little info on the subject.

The little info I did find indicated you want your oil temp to be at/above 75-80 degrees celcius during normal operation (as has already been mentioned).

As has also been mentioned the general consensus appeared to be that for synthetics and semi-synths above 120 deg celcius is not a good zone to be in but they will cope with that if you happen to end up there i.e. breakdown will be minimal.

FWIW Norbie I run a basic oil cooler setup with a permacool thermostat and it's been fine down to about 0 degrees celcius so far (coldest temp I have driven it at yet) it's held 75-78 deg C on the gauge during normal commutes and hwy driving, which is fine.

On the track the highest temp the oil has seen is about 104 deg C.

Sounds like a thermostat should solve your issues and be much less hassle than covering/uncovering the core all the time.

[jezza323]

Keith (MonkeyMagic) runs a cooler out the front of his sprinter - without a thermostat he resorted to a removable metal plate in front of it for street use and at QR he removed plate.

why would you bother when you could do it properly with a thermostat