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What is a good target for maximum oil temp?

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Old 08-15-2011, 09:39 AM
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Charley Hoyt
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Default What is a good target for maximum oil temp?

What is a good target for maximum oil temperature? At the track this weekend I was seeing a max. temp of around 309....then it would cool to about 280 on my cool down lap. Is this too high?

Thanks for the help,
Charley
Old 08-15-2011, 10:02 AM
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AU N EGL
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260 max

200 to 250 ideal
Old 08-15-2011, 10:17 AM
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sperkins
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I've been able to keep mine between 230-250 with an external cooler.
Was over 300 before.
Old 08-15-2011, 10:23 AM
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TKOGTO
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C6 manual indicates 320 max for oil temp and 255 for coolant temp. At 309 for oil temp, you're getting close. Consider a cool down lap in the middle of the session when track/ambient temps push your engine close to max levels.
Old 08-15-2011, 11:03 AM
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diddiyo
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the highest oil temp i've seen on my c5z06 is 279 because i was pretty much in 3rd gear all the time (which wasn't really necessary). as soon as i started using 4th gear whenever the situation was right my oil temp went down to 248.
Old 08-15-2011, 11:58 AM
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sothpaw2
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Originally Posted by Charley Hoyt
I was seeing a max. temp of around 309....
Is this too high?

Thanks for the help,
Charley
Yes. I remember doing searches on this--around 265 oil was as high as guys had it on a regular basis and still had long engine life. Definitely need coolers--they will help your lap times too. A cooler motor makes more hp/tq.

Andy
Old 08-15-2011, 12:25 PM
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RDnomorecobra
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Originally Posted by diddiyo
the highest oil temp i've seen on my c5z06 is 279 because i was pretty much in 3rd gear all the time (which wasn't really necessary). as soon as i started using 4th gear whenever the situation was right my oil temp went down to 248.

yep, use 4th more often until you get an oil cooler installed. RPM and oil temp are proportional to each other.
Old 08-15-2011, 12:59 PM
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Bill Dearborn
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When I first got my 03Z back in 03 I saw 319 at Watkins Glen on a hot August day. With the C6Z I have never seen the oil temp over 260 in two years of running the car.

Bill
Old 08-15-2011, 01:40 PM
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geerookie
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During a race I'm usually around 280 - 290. At VIR a few weeks ago I saw 310 every time I went on track.
For me VIR was a constant high RPM track without much time for the motor to work below the rev limiter.
I have a stone stock, never been apart '99 LS1 with no oil cooler.
My rev limit is bumped to 6500. I run Amsoil 10w-30 or 10w-40. The motor has over 35,000 track miles at this point.
Most good synthetic oils are fine up to 400 degrees. This doesn't include the stuff you buy at the big box stores.
I only change my oil at the beginning of the season and the filter once in the middle. I do have to add 1 - 1.5 quarts a weekend so it kind of keeps it fresh
Old 08-15-2011, 01:56 PM
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AtomicZ
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Mine doesn't go above 250
Old 08-15-2011, 04:01 PM
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AU N EGL
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the cooler the oil the cool the block the more HP you get

anything above 250 and you need BIGGER oil cooler

Last edited by AU N EGL; 08-15-2011 at 04:58 PM.
Old 08-15-2011, 04:04 PM
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John Shiels
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Originally Posted by geerookie
During a race I'm usually around 280 - 290. At VIR a few weeks ago I saw 310 every time I went on track.
For me VIR was a constant high RPM track without much time for the motor to work below the rev limiter.
I have a stone stock, never been apart '99 LS1 with no oil cooler.
My rev limit is bumped to 6500. I run Amsoil 10w-30 or 10w-40. The motor has over 35,000 track miles at this point.
Most good synthetic oils are fine up to 400 degrees. This doesn't include the stuff you buy at the big box stores.
I only change my oil at the beginning of the season and the filter once in the middle. I do have to add 1 - 1.5 quarts a weekend so it kind of keeps it fresh
The oil will be fine at 400 the aluminum pieces in the oil will throw the monkey wrench in the soup.

If anyone really wants to know their engine AND oil test it for 30 bucks.

Over 275 constantly and you will regret it sooner or later.
Old 08-15-2011, 11:39 PM
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db2xpert
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Originally Posted by geerookie
Most good synthetic oils are fine up to 400 degrees. This doesn't include the stuff you buy at the big box stores.
I only change my oil at the beginning of the season and the filter once in the middle. I do have to add 1 - 1.5 quarts a weekend so it kind of keeps it fresh
Do you have a source to support that 400 degree statement?
Old 08-15-2011, 11:58 PM
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Charley Hoyt
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Originally Posted by db2xpert
Do you have a source to support that 400 degree statement?
Thanks for all of the great input.

Charley
Old 08-16-2011, 12:35 AM
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msracing
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Default oil temp

Hey guys i ended making my own oil cooler set up.. i used 2- 19 row oil coolers and pumped it thru a katech adapter into the block.. i removed the fog lights and installed the cooler with some brackes i made in the fog light opening.

at sebring back in june i saw oil temp starting to reach 280-285 deg.. after i made my oil cooler setup 3 weeks ago in the middle of the hottest day this summer at PBIR,( air temp 94 deg), the highest temp for the day was 237 deg.. and that is after a very hard mid day session..

Its a must in my opinion if you are doing any kind of hpde, or track days.
Old 08-16-2011, 09:12 AM
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Z06trackman
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Bruce Crawley, Global Motorsports technology Manager for ExxonMobil was interviewed by Sports Car (the SCCA monthly) in the December 2010 issue.

Crawley states,"when considering the optimum choice of viscosity grade of motor oil to use, the max oil operationg temp shoud be taken into account. For expample, a 0W-50 running at 248F will have a similar viscosity to a 0W-30 operating at 212F."

According to Crawley "the best balance between oil life and performance comes in the range of 212 to 248F".

Finally, Crawley suggests letting the oil get up to 194F before working it hard, as oil that is too cold will have a difficult time getting to vital engine parts under extreme loads.

When origianally researching this forum on this topic I found a post from an ex LS1 race motor builder who stated they informed their customers to not exceed 270 oil temp because the main journals go out of round at that temp. This is due to the difference in thermal expansion between the aluminum block and the iron bearing caps.
Old 08-17-2011, 11:07 AM
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TKOGTO
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Originally Posted by Bill Dearborn
When I first got my 03Z back in 03 I saw 319 at Watkins Glen on a hot August day. With the C6Z I have never seen the oil temp over 260 in two years of running the car.

Bill

I have been recording all the DIC data after each session this year when I get back to the paddock. The max and avg oil temps on my GS have been 275 and 261. During the 275 run (2 weeks ago), I checked the oil temp right as I began the cool down lap. Temp was 295. Ambient temp was 87.

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Old 08-17-2011, 09:51 PM
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the blur
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Worry about it when the warning light comes on, (320f in a C5)
Nothing melts at 300F or even 400F,

Years ago, (on this forum) people were freaking out at 260 oil temps. Now it seems the freak out # is about 300. higher oil temps are more accepted now-a-days than they were some years ago.
Old 08-18-2011, 05:50 AM
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Originally Posted by the blur
Worry about it when the warning light comes on, (320f in a C5)
Nothing melts at 300F or even 400F,

Years ago, (on this forum) people were freaking out at 260 oil temps. Now it seems the freak out # is about 300. higher oil temps are more accepted now-a-days than they were some years ago.
your engine your money

But I go with this

LS1 race motor builder who stated they informed their customers to not exceed 270 oil temp because the main journals go out of round at that temp. This is due to the difference in thermal expansion between the aluminum block and the iron bearing caps.
Not the oil that is the problem, but the engine internal parts that can not take the heat.
Old 08-18-2011, 10:02 AM
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the blur
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Do they tell you what happens when the combustion chamber reaches 1500 degrees when the spark plug ignites the fuel mixture ? which means the top of the piston runs at a hotter temperture than the skirts.

GM stands behind 320 F.



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