Oil t-stat not working?
#1
Platinum Member
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Oil t-stat not working?
I have a custom built Procharged 496 R-tech intercooled engine making 825 hp at 6200 and I believe my oil t-stat is not working. After a quick top end run my oil pressure drops to 20 psi or lower at idle. I have to turn on my engine preluber to build more oil pressure. I am running a Hardin Marine oil cooler with a built in t-stat good for over 750 hp. The engine has a 10 qt. Canton oil pan,#12 oil lines, and a Hp6 filter. I am running 15-50 Mobil one oil. The cooler is plumbed with the t-stat end after the filter head. Engine temp never exceeds 160. Yesterday I made a couple of quick runs and felt the oil cooler. The by pass tube was hot and the main cooler body was cool to the touch. Unfortunately my oil temp guage has not worked all year so I have no idea what the oil temps are. Bad oil t-stat in the cooler?
#3
Registered
You cannot expect an acurate response without knowing what your oil temp is.
I have the same cooler on my 775 hp whippled 540. I read oil temp at the filter housing. At high rpm I get up to 260 degrees. When I bring it down to idle, pressure will be in the high 30s, and temp quickly drops. I have no T-stat and engine temp guage never rises. I'm not sure you should build engine temp either.
The small hard oil line on top of the cooler is always hot. The cooler is designed to mix the hot and cooled oil, not to make the oil hot and cold.
Fix your temp guage and you will know if the cooler is working or not.
I have the same cooler on my 775 hp whippled 540. I read oil temp at the filter housing. At high rpm I get up to 260 degrees. When I bring it down to idle, pressure will be in the high 30s, and temp quickly drops. I have no T-stat and engine temp guage never rises. I'm not sure you should build engine temp either.
The small hard oil line on top of the cooler is always hot. The cooler is designed to mix the hot and cooled oil, not to make the oil hot and cold.
Fix your temp guage and you will know if the cooler is working or not.
Last edited by Pure Energy; 09-28-2009 at 09:06 AM.
#6
Registered
Do you have the oil entering the oil cooler on the end with the thermostat? If not, it will not work correctly. The oil must enter the cooler in the end that has the thermostat.
Eddie
Eddie
#7
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Yes I do have the oil entering the cooler at the thermostat end. I did neglect to say that the oil pressure gauge is electric and not mechanical. I was just told by a fellow gearhead at work that is not good and I should switch to mechanical asap? Thanks