Oil Temp question
 

What is actually hot for oil temp? I have heard many different answers, what do you guys think?

Thanks

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Hot?......... or too hot?......... Your oil should reach 200 degrees f at some point while boating... anything around 300 is too hot. Oil reaches maximum "lubricity" at around 200 degrees. It also flows through filters better when warm... but it starts to break down and become too thin when it exceeds 300 degrees. In air cooled engines ( porsche, vw, and motorcycles) it often exceeds 300 degrees . That is why the manufacturers usually recommend oil changes more often. The other reason to have your oil exceed 200 degrees is to turn any condensation in the oil into steam and have it go out the breather.

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Good info!
I'm running a ZZ502 motor and was always worried about the oil temp, and finally got the gauge set up. I am seeing 160 normally and as high as 230 on longer runs. For our boating area a long run is maybe 5 miles, I think that alone keeps me from needing a bigger oil cooler.

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Nice to see another ZZ502 around....growing population of 'em.

My ZZ502/502 has always run oil temps on the high * side. Bigger cooler {supposedly good up to 700 hp} and a 140* tstat has helped. If I run WOT for long enough my oil temp can hit 270*. I'm working on correcting that though. Mine takes more than 5 miles of WOT to get to 270*. Short run at 70+ mph :o)

Like Reed said, get your oil temp up over 200*. Oil temp needs to hit at least 212* to burn off accumulated moisture. 220* to 230* is good. So I'd make sure to do some WOT for burn off. Also, not good to lean on it too hard until the oil tmp gets above 180 or 190. Cool thick oil and high rpm's don't mix well.

Good luck with your ZZ. I'm on my 3rd season and all is very good with it so far.

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Kid,

Did you ever build that super cooler out of the Beer Keg?

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Hey Wobble,

You crack me up. Nope, never went through with that one. Think I might have been hitt'n the ol' JD when I thought of that :o). JD makes me dream big thoughts I guess.

Na...still have the same cooler. I did a couple of minor mods to it plus lowered the tstat {water} temp to 140. That has helped. I did a Poker run last year (1st ever...great time) and went the 1st 25 miles at between 3/4 throttle and WOT. Highest oil temp was 270*. Better than before, but stll have plans to go lower.

Now I'm considering putting the 454 mag cooler in the stock location next to the pan. And then plumb the big cooler into that. I have all the parts. Just need to pick up water lines and another oil line. Also need to muster up the time and ambition :o)

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Think I was into the crown myself when u came up with that idea :rolleyes:

I ended up getting the teague offshore cooler with a small separate PS cooler.

Has worked out well. 220-230 cruisin and max 250 or so after a long run. Oilpan temps. Wish I had started off there. I spent 2 seasons nursing it and driving according to the oil temp guage.

Dont see why your piggyback cooler plan wouldn't work. Let us know.

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Yeah I spent 2 seasons being careful due to oil temps too. But hey, at least we had oil temp guages to go by. Mine would have been toast with out having the guage to read for sure.

I'll post the results of the next cooler adventure. Hell....it's gotta work, right?!?!?

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Kid,

One thing I found.. when I bought my Gaffrig oil temp guage it was shipped with a hardin sender and allways read 20*+ high. I ordered a new senderwhen I went through the motor this last time so that I could have 1 in pan and one after cooler. I was suprised by the diff so I put new one in the pan and saw immediate drop in temps.

Apparently the hardin oil temp probe was not compatible.

Re: Oil Temp question
 

Interesting....Got my sender and guage at the same place and same time. Both Lavorsi. Don't remember where I ordered from but I do recall the seller and I discussing compatability. He assured me "no problem". But, ya know how that can go sometimes.

Good point though Wobble. Maybe I'll see if I can dig up an infared to shoot at the pan and see what it reads. But I do know my oil temps were way high prior to adding the bigger cooler, and oil temp guage. I'm pretty sure of that as there were a couple of times when the oil pressure would be down to about 20 lbs at idle after a long hard run. Normally oil pressure is +40 lbs. at idle. After I'd shut her off for a while, or cruise at 3K rpms for a while idle oil pressure would be back up at around 40. Can't think of anything else that would affect oil pressure that way, at idle.

Dam...maybe time to think about that keg cooler again. No, not now....I'll wait for a JD night and then get creative...LOL