Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

Now the car's running circa 400bhp, the oil gets hot fairly quickly on a blast down country lanes so an oil cooler is on the list to buy.

I know this has been asked before, but I've spoken to tuners and there seems to be a split between some saying fit a thermostat and other saying don't fit one . I thought the idea of a thermostat was the oil was brought up to temperature quicker, so doing less damage.

One tuner said tape up half the oil cooler in the winter to make it less efficient, but isn't that the point of a thermostat.

So please vote in the poll and post what temp the thermostat opens at if you know.

Cheers

Anders

Biggs

iTrader: (14)

I don't run a thermostat but will be doing so shortly

Tidgy

Def run a thermosat on an oil cooler. if not will seriously slow down how long the oil takes to heat up, means engine could run overly cold in winter, which can cause as much damage as running to hot if you push the car hard

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Hyperflow TMOC - opens at 78 degrees, removing the modine has allowed it to warm up quicker, and I haven't seen the temperature go over 82 degrees, yet, due back on track next month. Used to sit at 88 degrees on the motorway (70-80 mph).

HTH

dunx

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

What's your oil temp on the cruise without?

Anders

JP4

iTrader: (12)

Didn't realise you need an oil cooler for a road car? I've been running 422 / 400 without an oil cooler (but do have a defi oil temp gauge) and have covered 13k (motorway and normal roads) without any issues on the oil heat.

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

I thought the modine warmed the oil quicker using the engine water?

Mine sits about 90 degress on the motorway, but the right foot soon has it over 100

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

What temps do you see on a good blast?

Biggs

iTrader: (14)

Sits around at 70 degrees

JP4

iTrader: (12)

90 something. But one thing when you are running more power is the general usage of oil which one needs to keep an eye on i.e. oil stick. I guess the other thing is to consider what grade oil you are using too.

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

Tape half the cooler up for the time being, not pretty but might serve the purpose.

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

I wonder if that's being measured from the usual place (not sure where that is), because that sounds too low for hard driving. You know the straight by Surrey RR...two or three spirited drives up and down there road testing with Pat after remap and the oil was over 105 degress and that's when Pat commented that I might need an oil cooler.

trails

iTrader: (41)

deffo use a thermostatic sandwhich plate (I run mocal kit), , the oil will take sooo much longer to get up to heat with an open system

ZEN Performance

With a small cooler (19row 115mm core), and the modine retained a thermostat isn't essential. Once you get to a good sized cooler with good airflow (19rom 235mm core) then a thermostat is preffered. But the need for a cooler depends largely on what you do with the car, sustained hard driving, or track use is usually what requires better oil cooling. In reality most of us are not the drivers we imagine, and can't put the heat into the oil in the first place! But a 450-500hp car on track will soon overheat the oil with just the modine.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

My understanding is that the thermostat being closed allows the oil to heat up quicker, (about a mile sooner).
Once back on track I should be able to provide some useful feedback.

dunx

Butty

iTrader: (2)

What temperatures and held for how long does an oil cooler start to become necessary?
I do a lot of motorway work and since the 20g went in over winter, temps are normally mid to high 90's with excursions to just over 100-105 when pushing it for more than five minutes.

Come the summer, I can see these temps being higher, at which point I thought the oil cooler may be needed?

Nick

Jamz_

iTrader: (12)

We were on track last saturday, and we saw the oil temps reaching 140 :O sharp slowed down and into the pits to let it cool!

Oil cooler needed for us methinks

Tidgy

140 is way in to possible damage temps, hope you've not done anything bad

Jamz_

iTrader: (12)

Which is why we stopped... need to also check the guages are reading correctly, and maybe thing of some different oil

Tidgy

i think zens race car blew when it spiked at 130 in japan iirc what i read, so might indeed be a guage issue if nothing seems to be amiss, although prob no gaurenties for the future though. fingers crossed you've gotten away with it though.

posted up in your oil cooler pics thread as well

Jamz_

iTrader: (12)

Car's running spot on (appart from 4th gear)

JP4

iTrader: (12)

Oh do I know that straight by SRR....Charlie enjoyed driving mine up and down there!! He will be doing so again very soon....Interesting yours is going over 105.....I don't hink I ever saw mine that high? It did get near to that once but then its a case of easing off the gas.

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

I went for a blast last night on some country roads between Bracknel and Reading and saw 108C, then backed off. May be a need better coolant in the water? Are there good / bad brands of coolant?

Anders

ZEN Performance

Oil cooler time.

Steve Whitehorn

iTrader: (13)

I have exactly the same issue as Anders and need to fit a cooler and also have been advised either way on oil coolers with and without a thermostat. One tuner said that he has seen thermostats fail. However I do have oil pressure and temp guages to tell me what is going on. I also drive in alpine conditions - so a non thermostat oil cooler could be a problem for me. Interested to see peoples views on this thread.
Steve

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

I was warned about failing thermostats, but if the oil thermostat fails in the same manor as the water one, closing shut, then the worse that would happen would be hotter temps like running with no oil cooler?

Steve Whitehorn

iTrader: (13)

My thoughts exactly
Its not like the engine is going to be starved of oil

The danger with a failing thermostat ...is probably there if you dont have the guages to monitor the situation. But we do.