Oil cooler install

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by hauss

Funny I have never even thought about low oil temps and personally, I would welcome low oil temps. Just use the proper weight oil your builder recommends . It is my thought that you guys are being like women worrying about nothing.

Well, not to be rude, but you're wrong.

Oil has an operating range. The upper range is pretty well known. The lower range is not well known. Some say it's as high as 200* or so. But 180* seems to be about the minimum.

Studies done in the arctic show that engines running less than 160* show accelerated cylinder wall wear.

Remember that street oil has two viscosity ranges, like 5W-40. When the oil is cold, the viscosity is low and the oil is "thin". Do you really want to be driving around with an oil that thin? Unless you're making a qualifying run, you do not.

Also, the additive packages are designed to operate at certain temperatures. If you're not in that range, the additives don't work like they're supposed to.

Some people think that if the oil temp is <212*, the water collected in the engine will not evaporate. Which is ridiculous. If that were true, your kitchen floor would never be dry. Just remember that the lower the temps are, the longer it takes for that to happen.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by bobcowan

Remember that street oil has two viscosity ranges, like 5W-40. When the oil is cold, the viscosity is low and the oil is "thin". Do you really want to be driving around with an oil that thin? Unless you're making a qualifying run, you do not.

Perhaps it's the way I'm reading this, but you seem to imply that 5W40 is thinner when cold than it is when hot. Hopefully that's not what you mean.

The oil viscosity index of 5W40 indicates its 'weight' of '5' when cold (0°F), and its 'weight' of '40' when hot (212°F).

Explanation from https://autosneed.com/oil-viscosity-and-weight/

The SAE classification for multi-viscosity oil consists of two viscosity grades, such as viscosity SAE 10W-30. The first part of the grade (10W) is the comparable grade of the single viscosity oil that features the oil’s weight at cold temperature.

The second part of the grade (30) is the grade of the comparable single viscosity oil that defines its viscosity at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. You should note that both parts of the multi-grade SAE classification are not viscosity values but grades.

Here is another interpretation of how to read oil viscosity (SAE 10W-30)

SAE = Society of Automotive Engineers

10W = the viscosity of the oil when measured at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (the “W” means winter grade)

30 = the viscosity of the oil when measured at 212 degrees Fahrenheit

In other words, SAE 10W-30 has a base rating of 10 when cold. Therefore, it will flow freely at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually, oil thins out when heated because it becomes thinner, its viscosity number becomes lower.



If you look carefully at the above chart, you'll see 5W oil has a Kinematic Viscosity of about 20 at 40°C (104°F), while a 40 weight has a KV of about 13 at 100°C (212°F). A 5W40 oil is equivalent to a 5 weight oil when cold (0°F) and equivalent to a 40 weight oil when hot (212°F) - but it's still MUCH thicker when cold than it is when hot - at least 50% thicker at 40°C / 104°F, never mind the much greater difference at colder temperatures.

A 5 weight oil, being much thinner when cold, will often do a FAR better job of flowing into thin spaces (e.g. bearings) and small orifices (e.g. hydraulic lifters). As such, a 5W40 oil is often a far better oil than 20W50 in order to properly lubricate an engine at startup - when most engine wear occurs. Here's a good chart, showing different multi-viscosity oils during warm-up:



Note the difference at 20°C (68°F) is much less than it is at 0°C (32°F), and the differences between 5W30 and 20W50 aren't easily discernible at 100°C (212°F).

https://www.kewengineering.co.uk/Aut..._explained.htm

[hauss]

Originally Posted by bobcowan

Well, not to be rude, but you're wrong.

Oil has an operating range. The upper range is pretty well known. The lower range is not well known. Some say it's as high as 200* or so. But 180* seems to be about the minimum.

Studies done in the arctic show that engines running less than 160* show accelerated cylinder wall wear.

Remember that street oil has two viscosity ranges, like 5W-40. When the oil is cold, the viscosity is low and the oil is "thin". Do you really want to be driving around with an oil that thin? Unless you're making a qualifying run, you do not.

Also, the additive packages are designed to operate at certain temperatures. If you're not in that range, the additives don't work like they're supposed to.

Some people think that if the oil temp is <212*, the water collected in the engine will not evaporate. Which is ridiculous. If that were true, your kitchen floor would never be dry. Just remember that the lower the temps are, the longer it takes for that to happen.

There is a part in my post that says builder recommendations not wrong so you can stop worrying