Oil Temp

[w-lewis]

What is a normal oil temp for a 351 with and without an oil cooler?

[olddog]

typical oil temp 210 F

Shouldn't be any colder than195 F as condensation will be a problem.
shouldn't be hotter than 220 F as it can cause the oil to break down sooner.

Personally, I would want my oil to get over 212 F, at least once in a while, to get the moisture out. Moisture also does bad things to the additives.

PS
The desired oil temp is a constant regardless of if you have an oil cooler or not. Oil coolers generally keep the oil to cold for everyday operation.

[w-lewis]

Thanks. My original gauge never worked, so now that I have one that does, I want to know what to look for.

[twobjshelbys]

Google says oil will be 10-20 higher than water:

Typical engine oil runs around 230°F–260°F (110°C–127°C) in gasoline engines, whereas coolant usually stays around 200°F–220°F.

I can speak from experience that the oil cooler will reduce oil temp to below water temp... Had I kept the car I would have put in a thermostat to take the oil cooler out of the system. In fact, for street driving just bypass it. Leave the cooler cuz it looks good.

[w-lewis]

I'd like to disconnect my oil cooler, but not prepared to take on that project so I've blocked it off with clear plastic.

[cycleguy55]

FWIW, I wouldn't run an oil cooler on the street without a thermostat to control oil temperatures.