High Oil Temperature.

[Krait]

Bruce,

While you're in the USA check out TCI Auto they have an aftermarket ECU for the 6L80E http://www.tciauto.com/Products/Electronics/. How effectively it really integrates with the GM engine ECU would be the question, though the blurb sounds encouraging.

Be good to get some real feedback.

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

Hi Baz,

The LSx engines do seem to run quite warm. A lower temp thermostat was a popular mod.

Your engine is also a new crate motor and as such will have tight clearances inside. Tighter clearances mean more heat from friction. The rings will probably not be fully seated yet and there will be a bit of combustion pressure and heat leaking past the rings and generating more heat in your motor rather than going out the exhaust.

Once it's well run in the oil temps should improve but I think an oil cooler is a must for any LSX that sees track time. A few spirited runs away from the traffic lights or a blast up the freeway on ramp will not add a lot of extra heat to the oil. However sustained high speed laps on a track will see a bit more heat soak into the oil. This has been found by a few who have run these motors on the track.

The only way the oil has of cooling down in your motor is running across the inside surfaces of the block and that heat in turn being taken away by the engine cooling system. The cooling system really only takes care of the heat in the cylinder heads and the upper cylinder walls.

The solution is to pump the oil out of the block and through it's own cooling system. Done properly it needs to have it's own thermostat too since the oil needs to get to operating temp as quickly as possible to do it's job.

Phil Neall has done a terrific job of plumbing an oil cooler into his CR. He can probably give you all the details on it if you PM him. I made a super low profile oil filter adapter for him that keeps the large #10 lines and fitting up out of the way. I plan to duplicate his setup on mine and have sourced most of the parts already.

Cheers

[macloft]

Sorry about stealing your thread Baz. Thanks for the gearbox reply Baz and Krait. The short time I actually drove my cobra with the auto I really felt it when it changed down when pushed. The whole engine just revved then the box changed and it just lurched. (not a nice feeling) I will keep an interested eye on how you progress Baz I am bloody impressed with your car, good work. Krait I have looked at the TCI unit and i get mixed replies some say it is good for road driving but if you want to flog it the change times are ordinary. Personally I like paddle shifters and the TCI looks like it might work. The six speed like Bazs would be a good addition also i think.
Cheers
Bruce

[stumpeater]

Originally Posted by Aussie Mike

Hi Baz,

The LSx engines do seem to run quite warm. A lower temp thermostat was a popular mod.

Your engine is also a new crate motor and as such will have tight clearances inside. Tighter clearances mean more heat from friction. The rings will probably not be fully seated yet and there will be a bit of combustion pressure and heat leaking past the rings and generating more heat in your motor rather than going out the exhaust.

Once it's well run in the oil temps should improve but I think an oil cooler is a must for any LSX that sees track time. A few spirited runs away from the traffic lights or a blast up the freeway on ramp will not add a lot of extra heat to the oil. However sustained high speed laps on a track will see a bit more heat soak into the oil. This has been found by a few who have run these motors on the track.

The only way the oil has of cooling down in your motor is running across the inside surfaces of the block and that heat in turn being taken away by the engine cooling system. The cooling system really only takes care of the heat in the cylinder heads and the upper cylinder walls.

The solution is to pump the oil out of the block and through it's own cooling system. Done properly it needs to have it's own thermostat too since the oil needs to get to operating temp as quickly as possible to do it's job.

Phil Neall has done a terrific job of plumbing an oil cooler into his CR. He can probably give you all the details on it if you PM him. I made a super low profile oil filter adapter for him that keeps the large #10 lines and fitting up out of the way. I plan to duplicate his setup on mine and have sourced most of the parts already.

Cheers

Where do you pick up the oil flow that you send to the cooler on the LSX motor? Is there an adapter that picks it up from the filter? I was not going to worry too much about an oil cooler, as I reckon a V8 Auto Commodore full of Mum and the kids dragging a 6 metre caravan up a Snowy Mountain Road in an Aussie summer would be much harder on the donk than anything I will ever do even on the track!

[Aussie Mike]

You can buy oil filter adaptors to suit the LS1. Unfortunately most seem to make it difficult to use AN swivel fittings with nice bends to reduce restriction. They end up hanging below the sump where they are easily snagged (not a good thing to have happen). It can also be difficult to get larger line sizes connected to them.

I came up with this setup shown on an LS2 Corvette sump which is significantly lower profile than the Commodore sump. These are AN #10 fittings.





Here's the inside showing the O ring seal etc


I reckon you would be surprised at the oil temps in the Commodore towing the van. I don't think they are shown on any gauge nor are they monitored by the ECU. Also pulling it up a hill won't be done with your foot flat to the boards on and off for an hour as you would circulating a track.

Cheers

[stumpeater]

Nice piccies Mike, so you have a remote filter as well??

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Krait

Bruce,

While you're in the USA check out TCI Auto they have an aftermarket ECU for the 6L80E http://www.tciauto.com/Products/Electronics/. How effectively it really integrates with the GM engine ECU would be the question, though the blurb sounds encouraging.

Be good to get some real feedback.

Cheers

I have looked right into the TCI controllers and paddle shifters (might have even bought one) and the controller does not interface with the standard GM PCM.
It is a completly stand alone unit. You can buy ready made looms to suit GM Ford or Mopar applications and 'piggy back' leads for things like throttle position ect.
Should be a good thing once it is up and going.