Anyone using an electric water pump?

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by Sledge

I've had two different oil temp systems on my car and both of them have indicated that the oil rarely gets above 160 to 180 deg F unless I'm at the track. Meanwhile water temp will be as high as described previously. I've heard from other 351W owners that their oil temps run cooler than what they have experienced with other engines.

Are you running an oil cooler? I'm assuming you must be for your oil temperatures to remain cooler than your coolant.

Is the cooler thermostatically controlled, or cooling all the time? If the latter and it was my car, I'd be installing a thermostatic setup to allow the oil to get up to temperature. Here's a couple of examples, easily plumbed into oil cooler lines:
High-Flow Engine Oil Cooler Thermostat, 185F FSM-185
Earl's 501: Remote Oil Thermostat Billet Aluminum | JEGS

Originally Posted by Sledge

You're going to be evaporating water in the oil before you get to 212 deg F, right?

Correct, water will evaporate at room temperature, but it will obviously evaporate faster at higher temperatures. My preference would be for 180°F to be at the low end of the range - it would preferably reach 210°F or higher during normal use. I'm running full synthetic, so it can handle temperatures well over 250°F - and I've never been close to that.

[Sledge]

Thanks Brian

I do have a thermostatically-controlled oil cooler that I installed after a track day at Big Willow that brought my oil temp way up (over 250) from its usual 160-180. To be clear, there was no oil cooler before the track day, and the temps were cool even then during anything resembling normal driving.

I have the oil cooler blocked off at the moment.

I use a Canton road racing pan and 8 quarts of fully synthetic, although the pan will hold more.

Someone previously asked what my thermostat was, a 160 or a 180. It is a 180.

Cheers