Oil temp takes a long time to come up - normal?

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by fastd

David,

How much temperature variation do you typically see between the two gauges?

Not as much as I'd like to see!!!!!!!!!!!! Typically about 20 to 25 degrees when starting out in a 20 minute race, but, by the end of the race, the temp difference will be down to about 10 degrees......but, remember, this is a race car, 475hp,440 torque,(331 cu in stroker) turning from about 3000 to 7000 rpms on a road course for 20 to 30 minute races.........

The type of cooler and length of track will make some difference... tracks with longer straights will get more airflow thru the cooler longer and keep the oil 5 to 10 dregrees cooler than short, tight tracks where the rpm level is still up, but forward speed is not.......

On one particular short track, I've had oil temps of 265 after a very hard 20 minute race, but with one cool down lap, it had dropped to about 225 degrees by the time I came in off the track, I'm sure with another cool down lap it would have been about 200 or so......

On the race car, I'm o-k with anything from 200 to around 240.....I've run higher temps, but would rather it not go above 240, and with the oil cooler I'm now running, I think it should not hardly ever exceed 240 except on the most very hot summer days.....

I've tried at least 5 different coolers soo far and the best I've found is a trans oil cooler off a 08/09 Ford F-150 4x4 truck.... it's about 16 inches long and about 6 inches wide with a very good fin count, I've had similar size/shape after market coolers, but they didn't do as as good a job as the Ford factory cooler........

On a side note: I have a 65 Fastback with a 350hp, 351-W in it and it has a road race oil on it also,but NO oil cooler, it's a street car. Does have an oil temp gauge in the pan only.... The other day I went to work in it (200+ miles) and outside temp was from about 45 to 70 degress from daylight to mid afternoon.....On the highway water temp stays on 180 and my oil temp stayed on 180 also.... In town or when running it up thru the gears, oil temp will go up slowly to about 200,maybe 210 depending how hard and how many rpms I turn that motor (max 6000rpms).....once back on the open road, it took no more than 5 minutes of cruising speed to get the oil temp back to 180....

David