srproductions

I've been doing a lot of reading here and on the other forum in preparation for my first HPDE in my 03 Z06. I've been doing track days and autocross for about 4 years now in other cars and it will be the first time taking the Z out.

I'm running a 2 day event with PCA at NJMP in March. My big concern is oil temperatures. I have read a numbers of threads about oil temps getting to the 280-310 range at track days without an oil cooler.

I'm not sure how many events I will be running this year but it won't be more then 4-5 so I am hesitant to invest in an oil cooler setup.

Would you guys suggest just sucking it up and getting something like an LPE setup for $600 or should I hold off and see how weekend goes?

My concern is having to cut sessions short because of high oil temps.

blueekb

If you are in HPDE 1 or 2 (not sure what PCA levels are called) you'll probably have too much traffic to really get your temps up that high. If you do then just short shift or back off a lap or two and it will cool right down.

I also think March it might be cool enough to not worry about so much. 290+ temps only happen when you are running multiple laps "flat out" lol. Took me about a years worth of track days to get good enough with the car to see temps that high.

Jason

Will you be on street tires? If so you'll be fine. And if not, you'll still probably be fine, but if you see temps start to creep up, just start shifting a little earlier and lifting a little earlier and you'll be fine. No trophies for HPDE so you don't need to wring every tenth out of every lap.

CHJ In Virginia

It all depends on your level of ability and how hard you are going to run the car. An experienced driver will quickly get to the point that a cooler is required, temps > 280. If you are going to continue to track the car agressively, extra cooling (radiator and oil cooler) will be necessary. IMHO run the first couple of events on your schedule and watch temps closely. Summer events where the ambient temps are higher further agrivate the problem.

MartyZ51

This is a hot topic and there are as many opinions out there as registered forum members. There are so many variables that make a difference with oil temp and cooling that it's hard to make a blanket statement about what you need. In general, additional cooling capacity of any fluid is a good thing for track driven cars.

You've been doing this for 4 years but it sounds like mostly autocross and never in your Z before. A road course for a 20 minute session is an entirely different ballpark than a 45 second Autocross run. I'm not familier with the C5 ZO6 but I can't imagine that it was produced without an oil cooler from the factory. Have the oil temp on the DIC and keep your eye on it. Some people are comfortable with 275 and some people swear the world ends at 300. I've set 307 as the temp at which I take a cool down lap or come through the hot pits. It would be great to take an oil sample now before you take it on the track so you can compare it to post track event oil. This may tell you a lot about what you need.

All that being said, if you are in the beginner or intermediate group, with street tires, in March, and in New Jersey you should be completely fine with whatever stock cooling is provided. There is probably a section in the owners manual where it may suggest you add some additional oil above the fill line for track events.

The first track event with a car that is new to you will reveal 4 or 5 things that you will feel need to be changed or adjusted. Over time some of these things will be absolutes like an alignment, race brake pads, brake cooling, and devices to keep you attached in your seat. Others will fall away as things you wanted but don't really need.

JimbeauZ06

You'll be fine. Your first few events you're unlikely to get the car that hot, plus we're talking March. It could still snow at NJMP!

Bill Dearborn

9 years ago when I first hit the track with my 03Z I had oil temps of 319 degrees running flat out for close to 40 minutes. I had quite a few years experience at the time so could push the car pretty hard and it was August with ambient temps in the 90s.

I doubt you will come close to those temps if you are more or less a beginner running in the lower run groups where your biggest problem will be the guy in front of you that won't let you pass. Keep the car in the highest gear possible and just let off the throttle a little before you get to the braking zone.

Things of greater concern are tapering of brake pads along their length which leads to a long pedal that gets increasingly worse over a period of two days. If your pedal travel starts to get long remember to flip the brake pads from one side of the car to the other (left side outer pad becomes right side inner pad and Vice Versa) at the end of the first day. I would also suggest in addition to flushing new high temp brake fluid through the brake lines you change your engine oil, diff and tranny fluids before hitting the track. GM recommends you add an extra quart of oil before hitting the track or an autocross and keeping it at that level during the event. This reduces the chance you starve the bearings in high G turns.

Have a blast and don't embarrass the P cars too much. When you get good at running the Vette you will be able to leave most of them in the dust. The 03Z is quite competitive against a GT3.

Bill

srproductions

Thanks for all the responses. I haven't driven on the track for a year but I left off in HPDE 3 with NASA. My previous experience was in a number of Miatas, a S2000, and a Mustang. Nothing quite as fast as the Z.

I will be running 275/315 NT01's on stock Z wheels. I'm to lazy to swap wheels and tires so I figure those should be good driving to the track, 4-5 track days, and a hand full of auto-x's in between.

I already went ahead and flushed the brake and clutch with ATE Blue. Also fresh trans and diff fluid along with Hawk HPS+/DBA rotors.

VGLNTE1

I put a oil cooler together myself for under 300$ you dont need a big high dollar set up

VetteDrmr

It's all about managing your oil temps. You can do that two ways: one is to install an external oil cooler, <$500 for just about any system you want. The second is technique. When your oil temp gets to about 275, shift up a gear and cool her down a lap, then you can run 1-2 hot laps, then back off, rinse, repeat.

I know of no other ways to manage your oil temps.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

travisnd

Imagine it... only cooler equipped from GM was the power steering cooler

In cold weather with traffic you'll be fine. Once you get comfortable with the car and start winding it out on an open track you'll get in the high 200s. The stock radiator is fine, but for a dual purpose car a Dewitts or Ron Davis radiator with an enclosed oil cooler is the best option. They don't cool the oil nearly as well as a stand alone, but the coolant gets the oil up to temp on cold days on the street.

In an old Z06 I had a Dewitts with the left side oil cooler (the hotter side). Car would always come up to temp on the street; even in the winter. At VIR on 100 degree summer days the oil would still get in the high 270s, but it never ever hit 280.

In my current race car I run a DRM stand alone oil cooler with the larger Setrab 625 cooler and a stock radiator (but no AC in front of it). Racing at VIR in the middle of the summer the car gets into the high 250s max.

Have fun.... a well driven C5Z06 is a great match for a GT3... it's great fun to whoop up on them with our "low tech", plastic, pushrod, leaf spring cars

JeremyGSU

Not sure the temps will keep your car cooler as much as just lack of pushing it. I managed to hit 300+ in 50 - low 60 degree weather at Road Atlanta after Thanksgiving last year. I'm also an instructor and was pushing the car pretty hard.

If you're a beginner you probably won't see temps anywhere near that like others have said. It took a number of laps to obtain those temps.

I now have a Doug Rippie oil cooler.

RDnomorecobra

Which track, Thunderbolt or Lightning? 4th gear is your friend. Oil temp is proportional to rpm. I have an '03z also with no oil cooler, stock radiator and engine. If I do Thunderbolt in 3rd gear everywhere except the front straight I will easily go over 300. And that's winding out 3rd because your upwards of 90-100mph in several places. if I use 4th on the back sections after turn 2 until turn 5 left hander, then again before going into 6 and until I get into the octupus thingy (see avatar), it will stay around 250 steady state, and I'm not giving up too much. I'm not timing my laps so I'm sure I'm leaving something on the table but for HPDE I dont care. Likewise with Lightning, use 4th where you can. I use 4th from climbing the hill into the lighbulb then down the straight and through turn 1, then go down to 3rd from turn 2 through 6 and oil stays under 250. turn 1 is isnt too bad in 4th, you gotta play with it and see what works. Long winded answer, but basically if your temps are climbing too high for your liking, loaf around in 4th for a while.

sheshnwoody

Great info and I have read this several times about the extra oil for track days. So do you remove that extra quart after the event or do you have to change the oil? FYI: This is my first vette and I am in the OP same boat with an 02 prepping for Track days.

VetteDrmr

I just leave the extra oil in the engine; no biggie.

Have a good one,
Mike

srproductions

2 days. 1st is Lightning 2nd is Thunderbolt.

spdislife

Have run both tracks....in March, you'll be fine. Fresh oil and filter before you go, and you'll have a blast and the oil temps will be the last thing on your mind.....Enjoy!

the blur

Worry about it when the DIC message comes on. The DIC lights will start flashing at 320. Until then, let GM engineering do it's thing.

SoDiezl350

Any details on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!