The Bus

I have a "07" C6 with the Z51 package. Not a ZO6. When I bought the car it had the standard oil cooler which was thru the radiator. I run A6s on the track and run the car hard. With the standard cooler about 4 laps and the oil was 270. I bought the oil cooler that is used on ZO6s and had the local Chev dealer install it. Now I can get about 8 laps before the oil is 270. What am I missing?? Do the ZO6s run this high of oil temp?? In my C4 race car with a modified ZZ4 making 330 HP at the rear wheels only ever got to 240 after 30 minute race. It used rad water for cooling. How high can I actually run the oil?? I use Mobil 1.

Thanks in advance for all info

StreetSpeed

Ask 50 guys how hot you can run oil and you'll get 50 answers. I feel like most guys say they don't let it get above 285. Personally 300 was my number - I shut it down when it got that hot. I'm also replacing an engine as we speak, so don't listen to anything I say.

ScaryFast

Hey Rudy, missed ya at Pitt last month.

I have the exact same street car (basically...mine's a 2006). I ditched the factory oil cooler and ran a Dewitt's with the integrated oil and trans cooler. They make it with the same fittings so the factory lines plug right in.

Oil temps stabilize on track at about 243*.

ErnieN85

stock radiator just won't do.

Bill Dearborn

My basically stock C6Z runs right around 260 when on track on an 80 - 85 degree day.

Bill

Flying24

I have a 08 C6/Z51 with EFORCE and i'm hitting 300 never letting it get over 310. I've added a Z06 oil cooler, Dewitt radiator and added wet wetter to both by engine and SC. Also switched to 10-40 Redline, but I'm still hitting 300 periodically. But not as often, recently I was told by a Redline rep that I could save possibly 5-10 degrees switching to 5-30. They have seen an improvement in the BMW community when they have.

Chets LS3

I have a very similar car very similar mods and similar tires

08 base C6. added z06 oil cooler running pirelli scrubs, at NOLA this past wednesday I was seeing 295* oil temps and water was around 230 or so IIRC. I also experienced some severe power loss in the top of third and fourth gear with everything this hot. First time it has happened and still trying to diagnose.

Dirk Miller

I got the same car and put on ZO6 cooler. But when I installed my Diwitts, the temp came down to 265 on a 100 degree ambient day.

What also upset the car was the power steering reservoir that would belch out fluid. I didn't want to tear things down for an underpully, so I went with a Setrap cooler and never had another problem. I can see why GM went away from their hydrolic design and switched to electric.

spdislife

04 Z06 with a DRM external oil cooler. I'm in the mid 260 range running the car hard with ambient temps in the mid 80s.

Supercharged111

My 04Z would peak at 275 on a 90+ degree day in CO with 235 coolant temps. This was with stock radiator and Earl's oil cooler. Minus the oil cooler, oil temps would surpass 300. Now I race a turd LT1 Camaro with a redneck circle track radiator with integrated oil cooler and I make a mental note of how hot it gets but never lift. Usually, it's around 300. Blew it up last year, but found an incorrectly installed oil pickup to be the cause. Motor looked great save for 1 rod bearing. I've heard past 260 degrees the bearings take a beating. I call shenanigans now after opening a motor that saw far north of that for a significant amount of time and it was a 60k stock drop in from a 93 Corvette. My vote is keep the hammer down. I did ride in a 550whp C6Z and he was able to hit 320 degrees in just a few laps, and we're talking 1:0X.XXX laps.

FASTFATBOY

I built a stock LS6 and put it in a 99 Z28 for a trackday car, no oil cooler, no temp gauge. Car ran for 4 years on track and street at NOLA and Barber last 1.5 years on R Comps. Ran all kinds of oil in it. Oil temp had to be 300 or better.

Blackstone said the engine was happy, I changed the oil after every 4 days on track.

I ran at NOLA last Wednesday night in my new to me C5 Z06, was hot and humid. I ran the car pretty hard on the 4 year old heat cycled out NT05's and the oil temp was 280-290. Didn't change the oil, will go on the Power Tour Wednesday with the same oil in the car.

SouthernSon

Make sure the radiator shroud is completely sealed using gorilla tape where necessary. Any small opening decreases the cooling capacity a lot more than you might think.

edge04

are you referring to the top piece that would cover around the CAI? Mine is currently like the picture and I am wondering if I should cover? Assume I would have to modify a stock one now that I am running the KN CAI and filter?

I'm not concerned with heat but I am concerned with lift. Thanks

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...8_47_16_23.jpg

SouthernSon

Can't really tell there because ANY small opening really affects the air flow and effectiveness. I never considered the small cracks between the panels that big of a deal until a friend told me the importance of sealing it completely. I now run with temperatures down 15 to 25 degrees less in most instances.

edge04

well I'll be at the track wed. not sure if I'll be pushing really hard as I have a new suspension set up. I'll track temps but as mentioned I'm more curious around lift. I do have the tracspec hood vents.

StKnoWhere

+1 for a Dewitt's

Air conditioning core was roughly 30% blocked also so good to be sure that is clean.

fatbillybob

Do you notice a drop in power out of the turns when you get to the 290*F+ range?

FASTFATBOY

Never did

edge04

tunes will pull timing on high ECT, IVT, IAT but never seen one do it on oil temps alone

fatbillybob

OK but if the oil temp is high the ECT is usually also high because it is rare to have great engine cooling via radiator/coolant yet high oil temps. Often the same garbage radiator has the same substandard or no oil cooler. The infamous ron Davis/ dewitts has big radiator with big engine oil cooler integrated. And the resulting high ECT with high oil temp kinda results in high IAT because the inlet track gets all nice and hot and heats the inlet air. So doesn't this all mean you loose power?