[Z06] Hottest oil temp seen
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,051
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From: Western North Carolina
Cruise-In III Veteran
Hottest oil temp seen
Tracked my Z06 last weekend and checked the oil temp all day. The hottest it ever read was 250. Has anyone seen temps this high or higher? Wondering how high I can go w/o worrying.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 175
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From: New Orleans Area LA
Re: Hottest oil temp seen (pridnjoy)
When tracking my 2001 last summer, I would see temperature over 270 degrees. That was usually my trigger to take a couple of easy laps to cool myself and car.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 319
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From: Reno, NV, USA
Re: Hottest oil temp seen (Dreamin)
I believe the owner's manual says at 320 F you'll get an oil overheat warning on the DIC. So I guess up to that temperature you're fine. The highest I ever saw in my car is about 215-220 but I don't take my car to a race track.
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 12,712
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Re: Hottest oil temp seen (beggar)
The problem with high oil temps is the effect on seals. Traditionally, automotive seals have been made out of nitrile materials whose rate of degradation increases rapidly above 200-230 degrees F. Viton material is as durable at 400 F as nitrile is at about 200 F, so the answer as to what oil temperature will lead to durability problems lies in the type of seal and gasket materials used on the engine.
At temperatures over about 250F conventional oils rapidly loose film strength due to loss of viscosity, but Mobil 1 maintains acceptable viscosity and film strength to much higher temperatures, so I don't think you risk doing bearing damage at high temps, but conventional gasket and seal materials will loose a lot of life if they spend much time at over 250F.
Duke
At temperatures over about 250F conventional oils rapidly loose film strength due to loss of viscosity, but Mobil 1 maintains acceptable viscosity and film strength to much higher temperatures, so I don't think you risk doing bearing damage at high temps, but conventional gasket and seal materials will loose a lot of life if they spend much time at over 250F.
Duke
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,051
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From: Western North Carolina
Cruise-In III Veteran
Re: Hottest oil temp seen (SWCDuke)
Thanks, SWCDuke! I always look forward to reading your posts, as they always contain all the knowledge and insight for which I am searching.
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
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Re: Hottest oil temp seen (pridnjoy)
The $64,000 question is what kind of seal and gasket materials does the Corvette engine use - viton or equivalent or the more traditional nitrile materials.
My suspicion is that the Mobil 1 and higher quality seal/gasket materials allow greater average and peak oil temperatures than I used to find acceptable (230 to 250 max for short periods), but this would be a good question to pose to Dave Hill or John Juriga.
The old Chevrolet Power Manuals from the seventies specify a maximum pan temperature of 300 in the pan, but I don't know anyone who would have been confortable with that in a nitrile seal equipped engine with mineral oil.
Duke
My suspicion is that the Mobil 1 and higher quality seal/gasket materials allow greater average and peak oil temperatures than I used to find acceptable (230 to 250 max for short periods), but this would be a good question to pose to Dave Hill or John Juriga.
The old Chevrolet Power Manuals from the seventies specify a maximum pan temperature of 300 in the pan, but I don't know anyone who would have been confortable with that in a nitrile seal equipped engine with mineral oil.
Duke
