Max. Oil Temerture for C5
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 1
From: Littleton Colorado
You will find a lot of opinions on this topic, some say the max is like 340deg, some say keep as cool as you can. But, I think 264 deg is not an issue. It depends a lot on how long you are at a temp I think, a HPDE 20 minutes or so is not a lot of time and 264 deg is not high.
I hit near 300 in a HPDE, and I’m not too worried about it at this point in time. If you hit that temp more often than I do (4 -5 times a year), or for longer periods of time like endures then an oil cooler would be a good idea.
I hit near 300 in a HPDE, and I’m not too worried about it at this point in time. If you hit that temp more often than I do (4 -5 times a year), or for longer periods of time like endures then an oil cooler would be a good idea.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
GM puts the car in limp mode at 320 degrees
Mobil 1 says it is "good" to over 400 degrees
Most "racers" say anything over 280 and start doing cool down laps
However... the oil temp at the temp sensor may register a bit cooler than the actual oil in the bearings.
Before my oil cooler I was seeing mid 280s every track session and 297 once in the middle of the summer fending off my buddy in his Viper GTS ACR.
This fall I installed a Dewitts racing radiator with an integrated oil cooler in the left end tank.
I ran The Synergy Racing fall fling at VIR in October and saw 258 max.
I like having the piece of mind now and not having to continuously watch my oil temp.
Mobil 1 says it is "good" to over 400 degrees
Most "racers" say anything over 280 and start doing cool down laps
However... the oil temp at the temp sensor may register a bit cooler than the actual oil in the bearings.
Before my oil cooler I was seeing mid 280s every track session and 297 once in the middle of the summer fending off my buddy in his Viper GTS ACR.
This fall I installed a Dewitts racing radiator with an integrated oil cooler in the left end tank.
I ran The Synergy Racing fall fling at VIR in October and saw 258 max.
I like having the piece of mind now and not having to continuously watch my oil temp.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 1
From: Littleton Colorado
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,299
Likes: 387
From: Fort Worth TX
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
I back off at 295 and start running cool laps. Stock motor, no oil cooler. I would run 265 all day with no question. Also switched to Red Line Racing oil because of Mobil changing the formula. Will only run M1 on the street.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 24,652
Likes: 298
From: NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'08
265 you are fine for a 20-30 min hpde here and there. I was running over that temp for many more hpdes. I decided changing out to a Dewitts radiator with oil cooler and changing from 410s to 373s was the best way to get temps down even on the hotest of days.
now the car stays cool all the time.
On a side note ECS will be analyzing oil from a few of the road race cars. I will have 3 track days on my car come next week and we will be sending the oil out to see how it is holding up. If good we will keep going and keep testing to the point it is no longer good. Once and for all I want some hard data around how oil is holding up.
now the car stays cool all the time.
On a side note ECS will be analyzing oil from a few of the road race cars. I will have 3 track days on my car come next week and we will be sending the oil out to see how it is holding up. If good we will keep going and keep testing to the point it is no longer good. Once and for all I want some hard data around how oil is holding up.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 793
Likes: 2
From: Milwaukee & Long Beach WI & CA
I asked the staff at Spring Mountain Raceway's Corvette driving school and they said they don't like to see the temps go over 290. It's gets really hot in the Nevada desert (in fact they shut the school down in the summer) and all their cars are stock. The instructor I was talking to said they've lost a couple of engines due to the oil temps going above 300 (water temps don't seem to be an issue). Remember, if the oil temp is 300 at the sensor, it could be even hotter elsewhere in the engine.
I saw my temps creeping towards 290 at the ends of afternoon runs on 80 degree days and had to short shift to keep the temps down. After that I installed a DeWitts radiator with the built in EOC. I've only been on track a couple of times since I installed the EOC. It wasn't as hot as when I saw the oil heading to 290, but I was able to run hard all day and the oil temps never went over 250.
I saw my temps creeping towards 290 at the ends of afternoon runs on 80 degree days and had to short shift to keep the temps down. After that I installed a DeWitts radiator with the built in EOC. I've only been on track a couple of times since I installed the EOC. It wasn't as hot as when I saw the oil heading to 290, but I was able to run hard all day and the oil temps never went over 250.
Last edited by mathia; Apr 26, 2007 at 02:05 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 24,652
Likes: 298
From: NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'08
I asked the staff at Spring Mountain Raceway's Corvette driving school and they said they don't like to see the temps go over 290. It's gets really hot in the Nevada desert (in fact they shut the school down in the summer) and all their cars are stock. The instructor I was talking to said they've lost a couple of engines due to the oil temps going above 300 (water temps don't seem to be an issue). Remember, if the oil temp is 300 at the sensor, it could be even hotter elsewhere in the engine.
I saw my temps creeping towards 290 at the ends of afternoon runs on 80 degree days and had to short shift to keep the temps down. After that I installed a DeWitts radiator with the built in EOC. I've only been on track a couple of times since I installed the EOC. It wasn't as hot as when I saw the oil heading to 290, but I was able to run hard all day and the oil temps never went over 250.
I saw my temps creeping towards 290 at the ends of afternoon runs on 80 degree days and had to short shift to keep the temps down. After that I installed a DeWitts radiator with the built in EOC. I've only been on track a couple of times since I installed the EOC. It wasn't as hot as when I saw the oil heading to 290, but I was able to run hard all day and the oil temps never went over 250.
I do agree that if you go to the track regularly then the dewitts is the way t go, but a few times per year will not hurt it.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,879
Likes: 3
From: Hobart, WI
With longer sessions I got oil temp warnings which come @ ~300*. Saw 315*
An oil cooler is a good idea if you get it hot enough to get the warnings.
We made up the feed block and assembled parts, including thermostat for <$200.
An oil cooler is a good idea if you get it hot enough to get the warnings.
We made up the feed block and assembled parts, including thermostat for <$200.
