Oil temps
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 148
Likes: 10
From: Greensboro NC
Oil temps
Hey guys,
I have a 2007 Z51 and I have done some research on oil temps but it's been somewhat conflicting with what friends have told me and people have made mention of a thermostat as well so I have 2 questions.
1. How cool should you try to keep your oil? Mine runs ~220 with typical driving and 250-260 with performance driving (so far, haven't gotten to push it really hard yet)
2. Their is an oil cooler with the Z51, is the heat exchanger the only thing covering the oil temp? Someone made it sound like their was a thermostat for the oil cooler but I haven't been able to find any additional information on this.
Thanks for the information guys!
I have a 2007 Z51 and I have done some research on oil temps but it's been somewhat conflicting with what friends have told me and people have made mention of a thermostat as well so I have 2 questions.
1. How cool should you try to keep your oil? Mine runs ~220 with typical driving and 250-260 with performance driving (so far, haven't gotten to push it really hard yet)
2. Their is an oil cooler with the Z51, is the heat exchanger the only thing covering the oil temp? Someone made it sound like their was a thermostat for the oil cooler but I haven't been able to find any additional information on this.
Thanks for the information guys!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,492
Likes: 808
From: West coast CA
There is no separate oil thermostat from the factory. The oil temperature is moderated by the water-to-oil heat exchanger inside the radiator. Even the conventional air-to-oil heat exchangers that came with the Z06 and Grand Sports did not have thermostats (but they should have).
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 148
Likes: 10
From: Greensboro NC
There is no separate oil thermostat from the factory. The oil temperature is moderated by the water-to-oil heat exchanger inside the radiator. Even the conventional air-to-oil heat exchangers that came with the Z06 and Grand Sports did not have thermostats (but they should have).
Anyone know about temperatures?
Last edited by Stevengineer; Dec 23, 2019 at 10:41 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,226
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/engine-oil-temperature/
Minimum of 180/200 to boil off the moisture, etc.
Minimum of 180/200 to boil off the moisture, etc.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 148
Likes: 10
From: Greensboro NC
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/engine-oil-temperature/
Minimum of 180/200 to boil off the moisture, etc.
Minimum of 180/200 to boil off the moisture, etc.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,298
Likes: 1,153
From: Klein TX
2023 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Stock Z51 water to oil cooler runs the oil thru the hot side of the radiator. So the oil is cooled (or heated) by the coolant leaving the motor after it has absorbed heat from the block and heads and before the air flowing thru the radiator has cooled it. Oil temp will come up quickly after startup and closely follow water temp which is desirable for daily driving on the street, but something to keep in mind when looking for lower oil temps when you're running it hard on the track
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 148
Likes: 10
From: Greensboro NC
Stock Z51 water to oil cooler runs the oil thru the hot side of the radiator. So the oil is cooled (or heated) by the coolant leaving the motor after it has absorbed heat from the block and heads and before the air flowing thru the radiator has cooled it. Oil temp will come up quickly after startup and closely follow water temp which is desirable for daily driving on the street, but something to keep in mind when looking for lower oil temps when you're running it hard on the track
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,582
Likes: 137
From: SoCal CA
220 is normal for regular driving. 260 degrees during something like a track day is not a problem if you're using a quality synthetic oil. I see 250-260 during track days myself. However the Z51 in rad oil cooler is not optimal for track use. I upgraded to a Z06 oil cooler with much better results.
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