how cold is too cold for oil temps?

Mike

doesn't it flow from the cooler into the pan?

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flashburn

Yeah, I think that was what Dustin was saying basically.

It makes sense that it is reading off, especially since I have zero issues getting up to 160, and then once it gets there, if I'm just doing normal highway driving (even in 85 degree temps) it will stick there, even though I have a 180 degree thermostatic plate. I know the plate will always flow some oil through, but it won't completely open until 180 degrees.

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spearfish25

Yeah, via the engine block!

Oil cooler(colder oil)-->engine block(warmer oil)-->pan where sensors are, thus reading the warmer oil

Dustin's description follows this reasoning, but the sensors are in the oil pan...not the engine block. Thus, the sensors read the sump oil temperature where the oil collects after circulating through the motor. The outflow from the cooler passes through the engine block (where it gets heated), and that oil doesn't hit the sensors until it collects in the pan again. So it would reason that the sensor temp should reflect the oil temp in the block and not the cooler outflow.

Take a look at the picture I've attached. The temp sensors are essentially where the arrow indicating 'oil pan' point. Our cooler plumbs in-line to the right of the oil filter in that picture (courtesy of the sandwich plate). So oil from the sump goes through the filter, through our cooler, and then through the engine.

Simply put, Dustin suggests the sensors are in the area labeled 'main oil gallery' and they're actually in the pan.

Attached Images

Backup_200309_UnderHood-large.jpg (60.4 KB, 68 views)

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