I drive hard...everyday

ZMan8

i talked to him a few weekends ago about it and he said definitely dont push the car before about 180 (and that's with an oil cooler*)


* For anybody unfamiliar, when you install an oil cooler the temperature reading is after the oil passes through the cooler but before it goes in the engine. This means the actual temperature of the oil in the engine is probably closer to 190/200. So for us without oil coolers I would wait maybe a little more than 180.

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2010 370Z 40 Anniv., 6 MT | Fast Intentions | Swift Springs | SPC | Z1Motorsports | JWM | Redline Oils | 35% Window Tint
2015 Mazda6 | 370ZChicago: Chicago Area Cars & Coffee

Super Tanooki

Funny you say that, because before I got my oil cooler I used to wait until 180 degrees before getting 'spirited'. But since I got the oil cooler (stillen, 24-row) my temps (on a normal, not-too-hot day) seem to settle around 160-170. Never reaching 180 - especially on the freeway. So now I consider 160 'go time'.

ZMan8

to add productive things to this thread.

Spearfish, WITH an oil cooler saw oil pressure over 100 psi before his oil temps reached 180 on the gauge. The oil temps in the engine at that time are about 190/200.

__________________
2010 370Z 40 Anniv., 6 MT | Fast Intentions | Swift Springs | SPC | Z1Motorsports | JWM | Redline Oils | 35% Window Tint
2015 Mazda6 | 370ZChicago: Chicago Area Cars & Coffee

Super Tanooki

Yeah, I had a read around after seeing this thread and found the below post.

Oil Coolers and Over cooling

VERY useful to know - and I suspected as much too... basically, if you have an oil cooler the oil temp sensor is directly AFTER the cooler core, so the temp readings are about 20-or-so below actual in-engine oil temps. And that makes sense because I used to feel a big drop in power at about 225* before the OC, now I feel it at around 205. It was baffling me for the longest time but that MUST be why - the engine is basically 20* hotter than the gauge says.

Luckily most of the time, thanks to the OC, I rarely reach those temps anymore. And keeping the AC on actually helps keep engine temps down a bit too. But it's summer and I live in Vegas so it's always going to be an issue.