dbs1

Using a mid sized setrab cooler at the front radiator opening on my 02 camaro with a 600hp LS3 based 416 and using 5-50 Mobil one. Temps still hitting 325 degrees on just a 85 degree day. Pushing it hard, but jeez...any ideas?

Fan on cooler? Double coolers? Stacked dual pass cooler?

athornt2

iTrader: (18)

Wow... that is hot while actually having an oil cooler. On my American Iron race car I made two hose duct inlets and put them where the driver's side fog light was. I ran brake cooling hoses to my oil cooler shroud. I don't have fans on either my oil cooler or my radiator. My car doesn't make nearly the power that yours makes (344rwhp) but it runs at 215 degrees max. This option may not work for you if it is still a street car and you want it to look stock.

Are you sure that your oil temp gauge/sending unit is working properly? Is your car a front breather or bottom breather? Are you sure that your ducting is totally sealed?

dbs1

Great questions and suggestions. I'm going to get a manual gauge in there and see if it reads the same. Yeah, waaay to hot!o

athornt2

iTrader: (18)

Here is a picture of my setup. I don't have any of the engine bay but you get the idea. A major key to cooling is making sure that air is being properly fed to the cooler. All of the ducts must be sealed. Before I added my cooler, my oil temps would reach 300 in a matter of a few laps. At the time I was changing my oil after each event. I've always used comp cams oil. What kind of oil pressure does your car make after the oil gets that hot? I saw your thread on corvetteforums.... I would not go to a thinner oil if I were you...

dbs1

I agree. I think it may need a bigger cooler, maybe one with its own fan and in a location where it gets good air flow. Once I see a reduction in temps then perhaps a different weight of oil.

FASTFATBOY

iTrader: (23)

Pics of mounting? The air in the front is pushed UPWARDS from the valance under the front.

I would mount it horizontal in front of the radiator as close to even with the bottom of the radiator as I could.

excessiveHP

use a fan shroud if you haven't already, can't really tell what you have going on under the plenum, get some Maradyne fans or fan the twin motor style, use a 20 lbs rad cap or higher, add water wetter to the coolent, vent your hood, cermicoat your headers, anything blocking the front of your rad get rid of it. make sure your exhaust isn't restrictive use big tube headers, and run 20/ 50 oil but watch your oil pressure. if you've done all this then check your temp guage could be out of calibration.

dbs1

Back to the track today. The last track had a much longer straight (3/8 mile) with less kinks and esses. Today's track was Taylor made for shifter carts and juiced mini coopers. Since my last outing I had installed the largest Setrab cooler that would fit that is rated for 650+hp engines.

Last track outing with speeds of 140mph I saw temps as high as 327 degrees. Today on a much shorter course where 110mph was tops, but lots of pushing the rev limiter in 3rd and shifting, oil temps did not get hotter then 305 and cooled down quickly to 285 through most of the course.

Still hotter then I would like, but an improvement. I am running a new Ron Davis radiator and water temps last track day as well as today never exceede 220 degrees. I am going to be installing some hood vents as well as changing to a bigger header and improving the exhaust before going back onto the longer course in January. We'll see if that helps.

Thanks all for the suggestions!

C5natie

iTrader: (1)

That 5w50 is pretty heavy and probably contributing to the high temps. I have no cooler (470rwhp LS3) and pushing hard at the track I hit 260* max with 5w40...and I thought that was too hot. 325* cant be good for oil life.

1981TA

iTrader: (7)

I'm running no cooler and using 5w30 synthetic, and no matter what (sitting in traffic, beating on it in traffic / track, summer, winter, dry, wet whatever) my oil temp has never gone over 220. My knee-jerk reaction is that your oil might be too heavy or your gauge is off. How tight are the tolerances in your engine, compared to stock?