What is the best operating temperature for engine oil? I imagine it depends on what oil, weight, etc.

Permacool's website says 200 degrees? Sounds a little bit low since you need to burn condensation on the oil off right?

Anyone have any insight on what temp is the optimal and more importantly, why?

 

Best? 180*F

My engine runs on alcohol. I don't usually watch coolent temperature since it doesn't usually get very hot but I do have an oil temp gauge and that's how I tell when my engine is warm enough. Below 160*, it's hard to get condensation out of the oil. 220+ and the oil can start to varnish.

Operating range is 160 - 210. Normally 180 - 195 is ideal.

Many newer vehicles have an engine oil cooler. It uses engine coolent to bring the oil temperature down. Since todays vehicles run at 195* because of emissions, the engine oil will also be maintained at that temperature through the cooler.

Same temperatures go for tranny oil.

 

what do you think the average oil temp of a motor (383cid) with no cooler is? I was planning on getting a cooler after I put my oil temp gauge in, just didnt want to waste the money if i didnt need to

 

I think 180F is way too low for oil. 215-225 is a typical operating range on a late model Vette (they have gauges). We're talking oil temp here, not water temp. On street motors, oil temp is (and should) be about 20-30*F higher than the water temp.

 

I am not a fan, personally, of cold oil.

id rather run 10* hotter than colder.

within a reasonable extent:
too thin > too thick
too hot > too cold

obviously neither is good, but id shy on those borders.

too thick doesn't protect upon startup and doesn't get into smaller areas as well.

thinner may burn a bit more oil on a higher milage motor, but oil is cheap

of coarse, too thin or hot are obviously bad.


with that said, 180 sounds terrible.

 

It's completely dependent upon your right foot, and how long it stays down. You may never see over 230 in regular driving/drag racing...but hand me the keys at a roadcourse and I'll have that bugger pegged over 300 in no time....

 

If my memory serves, this is the correct temp. range, or even a little higher would be ok. I would be uncomfortable running above 240* for any length of time. However some of the "open road racers" have run around 280* for 90m with syn. The oil does a lot of the cooling and will normally be higher than the coolent temps. It has to get higher than 212* to "burn off the water(condensate)". Syn. can withstand higher temp. longer. Modern oils will not "varnish" until they reach their "burn limit" which is well above this range. Y'all remember the adds of them cooking the oil on the stove.

 

200-220 degrees F

 

If you have the oil to take it (full synthetic) the higher the better. 220-230 is great and you can go 260-300 if need be. As long as the clearances are right for it, you'll be ok.

Bret