I have always run my car in Solo 2, and a few lapping days/HPDE events. Before I went out and bought either an oil temp gauge or an oil cooler, I was curious if anyone actually had a gauge before a cooler, and watched the temps on track.

If I am marginal, I will just buy a gauge. If the oil gets silly hot, I will buy a cooler.

Thanks.

 

Bumpage. Anyone have any experience with oil temps on track? How about even on the street?

 

yes... it gets silly hot

we are addressing the oiling system of the car

we have an oil cooler package coming and some other very inventive systems to help with oil starvation

the prototype is done... now for testing

 

I have the chrono package on my car, and when on the track at the end of a lapping session the needle is near the top of the gauge. One cool-down lap though, and it quickly drops back down towards "normal". I don't know exact numbers, or even if the gauge is accurate, but it does concern me slightly. I keep close watch on the oil pressure and check the levels after each session and haven't noticed any ill effects.

 

I too was waiting for some posts from some more knowledgable people than myself, but none have materialized. I posted my oil temps a couple of years ago on NAM along with those quoted by a couple of friends of mine. Try the <search> function.

The bottom line: On hot Seattle and Portland track days, air temps between 80 and 103 degrees F, the oil temps on my MCS with a homemade oil cooler are measured as 230 degrees max, max at the end of a 20 minute run session. They typically will sit above 220 degrees and seldom peak to 230. My oil cooler uses a modified MINI transmission cooler and the Madness takeoff adapter. Do have baffles in my oil pan to reduce oil slosh, but wonder if they are necessary.

My friends with non-MINI BMW's without oil coolers will run oil temperatures on the same day of 250 to 275 degrees! The Corvette oil temperatures go even higher.

That's all I know. Not sure that an oil cooler is necessary for the occasional track driver with an average HP engine. The modern synthetic oils are very robust and frequent oil changes are probably all that is necessary. The oil cooler may take some of the thermal load off the engine cooling system which might be helpful in some situations such as a hot day, long run session, or a high output motor.

Hope this helps,
John Petrich in Seattle

 

My experience is exactly the same as what mudfoot posted. The only thing I can add is that when the oil temp is at its peak, the water temperature still shows normal. That may be (according to what I've read here) because the water temp gauge has a big "null" zone around the normal running temperature.

 

we are about to release some products for the cars that do quite a bit of track driving. They are aimed at keeping the oil cool and others for proper pressure. From the data we have collected on our high horsepower Mini's these are just good insurance measures to keeping the engines safe.

Keep an eye open.... it won't be long

 

problem is, what's the price like

and more importantly, will it have the inventive solution that mini madness did with the dual gauge mount

i've tried to look for a mount for the Greddy Oil temp probe that i got and so far due to the length of the probe i still cannot find a place to mount the probe, short of drilling a hole in the oil pan

 

I did try the search function, but I got nowhere. I will try again.

I would think that 220-240 would be pretty acceptable for on track use. You don't want the oil to remain too cool, as it won't burn off the moisture in it. I even could live with 250, but anything much higher is getting a little tense.

I could not find where Mini Madness sells just the oil cooler adapter. I sell Earl's products, so if I can get just the adapter, I would be good to go.

I have seen a couple of modified oil pans around, and I wonder if there is any need for them. I have not heard of any oil starvation issues yet.

Thanks for your time.

Also, I agree with kyriian, in that the costs need to be reasonable. Oil cooler systems always seem to get pretty pricey.

I think I am going to end up with a drilled pan, as all of the oil temp sending units I have been able to find are too long for most add-on adapters, and they do need to see a constant flow of oil.

 

there ya go, madness's own adaptor on its own is about 225, quite reasonable http://www.mini-madness.com/index.as...ROD&ProdID=219

BUT, it doesnt add the rad, add the setrab rad and all of a sudden that $ seems a bit.... otherworldly

moss does sell a oil cooler which i am tempted at (i like it too because it doesn't really involve cutting, but it doesn't sound like a fun install, and i still cannot mount the gauge there)

last thing i can do is just add an adaptor somehow

but i want to see what jan has in terms of oil cooling, namely, a gauge mount that would fit long probes

 

We try to keep people's budgets in mind but also the quality has to be there...

We will be selling a kit with a Setrab cooler and one without a cooler so people can get their own to keep the costs down.

We are machining the plates for the oil cooler now. With the Holidays it may be first of the yr or so before we have them back

 

If the oil temps don't climb over 250, then I wouldn't bother with a cooler. In reality, the oil is fine at 300+, but you will start to run additives out faster and the change interval should be reduce. il will actually start to coke north of 400.

I haven't logged the mini's oil temps, but when I track my roadster, I used to hit 260+. I ended up putting a OEM BMW oil cooler in and haven't hit 230 since.

If a thermostat is provided with an oil cooler, then I see no downside other than the moeny (and a little weight) to adding one for good measure.

 

Jason,

My sentiments, exactly. I don't recommend a thermostat unless the thermostat is somehow integrated into the oil take off or into the heat exchanger itself. A thermostat can bring problems from another set of hoses and connections to potentially leak. I handle the need for a thermostat by blocking off the oil cooler with a piece of cardboard. The temps with street driving hover about 210 to 215 degrees F. Ideal for boiling off condensate in the oil. At the track, I just remove the cardboard and store it with my kit. After a track day, just reinstall the cardboard until the next track day.

Here is a link to my installation: http://www.bmwpugetsound.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=31542

Hope this helps,
John Petrich in Seattle

 

I should have added that the oil pressure is good even when the temperature moves towards the upper end of the scale. I've noticed on my 914 that when the oil temp got high, I would lose some pressure on the old engine. So while I am a little concerned with high oil temp, as long as I still have good pressure I keep driving.

And yes, the MINI's water temp is 'normal' during track sessions. I'm not sure how large of a null range there is, but one morning sitting in line for tech behind a modded 930, the water needle climbed. I shut the car off and the radiator fan stayed on. I went to open the bonnet and that is when I noticed the jet-hot exhaust blast coming from the 930 was pointing straight into the radiator. As soon as that car moved, the temp came right back down and the fan shut off.

 

I run 220-250 on the track at PIR during the summer with no cooler.

 

John, nice setup. I was fortunate in that BMW made an OEM setup with replaced the oil filter housing and had the thermostat integrated into the housing. Then hard lines and the oem cooler mouted to the bottom of the radiator.Geoff, On my roadster I stepped up from the factory Castrol 5W30 to Casrtol Syntec 5W50. As you know the heat thins the oil. To a point this is good and desiareable (less friction, more flow for the same pressure, etc), but you don't want the pressure to drop to much. A slight drop isn't all that big of an issue if you have good flow, the problem comes if the pressure drops from lack up pickup from the sump.

 

I am totally cool (heh..) with this kind of oil temperature. If this is the range that I am going to be in, without a cooler, I really do not see the need for a cooler. I will stil be mountin my sending unit, and now I have to figure out if there is an easier way than drilling the oil pan.

Thank you all.

 

Wow, when I ran at Gingerman last summer, my '03 MCS (sans oil cooler) was peaking at about 280 degrees. One cooldown lap and it was almost back to normal (225-230 degrees).

 

You might want to consider getting the OEM gauge. It uses the drain plug for the sending unit. Very neat and tidy, it's what I have.

 

I never saw temps that high. After a 20 min. session in July I saw a max of 250, which is still very comfortable. I am running the Mobil 1 0w-30 (may change to 0w-40). I have heard that the stock MINI oil does run hotter.

 

Just for comparison, I see 230 degree oil temps while cruising on the highway when it's 100 degrees outside. Now that it's in the 60's, it only gets up to 205-210. I run German Castrol 0w-30.

 

Been using Royal Purple for two years. hmmmm.

 

I would say that even at 280 it is still within the safety range of the oil. Just ask Poyal Purple if it is in the safe temp range.

 

I've heard some good things about using Redline oil in engines that run hot (turbo, etc). Since it's a group V oil and doesn't use viscosity modifiers, it holds up in high temp situations.