Anyone ever check oil temp

Originally posted by mbtoloczko


I'm pretty sure that the thermostat is set to hold the water temp at a specific temperature. The thermostat speeds warm up, but after warm up, it will adjust water flow rate to keep the water at a particular temperature. That's why the needle on the water temp gauge never moves from its usual spot under normal driving conditions. If the water temp were to exceed the temperature range of the thermostat, then the water temp gauge would give varied readings depending on how hard the motor was being driven and how much air was flowing through the radiator. At any rate, I think we could get many expert opinions, but without detailed info on flow rates, radiator heat transfer effectiveness, etc, the only way we would know would be to put in a lower temp thermostat.

There is another potentially easy way to keep the motor oil cool for those who have 5 speeds. Use the ATF cooler in the radiator. You could just buy one of those adaptors that attach to the oil filter spin-on location, and voila, instant motor oil exit/entrance locations. This would also provide a means to attach a temperature sensor. Heh. I may have to do that after I put in my 5 speed. Brian, maybe you could offer this as part of your 5 speed kit?

Excellent idea, I'll have to check into that!

[svx_commuter]

Now that you bring that up, I remember seeing a cooler/heater ring with coolant connections, between the block and filter on my Mom's Forester.

Originally posted by svx_commuter
Now that you bring that up, I remember seeing a cooler/heater ring with coolant connections, between the block and filter on my Mom's Forester.

Yes, several of the four cylinder Subaru engines that we have installed into Vanagons have had those coolers. I'm not sure which models came with the cooler though. Unfortunately, they cannot be used on the Vanagon conversions.

[Beav]

Be careful using the tranny cooler in the radiator! Not only is it possible that you'd be introducing whatever garbage the tranny left behind (friction material ) but the cooler, its lines and fittings are too small to accommodate the engine's oil flow requirements. Check out the difference in line sizes on, say, a late model Chevy truck, for instance.

[Chicane]

I always thought the SVX ran quite hot. I mean, go for a drive, come back and pop the hood. That sucker just RADIATES heat. My big block charger never got that hot. Neither did the neon. Sometimes I have to use towel on the dipstick handle when checking the oil because the handle is so freaking hot.

- Rob

[mbtoloczko]

Originally posted by Beav
Be careful using the tranny cooler in the radiator! Not only is it possible that you'd be introducing whatever garbage the tranny left behind (friction material ) but the cooler, its lines and fittings are too small to accommodate the engine's oil flow requirements. Check out the difference in line sizes on, say, a late model Chevy truck, for instance.

You make good points about the cleanliness and capacity of the stock AT cooler. It should be relatively straightforward to flush the AT cooler portion of the radiator I would think. However, you are correct about the line size though. I just looked into it. [I like to get multiple opinons. :-) ]

Still, the use of an spin-on external line adaptor and an aftermarket motor oil cooler seems reasonable.

[Motorsport-SVX]

Autometer makes a univeral kit to retro fit into
most any application. Temps out here avg much higher
then rest of the country Im sure of that...life in the
desert. Hit over 100 a month ago, and hasnt let up yet.

[Szalkerous]

Now when using one of those spin on oil filter adapters to run an external cooler, would that add stress to the oil pump? I notice I get the heat wave every time I pop the hood after a good drive... and it concerns me almost as much as the tranny temps... I would like to grab a perma-cool oil cooler and run that system if I can.

Also, perma-cool has a bit of interesting info on engine oil cooling:

http://www.perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page02.html

It's worth a read, and they sell everything you'd need.

-Sz

[mbtoloczko]

Originally posted by Szalkerous
Now when using one of those spin on oil filter adapters to run an external cooler, would that add stress to the oil pump? I notice I get the heat wave every time I pop the hood after a good drive... and it concerns me almost as much as the tranny temps... I would like to grab a perma-cool oil cooler and run that system if I can.

Also, perma-cool has a bit of interesting info on engine oil cooling:

http://www.perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page02.html

It's worth a read, and they sell everything you'd need.

-Sz

As long as you get a engine oil cooler and not an ATF cooler, you'll be fine. The lines are larger for engine oil coolers. I'd suggest an oil temp sender and gauge. Too low of an oil temperature is also not good. Contaminants (light hydrocarbons, water vapor) don't evaporate out of the oil. If the temps are too low, then you can add an oil temperature thermostat.