How to compensate for winter temperatures

[Classic 911]

I am looking for good ideas on how to compensate for low winter temperatures to get good engine running temperatures.


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[T77911S]

drive it slow.


you might say where you are for an idea of what temps you are dealing with.

what do you have for oil cooling.

thinner oil in the winter.
drive it slow. when cold i drive my 930 based on oil pressure.
i keep the RPMs low enough to not go over 4 bar. no other reason than it keeps me driving it easy until it is warm.
yes it takes my 930 a long time to get up to temp even living in SC. but i have 3 oil coolers
if your engine does not get up to temp or you think it takes too long a stuck Tstat is a concern.
i had that happen on my 77. it would take a long time to get up to temp even with just the basic loop oil cooler. but what directed me to it was summer driving. if the engine temp went up to like 210 or 220, it would not come back down and it should at steady driving.

[ClickClickBoom]

Contrary to popular belief, the guys over at Porsche have had a few years driving/operating in the cold. Once the crankcase has been scavenged of oil, rpms can go up safely. The number of wives tales here abound. The temp gauge is really a crankcase temp gauge, the oil temp is a mystery, probably not far off of the case temp, but that is an approximation. My personal experience is once the oil tank level starts coming up the motor is ready to boogie. My car is my daily driver, rain shine hot cold it gets driven when transportation is needed. This next mini rant is for the wax and buff crowd, washing your car and drying it off with towels is a huge disservice, the water that makes it into the gaps and crevices never truly gets driven out. Many use detergents to wash their car and that stuff is alkali in nature it creates an electrolyte and promotes corrosion.

[GH85Carrera]

The biggest reason I keep the revs below 4,000 when cold is oil pressure. 20-50 oil is pretty thick when cold, and the pressure will go above what the oil pressure bypass can handle, and leaks from seals can and will happen. Once they start leaking, they keep leaking. When the oil pressure is pegged at the top when at idle, it is smart to delay the fun of higher rpms.

[AndrewCologne]

20-50 oil is pretty thick when cold, and the pressure will go above what the oil pressure bypass can handle, and leaks from seals can and will happen.

Hi Glen, where did you get this info from? The oil pressure relief valve will handle the common oil pressures even at winter temperatures below 0 °C without problems. Many 40 years old engines without a rebuild do often leak, thats normal. And often at parts/areas of the engine where the maximum pressure wont even be present like oil return tubes bermuda triangle etc.

The only thing where a 20w50 isn't the best choice is at cold start at very low envioronment temperatures like in NE winters. But once the engine is cold running enough pressure is given so even oils with higher viscosities will get to the parts where they're needed. And with a cold engine a careful engine warmup with not exceeding 3.000 RpM i.E. is only needed not because of the oil and its viscosity but cause of the chracteristics of the thermal expansions of the specific engine parts like P&C, Heads, Valves etc.

[GH85Carrera]

Andrew, back in the "olden days" of the 60s, 70s and 80s War Bonnet Region PCA invented Tech sessions. We invited engineers and mechanics from all over the country and had a factory speakers from Porsche AG. Top engineers from the tire companies, oil companies and many professional mechanics like Roger Chaney, and even Helmuth Bott, the chief engineer at Porsche AG came to talk.

Both Chuck Stoddard and Bruce Anderson participated every year. Chuck Stoddard was always a major draw. He would do a question and answer session, and before the first question he wrote on the chalk board, oil. He said there is always several questions about oil, so he just starts off with that.

His comments about warmup for air cooled engines was the same and Bruce, keep the revs low until the engine has warmed up to at least 170 or so. I have no web page or printed documentation from those sessions. Likely some of them are in Panorama. the national PCA club's magazine, but I don't have those old issues anymore.

Bottom line, I will continue to let my engine warn up before hitting full power. You are welcome to follow your routine.

[AndrewCologne]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

....keep the revs low until the engine has warmed up to at least 170 or so.

Im totally with you and I did not argue against a proper rev limited warm up treatment of the engine as its mandatory. I just pointed to the thermal expansion as main reason instead of the oil viscosity.

[T77911S]

i have heard concern of blowing the oil cooler. not sure what pressure that would take.

thats my point. drive it to keep oil pressure less than 4bar.
by the time the oil stops going above 4bar the tank cant start filling back up. for what i have seen that 180. i am always wondered where all that oil is if its not in the oil tank.

if the pressure still hits the bypass then the oil is not up to temp. no guessing or speculating about that

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by T77911S

i have heard concern of blowing the oil cooler. not sure what pressure that would take.

thats my point. drive it to keep oil pressure less than 4bar.
by the time the oil stops going above 4bar the tank cant start filling back up. for what i have seen that 180. i am always wondered where all that oil is if its not in the oil tank.

if the pressure still hits the bypass then the oil is not up to temp. no guessing or speculating about that

If I used 4 bar (~60psi) as a limit, I could never drive my car above 3000 rpm even when fully warmed up.
From the '72 owner's manual.


That said I will get my car up to at least 140 deg before going much above 4k rpm.

[proporsche]

boys it happened to me in Texas ..here is the story and amazing research by CTopher..he found exactly the day i was stuck there;-)
https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/940988-20w-50-what-winter-temp-bad-start-your-911-a-8.html

[manbridge 74]

When I lived at 8500 feet and wanted to drive in 15F temps or lower I’d cover the engine grille almost 90% with a special piece of plastic. Helped warm-ups and maintaining decent temps. Have to remember to take it off in the afternoon if it gets up in the 40F range though!

[T77911S]

Originally Posted by Trackrash

If I used 4 bar (~60psi) as a limit, I could never drive my car above 3000 rpm even when fully warmed up.
From the '72 owner's manual.


That said I will get my car up to at least 140 deg before going much above 4k rpm.

i just picked 4bar based on my engine pressures