Weather - how hot is too hot?

[hheine]

Hi all, might sound like a dumb question but we are expecting a heatwave this weekend in the Bay Area (>100F), I was thinking of taking my car out (‘72 911E) and drive up to the Sierra Nevada area for Labor Day weekend. Am I gambling with the heatwave here? Car is mechanically in great shape but am just concerned about the oil temps as I do not have an external oil cooler - particularly concerned if i get stuck in stop and go traffic on the highway.

Thanks!

[RSBob]

Got news for you it’s even hotter in the Central Valley. 105-107 is pretty darned warm and uncomfortable in an unairconditioned car. As for oil temps, yes you will be pushing it into the red zone without a really good oil cooler, especially in stop and go.

[hheine]

Originally Posted by RSBob

Got news for you it’s even hotter in the Central Valley. 105-107 is pretty darned warm and uncomfortable in an unairconditioned car. As for oil temps, yes you will be pushing it into the red zone without a really good oil cooler, especially in stop and go.

Hah - yep, I figured, gotta love that toasty Central Valley climate. Thanks for the quick response!

[dreichman]

If it wasn’t for the stop and go traffic, I think you would be fine with oil temps. You on the other hand is a different story.

[hheine]

Originally Posted by dreichman

If it wasn’t for the stop and go traffic, I think you would be fine with oil temps. You on the other hand is a different story.

Hah! I've made the mistake before unfortunately with a top down convertible + no AC in July with 100+F stuck in traffic on the I80. It can't get any worse than that???

[Peter Zimmermann]

Whatever you do, don't come south! Our (Bakersfield) temp forecast for this weekend is 113F each day! I can remember driving my SC, before adding a working front cooler, to L.A. on a hot summer day a few years ago. My lack of sufficient oil pressure, and oil temp almost off the gauge, scared me!

[GH85Carrera]

I drove my 85 Carrera through Needles, CA when it was 118. No issues at all with oil temps. The AC struggled a little, but I never broke a sweat.

High 90s and triple digits are not rare at all in the summer in Oklahoma and Texas. I do have a fan on my front oil cooler that I turn on when the oil temps get to 200. The oil temp never goes above 220 even on the track.

[Flat Six]

Originally Posted by RSBob

Got news for you it’s even hotter in the Central Valley. 105-107 is pretty darned warm and uncomfortable in an unairconditioned car. As for oil temps, yes you will be pushing it into the red zone without a really good oil cooler, especially in stop and go.

^^ This. I drive my ~stock '85 all summer here in Las Vegas; during that time we have about as many days above 110 as below. Just got back from a drive this morning through Red Rock Canyon; ~99F ambient. Max oil temp just touched 205F.

[hheine]

Originally Posted by Flat Six

^^ This. I drive my ~stock '85 all summer here in Las Vegas; during that time we have about as many days above 110 as below. Just got back from a drive this morning through Red Rock Canyon; ~99F ambient. Max oil temp just touched 205F.

205F isn't too bad!

Since there's a few from the Central Valley chiming in here, how's the air quality over there? Has been pretty smoky this morning. Apparently will get hotter (and smokier) over the weekend!

[Rtrorkt]

I run my RS Clone, 3.2 in a 69 tub, from Scottsdale to CA for car week each year, though not this year, through the heat of the desert. I do have an oil cooler, car never exceed 220.

[uwanna]

Back in the 1970s I drove with my girlfriend to the Willie Nelson 4th of July picnic in Dripping Springs TX.
Got caught in a 25mi traffic jam and my '68 911 (no oil cooler) temp went way up into the RED
zone. So I pulled over to the side of the road, parked and hitched a ride to the
concert. Drove the car home next morning with no problems.
However, the next day I heard a knock at idle. Asked a Pcar pro about it and he
said "I don't know what it is but I wouldn't drive it!"
Long story short, tore down the motor and found a piston pin sheared in two
in the middle of the small end rod bushing and the piston was wobbling in the cylinder.
Did a complete rebuild including boring out the case for 2.5 liter jugs.
Thanks to Ray Litz at Competition Eng for his help for a then rookie. It was a great concert but EXPENSIVE!!
Still have the broken pin to this day as a reminder.

[racer]

IIRC, the 3.2 carrera's came with a front fender mounted oil cooler and the later ones had a fan behind them to keep things cool. That's a bit different than a '73 that at best might have a trombone in the front fender or even no cooler.

Keep the car moving, and you'd be ok. Stuck in stop and go traffic it will get hot.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by racer

IIRC, the 3.2 carrera's came with a front fender mounted oil cooler and the later ones had a fan behind them to keep things cool. That's a bit different than a '73 that at best might have a trombone in the front fender or even no cooler.

Keep the car moving, and you'd be ok. Stuck in stop and go traffic it will get hot.

Yep. The 84 to 86 I believe had no fan. My 85 certainly did not. It is fairly easy to add a fan like I did. Since it has no bung for the temp switch, I utilizes a DACFS organic system. The Driver Activated Cooling Fan Switch. It comes on whenever I think it is going to get above 200 degrees.

No doubt the biggest handicap my car has is the loose nut behind the steering wheel.

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by uwanna

Back in the 1970s I drove with my girlfriend to the Willie Nelson 4th of July picnic in Dripping Springs TX.
Got caught in a 25mi traffic jam and my '68 911 (no oil cooler) temp went way up into the RED
zone. So I pulled over to the side of the road, parked and hitched a ride to the
concert. Drove the car home next morning with no problems.
However, the next day I heard a knock at idle. Asked a Pcar pro about it and he
said "I don't know what it is but I wouldn't drive it!"
Long story short, tore down the motor and found a piston pin sheared in two
in the middle of the small end rod bushing and the piston was wobbling in the cylinder.
Did a complete rebuild including boring out the case for 2.5 liter jugs.
Thanks to Ray Litz at Competition Eng for his help for a then rookie. It was a great concert but EXPENSIVE!!
Still have the broken pin to this day as a reminder.

Here's the souvenir broken piston pin from the EXCESSIVE OVER HEATING episode.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

3 days of Porsche Owner Club racing @ Auto Club Speedway in Fontana this weekend.

Did the event last year and paddock temps for asphalt surface @ 160 degrees.
Never had more grip with my Pirelli Slicks though.

[70SWT]

Wow, you guys must be freezing at some of these places; temp here recently during a drive (bottom center of display; driving a non-Porsche at the time, of course);

[smadsen]

If you have the Carrera oil cooler upgrade and keep moving I think you'd be fine. Trombone cooler, stop & go traffic, and 100+ degrees, asking for trouble. Otherwise, travel at night.

[Reiver]

Originally Posted by smadsen

If you have the Carrera oil cooler upgrade and keep moving I think you'd be fine. Trombone cooler, stop & go traffic, and 100+ degrees, asking for trouble. Otherwise, travel at night.

The Carrera cooler complete (with block off surround and fan) is an excellent item. Added to my '83 Euro SC some time back...I live outside of Phoenix and drove in 112 degrees ambient last week..took her for a warm up as I do weekly. I hit just a tad over 205 degree's when pushing it. The stock Carrera fan is switched at my dash so I can apply it at anytime.
I also have a block off plastic plate/pan so that air coming in the valance opening (SCR bumper) is forced thru the oil radiator and cannot go below.
I remove that in cooler weather so I can get the oil to a proper temp.

[ian c2]

Fan on my daily has been intermittent for a while now .
Ordered a new one from pelican that did not arrive ..

Today It decided not to work ...
was showing I think around 81 , but when traffic sloes it might as well be 181 .

No fun ...

[shawn908]

Another observation regarding oil temp - unexpected, maybe not directly relatable to a '72 but since I installed M&K RSR headers w/ 2/1 exhaust (3.2, oil cooler front rt, no fan) oil temp better controlled from idling through driving country roads, and does not climb past 180F when idling in traffic. Ambient temp up to mid-90s.