How I Lowered My Oil Temp 40 Degrees in 90 min.

[the_win]

First you have to have an engine that runs very, very hot ( in the 250 degree range). That was my engine. I have a 1976 911S Targa with the stock 2.7L.

Althought it had the recommend upgrades: 11 blade fan, remove the reactors, it still ran right around 250, never below 210.

In 1976 having a front fender oil cooler was an option for my car, but that option wasn't ordered for the car.

If I was going about 80 mph on a highway, the temp was always around 250. If I decided to go alittle quicker, the temp would even rise a little more.

So I was always trying to figure out ways to lower the oil temp. Every oil cooling accessory they made, I checked out.

I felt the best solution was to put in oil lines to the front fender and a carrera cooler with a fan. But that was expensive, even if I did the work myself.

Before I did that though, I wanted to try some of these oil cooling accessories, hoping they might help.

First I tried putting a Cool Collar on the oil filter. The temps still stayed the same. I must have gotten a defective one???

Then this weekend, I attacked the problem.

I put on a set of HeetSheets, Compact Cooler in the S hose, and a Mainely Custom Design Sump Plate.

The HeetSheets advertise that they cut heat to the valve covers by 80%. Whatever that means. But since they put heat shields on later model Porsches, I figured it was worth a try.

The Compact Cooler said it would lower the oil temps by 15 degrees. Hey, if I could lower my temp by 10 degrees, I would have been happy.

And lastly the Mainely Custom Design Sump Pate, has 200% more surface area then the stock plate. I knew that this would only lower my temps by a couple of degrees, but they looked cool, and every degree counts.

As you can see, anything that seemed to help with oil cooling I was interested in.

After the installation, I took the car to the same highway that I use to run 250 at 80 mph. Now at 80, I was running a temp of 210. I then brought the car up to 90, 100, 110 and the needle only went up to 215. I couldn't get the temp to get any higher then that.

Now I know it's not summer anymore, but the air temp was 77 degrees.

I can't tell you which element was the most important in lowering the oil temp. But when your use to running 250 and now running 210, I don't really care.

Who knows, maybe the Cool Collar finally kicked in and did the trick.

My total investment was around $425 and 90 min. of my time.

Now I'm waiting for next summer, to see how my temps will be in the heat. But for now I am one happy camper.

I hope this information helps other 2.7L owners, who have hot running engines.

Geff

[Jim Sims]

What temperature drop do these modifications achieve sitting in traffic? Jim

[911SC Pilot]

Now I know it's not summer anymore, but the air temp was 77 degrees.

I would have to say, this might be why it ran cooler. I also own a 76 911s, and mine runs around 215-220 during the summer on the highway doing 80 to 90. Now that the high temp here in Vegas is only 68 deg, my car , on the same road, didnt pass 200 deg.

I could be wrong, but thats how my baby acts.

[Jack Olsen]

Originally posted by the_win
Who knows, maybe the Cool Collar finally kicked in and did the trick.

I've found that sometimes you need to take the cool collar off the oil filter, rap it a couple of times with a soft mallet, and reinstall. That usually loosens up the solenoid (or whatever) and gets the temps back down.

Seriously, this is an interesting post. A lot of people on the board would probably appreciate it if you took a day (and some tools, and a big case of oil) and tried the same test under controlled conditions, removing and then reinstalling each of the three components to see the net effects of each.

Depending on how they're positioned, relative to one another, the heat sheets might improve the capabilities of the compact cooler.

[TerryBPP]

For $500 bucks you could have install a external cooler and solved all your problems. It would have taken you alot more time to install though. My 76 w/2.7 never reaches 225 deg even under extreme driving while in south FL summers (Mocal cooler).

[Alan Cottrill]

my 77 ran at 250 all summer.

I dropped the engine last week and after getting the fan shroud off I know why. The thermostat had been leaking and the oil cooler was covered in crud. there was also a lot of crud caked on the cylinders.

I bet I'll run a lot cooler next summer.

you might take the alternator off and take a look at the tops of your cylinders. If you find crud on your numer 6 cylinder theres a good chance the oil cooler looks the same.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by the_win
First I tried putting a Cool Collar on the oil filter. The temps still stayed the same. I must have gotten a defective one???
Did you follow the break-in procedure?

[the_win]

Before the additions, the car would heat up to 210 very quickly. If I was sitting in traffic it would slowly rise to 225-230. Now the temp very slowly goes up to around 210.

As far as the air temp making the difference. I drove the car to my friends garage,to do the work, and on the way up there it was running around 250. Then the car runs cool on the way home.

I'v checked the CIS to make sure that it wasn't running too lean, my oil thermostat was working because my oil cooler was hot as hell. There might be oil gunk on top of one or more of my cylinders, I don't know.

I even got an air hose up by the cylinders to blow out any critter nests that might have been there. But there are no nest.

I've had mechanics look to see if they could find any problems, but no luck.

What ever was causing the problem is gone for NOW. It's hard to find out what was causing the problem, when the problem isn't there anymore.

But I'm still open to any and all suggestions, because the problem may come back.

[pbs911]

First I tried putting a Cool Collar on the oil filter. The temps still stayed the same. I must have gotten a defective one???

- Did you place the hose clamp adjustment at the 12 o'clock position with the slit in the cool collar at 9 o'clock position? Or maybe you just put it on backwards, it's easy to do.

[the_win]

I've noticed that some of the posts feel that I may have incorrectly installed the Cool Collar.

I think you may be right.

I failed to mention, that I noticed that the Cool Collar was installed upside down all this time and corrected it when I put on the new oil filter.

[Decolliber]

The Compact Cooler on the S hose to the oil tank sounds like a sensible idea, but isn't it cooling oil that has just already gone through the engine oil cooler? It also has the advantage of being under the engine so the hot air is vented (unlike the cool collar that dissipates heat into the engine compartment).
How much is that S hose cooler?

[Rouxzy]

The best and only way to get the cool collar to work properly is to take it off and leave it off. But seriously, my 2.7 ran about 210-230 with a trombone cooler. This summer with a new Carrera cooler I couldn't get it to get to 200 no matter how hard I tried. But what I also did was take the alternator out for a rebuild and cleaned everything out thouroughly. Now when the temps are in the 70's I'm lucky if I can get the engine to 190. Clean the fins this will make a huge differance.
Tom

[NoLift911]

I for one have had great success with the Heat Sheets...my car 84 Carrera has the brass 28 row cooler and I never really had any temp issues.

The heat sheets def lowered it by a tick or two on the temp gauge, whatever scientifically that translates to. As an aside I removed the logos on them and I think they look much better or more oem...just a brushed look now.

For $40 it was well worth the 10 minute install.

-Jeff
nolift911@hotmail.com

[echrisconnor]

This list covers all the typical heat-causing issuses. Are there any more to look at? I've gone through the same list of issues and my car still runs hot. Is there an internal oil thermostat which can also fail and cause high temperatures?

Great that all these mods made a difference. I found that an electric fan on my carrera cooler would get a good temperature drop, but I'm still running hot. I still want to see if there's anything else wrong before checking out more new things.

[nostatic]

Originally posted by JackOlsen
I've found that sometimes you need to take the cool collar off the oil filter, rap it a couple of times with a soft mallet, and reinstall. That usually loosens up the solenoid (or whatever) and gets the temps back down.

This only works for the early design. Later versions were solid state, and the likely culprit is the CCE (Cool Collar Electronics) relay, which is located under the passenger seat.

[feelyx]

I clamped the cool collar around the boys and the wife ran 40 degs. cooler

Tim in Sac

[bhensarl]

After problems with the installation of my cool collar on the oil filter I decided to try an alternate installation. After manufacturing custom brackets I fitted it right over the passenger side vent. Wow! Ice cold A/C! Even with the heater on!

[beamonk]

At the track last week with a 3.0 and just a carerra cooler with dented lines i couldn't get it over 210. I ran the hell out of it all day. I really think a clean engine is the key. Mine hardly reaches 180 in the winter and only gets to 210 in the summer sitting in traffic.

[SteveStromberg]

I have recommended the compact cooler and the Heat Sheet many times as a low cost way of lowering the temps. Steve

www.ottosvenice.com

[DanS911]

I like the clean engine concept. Most of us with older cars have oil leaks. Crud equals heat! Clean that motor!