Engine heat and oil cooler

janz · 03-07-2009, 11:10 AM

I know this topic has been beat to death but. I installed the elephant racing oil lines along with a new thermostat/bypass valve and today was finally a nice day in New England so I fired her up to check for leaks. I ran it in the driveway (don't want to take it on the streets yet as their all wet and covered with salt and sand) let it idle for 10 minutes then gunned the engine a few times and repeated for another 10 minutes. Thermostat is hot and cooler lines running down are hot but from the jack hole forward the lines are cool. At least there are no leaks yet. Checked oil and filled to half way mark on stick (checked while running, the temp guage in the dash is just above the second mark not quite half way on the guage. A few questions: Should I have filled the cooler up front with oil before installing lines? Is there enough pressure from the oil pump to push the oil around at idle? Do I need to wait till I run it on the hiway to get the oil to circulate?
I let it run for a total of 40 minutes and temp on guage did not get any hotter and every once in a while gunned the engine but still had same results, cool lines above the front tire. Oil pressure started at 4.5 and after 25 minutes dropped to 1.5 unless I gunned the engine. I think I covered everything so what do you think. BTW its 50 degrees here its almost like the tropics.

Liam O · Liam O's Garage

About six months ago I removed my oil lines and front cooler,after I refitted them I was constantly checking them for heat to see if the thermostat was opening.The flow line taking the oil to the cooler only warmed slightly just to about the jack point even after a decent run,during the summer months.Last week I dropped the oil lines again,to get some brackets welded on.I was glad to see that the oil was circulating as the cooler was full .
BTW I live in Glasgow so its not the warmest of places.
I would say yours is fine,as soon as the thermostat opens the pump pushes the oil to the front cooler then back to the oil tank to begin its cycle again only cooler than before.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by janz

I know this topic has been beat to death but. I installed the elephant racing oil lines along with a new thermostat/bypass valve and today was finally a nice day in New England so I fired her up to check for leaks. I ran it in the driveway (don't want to take it on the streets yet as their all wet and covered with salt and sand) let it idle for 10 minutes then gunned the engine a few times and repeated for another 10 minutes. Thermostat is hot and cooler lines running down are hot but from the jack hole forward the lines are cool. At least there are no leaks yet. Checked oil and filled to half way mark on stick (checked while running, the temp guage in the dash is just above the second mark not quite half way on the guage. A few questions: Should I have filled the cooler up front with oil before installing lines? Is there enough pressure from the oil pump to push the oil around at idle? Do I need to wait till I run it on the hiway to get the oil to circulate?
I let it run for a total of 40 minutes and temp on guage did not get any hotter and every once in a while gunned the engine but still had same results, cool lines above the front tire. Oil pressure started at 4.5 and after 25 minutes dropped to 1.5 unless I gunned the engine. I think I covered everything so what do you think. BTW its 50 degrees here its almost like the tropics.

The t-stat opens at ~80C, it really hasn't been warm enough to get there at idle up here.

janz · 03-07-2009, 04:42 PM

Hmm lets see 80 C comes out to 176 F and I would have to say my temp was around 180 F if you look at those tiny #'s on the far left of the hash marks on the guage. So I would imagine its not all or nothing, the hotter it gets the further the valve opens?