engine oil thermostat needed?
 

I am running a C&R radiator in my 69 firebird track/street car. It has built in PS and Oil coolers. I am running a Texas Speed 570 horse LS3. I am looking at getting an Improved Racing Thermostat or cooler line adapter that bolts to the pan over the filter area. Is a thermostat needed for an oil to water cooler...and what temp?
http://www.improvedracing.com/cooler...12f-p-435.html

Yes or it will take forever and a day to warm the oil up.
If you're planning a lot of track duty... I would use the 180...if it's primarily street I would use the 212.
Ideally you want the oil to get to at least 212 to boil out the moisture.

I used this on my LS7 with a C&R Radiator $99
and a high quality piece

http://www.lingenfelter.com/mm5/merc...egory_Code=C54

My opinion is No. The radiator is your oil thermostat. It aides in warming up the oil faster and regulating oil temp as it climbs above the coolant t stat. I ran this setup and it worked fine for me until I got on the road course for 20 minute sessions. Then I went to an air cooled unit which does need a t stat.

But what happens in cold weather when the radiator thermostat rarely opens if at all in some driving conditions such as highway cruising? The radiator is close to ambient temperature and the oil will be much cooler than desired. I think in warm climates it may not be needed but in cooler climates it might be good insurance.

Don

Your water temp T stat will open pretty fast even on a cold day. I believe the stock T-stat is a 192* and will basically stay closed only until it reaches the set temp. Doesn't take very long. Then of course is will open and close as needed to regulate the water temp.

The oil temp will run higher then the coolant temp.

My LS7 heated up to operating temp in a few minutes.

You guys in Vegas need to travel to visit a colder climate. :lol: In colder climates the thermostat may rarely open under some conditions. Of course that is an extreme case and these cars may not be driven under those conditions but a cold sunny winter day is perfect for cruising in Texas. Under highway cruising conditions I think the oil might not reach sufficiently high temperature. Why risk it for an extra $100 for an oil thermostat?

Don

If I was that concerned, I'd look to see what factory engineers do. Oil t stats allow for up to 20% of the oil to flow anyway, I don't think it will make much difference but I'm no expert. I did build a pro touring car and slept in my own bed. :lol:

If the coolant tstat isn't opening, that means the coolant system is likely to large. A factory car tstat will open in almost all conditions. The truth is, these high powered pro touring cars need massive cooling systems to have a chance without real engineering.

It does make a difference having a thermostat on the oil. I have the same radiator/cooler set-up as the op and initially had no t-stat but struggled to build oil temps in cool weather while street driving.

I'm not sure I would use what factory engineers do as a model for proper cooling for road course duty. There are very few factory built cars that could handle a 30 minute session on a big road course where the duty cycle is higher than anything it will see in street duty.

I was superised to hear that some think that the C&R oil cooler won't be enough for a 20 minute track session...which is what I will be doing most of the time. I went a little overboard with my cooling system for piece of mind and room to grow in the future. I thought Steilow was using a similar setup in some of his builds. I think for a little added cost with the Improved Racing options, I will go with a thermostat. Would 212 be a better bet if the car will see a little street time, or would 180 be better for the track? I'm still trying to find a spin-on oil filter adapter that I can plumb my accusump into as well. The factory style oil pan doesn't leave much room for the spin-on adapters! Thanks.