Nissan 370Z Forum - fall weather. the Z is staying at 190 degrees with,

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- - fall weather. the Z is staying at 190 degrees with, (http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-general-discussions/44715-fall-weather-z-staying-190-degrees.html)

fall weather. the Z is staying at 190 degrees with,

SYNTHETIC. Well my Z has seen a huge change in performance. Aggressive driving, the Z stayed steady at 190 degrees with an average temp outside of 53 degrees. This past week I haven't seen more than 230. All excellent temps. I know the weather is the culprit. Hmmm. It seems k&n filter and a good synthetic oil keep this car at bay in fall and temps below 90 degree weather.
Which garners this question. Would adding an oil cooler for intense summer heat damage the car during cooler and winter months when driving? I'm in texas so putting the Z away for winter is about 4 to 6 weeks... lol.
Is there a way to disengage oil cooling during winter months without removing the unit. I've never driven either Z in such cool weather and its doing insanely well.

search for block off plate and thermostatic coupler. this has been discussed ad nauseam

so this is full synthetic then?

i currently run mobil1 silver cap and temps are around 190-220 range which is normal for the car, i thinks. ambient temp 35F to 42F during the drive.... (spirited drive).

Mine staying at 165 degrees, but then again I have 34 row oil cooler.

I would think that is a bit low from everything i have seen and read. Seems like you would want at least 190 once warmed up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeeterbop (Post 1383305)

I would think that is a bit low from everything i have seen and read. Seems like you would want at least 190 once warmed up.

it is very low. most oil is not doing a whole lot for the engine at that point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdoxp800 (Post 1383206)

Mine staying at 165 degrees, but then again I have 34 row oil cooler.

Not good you want the water in the oil to burn off. Water doesn't boil at 165 F.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdoxp800 (Post 1383206)

Mine staying at 165 degrees, but then again I have 34 row oil cooler.

You need something to cover a good part of the core. That's way, way, way too low.

Bought my car a week ago so it has not been over 185-190. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the summer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 11Thumper (Post 1383443)

Not good you want the water in the oil to burn off. Water doesn't boil at 165 F.

You don't need to hit 212* to get rid of water. Hell, my drier doesn't hit 212*, but my clothes are still dry.

165* is still way too low for automotive oil to function the way it was intended. I would imagine it is VERY thick at 165*, as compared to the 200=ish it is made to work at. Too thick = not getting where it needs to go/extra strain on the oil-pump, etc. etc.

I let mine warm up for a while in the driveway then take it real easy untill she gets around 180+.

Shouldn't the thermostatic sandwich plate not allow oil to flow to the cooler until it achieves whatever temperature threshold at which the plate is set? I thought that is how it worked. Maybe not, though.

The plate never closes all the way, if it did then the cold oil from the cooler would slam the engine when the plate did open and that's no good. It stays slightly open all the time and opens up all the way at around 180*.

Quote:

Originally Posted by red6spd (Post 1383497)

I let mine warm up for a while in the driveway then take it real easy untill she gets around 180+.

This is how i do it also, let it run a good while when it's cold out and keep the rpm's under 2k-2500ish until over 180*. This winter i think i'll cover most of the cooler so i don't have to worry as much. Also putting an oil pressure gauge in just in case a leak would happen.

Modern engines are built to get you to operating temperature as fast as possible, you are going to slow the process by letting the car idle and warm up? What is this, 1965s on carb. cars? Just drive it normal and don't beat on it when it is cold, common sense.

Yeah, I'd just avoid going full tilt before about 180* F or so. Should get there pretty quickly after a bit of normal driving tho'.

Believe it or not, the arc cool fins work well to keep temps down by about 10*F. Unless you plan on tracking it, or are seeing 240*+ F in the summer during regulkar driving, that should do it for you.

I got three sets of the fins and applied them to the bottom of the oil pan -- works surprisingly well for such an inexpensive and "ghetto" mod.

Behold:

http://www.the370z.com/members/jordo...40606-0000.jpg

I also have two stuck on my diff cover :tup:

Too bad they couldn't be used on the brakes!

I have been running mine with Amsoil 5w30 and using GTM 24 row oil cooler and temps here are mid 50's and under harder driving its hitting 190 for temps at the highest point, If I plan on driving this car into Nov I will put on a blocking plate if the temps drop more...

DAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeeterbop (Post 1383305)

I would think that is a bit low from everything i have seen and read. Seems like you would want at least 190 once warmed up.

Yeah I'm thinking this is normal range.

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Originally Posted by UNKNOWN_370 (Post 1383762)

Yeah I'm thinking this is normal range.

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Originally Posted by One_Quick_Z (Post 1383746)

Oh ok... so the key is add a block off plate and themostatic coupler to the cooler to keep oil at a normal temp in colder months? Since my car is doing well now without one but doing poorly in the summer, I guess that's the route to go. Thanks. :)

Something to add to this thread (even if it's only for my own reference later when my memory has gone) since I have been reading through a lot forum threads lately on oil coolers, low oil temps, mocal thermostatic sandwich plates opening temp, the general oil temp we want to see coming OUT of the engine block, and block off plates. There a numbers of good threads on the topics. I have compiled the posts pertaining to the above mentioned topics and included the links to the threads for reference and further reading.

Here are some comments by Dustin from Z1 Motorsports who sells oil cooler kits.

http://www.the370z.com/815172-post115.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashburn (Post 815172)

........... here is what Dustin@Z1 had to say about it when I asked him about the 160-ish temperatures I was seeing:

Quote:

No worries. This is perfectly normal. There is a slight flaw in the VQ37VHR's design that we have discovered. Like I have mentioned in the past, over cooling the engine oil is just as detrimental as over heating it. The general oil temp range you want to see on a properly installed oil temp gauge is between 190 ~ 210 ideally.

This engine oil temp is what you want to see COMING OUT from the motor. In the case of the 370z and any add-on oil cooler, you are actually getting a false reading. Since the factory temp gauge reads engine oil as it exits the Oil Filter, you are actually reading the oil temp coming directly from the oil cooler. The flow pattern for engine oil on a 370z is as follows:

Pick Up Tube --> Oil Pump --> Oil Filter IN --> Oil Filter Out --> Oil Cooler --> Engine Block (Temp and Pressure gauges are located in this galley)

The temp you are reading is actually what is going back INTO the engine (which is perfect). By the time it cycles thru the engine, you can expect to see engine temps in 200 degree range.

As for the thermostatic sandwich plate, it will bypass roughly 80% of the oil back into the engine when too cold. It will still flow ~ 20% thru the oil cooler (preventing air pockets from forming).

To get a TRUE Oil Temp reading, you would need to install an inline oil temp gauge coming out from the Thermostatic Sandwich plate before the oil cooler.

http://www.the370z.com/engine-drivet...tml#post815915

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Originally Posted by christian370z (Post 815915)

How far off is the factory oil temperature gauge? Is it reading low by roughly 20 degrees then?

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisuke149 (Post 815919)

from what i understand, theres no set difference. depends on the ambient air and the size of the cooler/speeds etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashburn (Post 815929)

Yeah, that's my understanding as well, but 20 degrees might be a decent assumption. You can really tell in the case of "low temps", because if you have a thermostatic plate, you will see it get up to around 160-ish easily, and then usually stick around there unless you get stuck in traffic or are driving aggressively. Since it makes it up to around that temperature and sticks there, it seems like the thermostatic plate must be completely opened so it should be actually around 180 degrees. Or at least that's my logic behind it.

Maybe Dustin can chime in and give us a better idea. We really should make it a separate thread and sticky it.

http://www.the370z.com/drivetrain-en...ml#post1418647

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dustin@Z1 (Post 1418647)

CRWallace,
I appreciate your input on this, but keep in mind. The factory temp sensor that displays on the dash board is post-cooler. You are reading the oil cooler at its coolest temp where the oil re-enters the block. The oil is MUCH hotter once it cycles thru the engine and returns back out to the core.

I do agree with you and we have suggested this in the past to many of our customers and forum members here on the370z. Owners of Z/G's living in cooler climates or in the winter with ANY oil cooler should consider blocking off the front of the core during the cooler times of the year. This method is used widely by racing teams to further regulate oil temps.

Race teams will block off individual rows of the oil coolers during test and tune to "fine tune" oil temps depending on the track conditions, humidity and driving style. :tiphat:

Quote:

Originally Posted by adampetrasek (Post 1431356)

Is there a thermostatic plate that opens around 200 or 210? That seams like it might make a bit of difference for the temps entering the block?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dustin@Z1 (Post 1432674)

Mocal does make a higher temp thermostat, but it is a remote mount style. This is a completely different setup when compared to the standard thermostatic sandwich plate that we currently use.

The current opening temp of the thermostatic sandwich plate we sell is 180* degrees F. This means, at 180* the bypass valve fully closes and directs 100% of the oil into the oil cooler core.

To build a custom Remote mount thermostatic sandwich plate with a higher temp. thermostat, it would increase the base kit price atelast $100 if not more. This is due to the fact that there would be double the total amount of fittings, 4 lines instead of 2, the requirement of a custom mounting bracket for the thermostat and a slight revision to the instruction manual.

I have had customer's express interest in the kit before, and would be willing develop it. We simply did not go this route due to to the added complexity and cost, which would have priced well out of the range of comparable kits. We wanted to make sure that we are competitive in every aspect....inlcuding price.

If you are a DIY type person, I can source the parts necessary to convert your existing -10 AN lines to accept the Remote Mount Thermostat. The catch will be the fact that you will need to cut your existing lines into two pieces, install new fittings and mount the thermostat. The sounds somewhat easy in writing, but assembling SS lines can be a pain in the neck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZForce (Post 1423176)

Does Z1 sell a core block off plate? If not then are there any photos floating around of a mock up block off plate on how to fab one?

Quote:

Originally Posted by John@Z1 (Post 1426496)

We don't have one just yet but I'm sure there is a DIY somewhere on this forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZForce (Post 1435896)

Here are a couple, pretty much the same with additional mods and more in detail on the second link.

http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...ler-cover.html

http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...off-plate.html

.

Another good thread on the complete explanation on how the Mocal Thermostatic Sandwich Plate Operates:

http://www.the370z.com/drivetrain-en...tml#post990449

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