Is it time for an oil cooler?

[Hiitman]

I've done everything related to the cooling system on this link http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200575. My coolant temps till hover around 200-203. Ive got a fluidyne radiator, 100% water with 1 bottle of water wetter, 180* thermostat, heat wrapped radiator hoses, and spal 12" pull 1360cfm and 11" push 970 cfm fans. Heres a log from dsmlink that shows my coolant temps.

 

[fourreGsixty3]

200-203* is perfect OEM operating temp's, the t-stat opens up around 206* so you should be fine.

 

[Hiitman]

Yea? I thought the ecu pulled a deg of timing at 203. I'm gonna put 160* thermostat in and see if that helps at all.

 

[fourreGsixty3]

In sunny SoCal you should be fine running a 160* t-stat due to it always being warm. In colder weather a colder t-stat just mean's that it will take a lot longer to get up to operating temp's, and there will be an increase in cylinder ware, and fuel consumption. Also I would add some anti-freeze so its a 70/30 mix with the wetter because the anti-freeze keeps important thing's like the t-stat, and water pump lubricated, and keeps electrolyst( sp?) down, and keeps things like your radiator from rusting to hell real quickly.

 

[Hiitman]

I was told water wetter did the same thing but yea I'll probably throw some coolant in the mix just to be safe.

 

[fourreGsixty3]

Yes it does do the same, but a bottle with 100% water will be a toss up, if it works as well as a 70/30 mixture with the bottle of wetter. I wouldn't chance my water pump, or t-stat sticking closed over a little coolant.

 

[Defiant]

The thermostat doesn't cool the engine, the radiator does. The thermostat is to keep the engine warm.
If you think you're running hotter than you want do -although you've just been told you're running in the DSM's sweet spot- you may want to try blanking off part of the radiator. It's not recommended.

 

[LaserAWD]

It sounds to me like he wants it to run cooler, not warmer. Blocking off part of the radiator would make it warmer.

In theory the engine temp should stay close the the thermostat temp. The thermostat is there to keep it warm but it should regulate the temp also.

So if he's seeing 203* with a 180* thermostat his radiator can't keep the engine cool enough, i.e. the thermostat is always open. And to whoever said the thermostat opens at 206*, a stock t-stat is 195* and he's running a 180* t-stat, no way either of those should wait until 206* (at the t-stat) to open. If they do you've got a bad t-stat.

Just remember that on a stock ECU the O2's don't cycle until a certain temp, if you put a 160* in and it keeps it at 160* you might never make it out of warm up mode.

I have the same issue right now, 180* thermostat and 200* temps. I'm planning an oil cooler next spring when it starts getting warm again.

 

[bmoha2]

brings up the protected freezing temp of the fluid in your radiator. If you live someplace like I do in Madison WI I can't run water water in the winter. Coolant temps will only protect down to about 20 degrees. It's just asking to blow a coolant block freeze plug. I used to run it and then take it out in the winter and run the recommended mix but now I just run the recommended mix. Too much work plus water wetter really opens you block and your radiator up to rusting and oxidation. Those are not good for any coolant system. You start rusting coolant passages and your motors toast.

You wont have to worry about it. I moved from Cali to Ann Arbor michigan and added mix to protect down to 20 below zero. When I got to Michigan it was 46 below zero with the windchill and it killed my car. Plug the freeze plugs, cracked the head, cracked the turbo.

Our cars always run a little hotter than expected. For insurance an external oil cooler couldn't hurt. The extra oil capacity and cooler oil temps really can only be thought to be beneficial. The fluidyne radiator helps as do the combo of pushing and pulling fans with pretty high cfm. Maybe what about a carbon fiber hood with heat extracting vents?

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

What does this thread have to do with an oil cooler??

 

[peypey's ride]

I was thinking the same thing???

I have to block the radiator abit in winter to keep my coolant temps up, I have had it down to 135 before. If he is trying to cool the temps down, then blocking it is wrong. There are a few ppl on here from cali that have cut openings in their front bumper to help cool things down, just an idea.

 

[v8killer]

i've never had a dsm run hot with the stock fans and radiator setup unless it was low on water or the fans was coming on when supposed to ! when i used a 180 stat it always ran cooler never hotter. on every car i have owned when i fill the coolant system i fill it up with water till it wont hold any more then start the car till the temps come up and the stat opens the fill it till it wont hold any more again then i know that all the air is out ! if the cooling system is working properly it will run about 10 deg's hotter than the stat, in my own experience ! are you running hot sitting still or going down the road or after a run !