optimal engine oil temperature
optimal engine oil temperature
(OP)
looking for best oil temp for auto/truck under load in towing mode. 200 seems too low for evaporating any moisture.
230 seems to be getting high. gasoline engines.
230 seems to be getting high. gasoline engines.





RE: optimal engine oil temperature
Have a good one.
Michael
RE: optimal engine oil temperature
It depends on the application, but evaporating moisture is not at the top of the list of things engine oil needs to do. An engine works hard while towing. The best temperature is one that lets it do it's job lubricating and, at the same time, help to cool things.
RE: optimal engine oil temperature
Oil vs. engine coolant warmup time.
In an engineering article I read 20 yrs ago it said that the coolant warms up in ~10 minutes but the oil takes ~30 minutes.
IMO this doesn't make much sense as a large part of the oil is in contact with the engine block interior surface (dripping down from the rocker arms etc) so I think both fluids would be ~ the same temperature.
Comments.
RE: optimal engine oil temperature
Also noteworthy, the top end rises about 15 C to its highest temp immediately after shut down when all the heat has nowhere else to go but up, so the most thermal stress on the lubricant occurs when the engine isn't running.
RE: optimal engine oil temperature
The only suggestion that oil cools everything, is by statements about it's irrelevance in doing so. Even in low output engines, oil has a critical role in keeping the temperature of various components of the valve train at tolerable levels. Valve springs, stems, tips, followers, etc all depend on oil to carry away heat. High output engines use oil for direct cooling of pistons and cams as well.
Engine oil cools things two ways. One is by carrying away heat in its circulation. The other is by conducting heat rapidly from one surface to another such as a valve-stem to guide, or cam-follower to block. Thinking the temperature increase of the top end after shut down is entirely because it "has nowhere else to go but up" is a bit green.