Oil & Water Temps on Track - E36 M3

[Morpheustj]

I know this is a older post but wanted thank the OP for this thread & see how the temps and Mobil 1 is doing. Also it's best to use Distilled water & water wetter not just regular water..

[BMW4LIFE]

I know this is a older post but wanted thank the OP for this thread & see how the temps and Mobil 1 is doing. Also it's best to use Distilled water & water wetter not just regular water..

I wish I had an answer for you but I regrettably sold the car in 2009. The current owner recently cracked the head on the light bulb portion of NJMP lightning (not sure how or why) but that was after eleventy billion track days later so I would have to assume the temps were just alright with the current set up.

[95maxrider]

At what oil temp is it safe to start pushing the car on track i.e at what temp does the oil start performing at it's best?

Thread bump!

It doesn't look like anyone has given a definitive answer on this question yet. Is there a definitive answer?

A point of reference may be when oil thermostats open up to flow to the oil cooler. On my other car with an aftermarket oil cooler, I believe the thermostat opens at 180*F. To me, this is an indication that the oil is fully warmed up and is ready to be cooled. Does anyone know when the E36/E46 oil cooler thermostats open up?

[jakermac]

I don't have an oil temp gauge, just oil pressure. My cold pressures are VERAY high, like in the 70-80psi at 2,000rpm range right after startup. I know my hot idle pressure is in the 18-20psi range, so when the idle pressure gets down to the 25 or below range, I am generally happy with beating on it pretty hard. Anyone see any faults in this reasoning?

[Inflame]

I remember reading from the corvette racing fellas some technical documents that oil performs best between 220-240*.

Take it for what it is.

[95maxrider]

I don't have an oil temp gauge, just oil pressure. My cold pressures are VERAY high, like in the 70-80psi at 2,000rpm range right after startup. I know my hot idle pressure is in the 18-20psi range, so when the idle pressure gets down to the 25 or below range, I am generally happy with beating on it pretty hard. Anyone see any faults in this reasoning?

At cold startup, I'm somewhere around 60, but I have a feeling my gauge isn't so accurate, since it sometimes dies/goes to 0 until I give it a few taps. At idle, it seems to be somewhere between 5-10 psi. I think your reasoning is pretty sound.

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I remember reading from the corvette racing fellas some technical documents that oil performs best between 220-240*.

Take it for what it is.

I would like to see that being discussed, got a link? That seems rather high to me. My Innovate Motorsport oil pressure/temp gauge defaults to a high oil temp warning at 250*F.

[DocWyte]

As with many things, the answer is "it depends".

My old vw 16v gti normally ran around 224F oil temps, measured in the head. That was normal street driving.

My Audi S4 avant would easily clear 300F on track, once I added an oil cooler 275F.

I'd peg the oil temp gauge at 270F on my LS 951, even with the biggest oil cooler I could fit. However my friend in his C5 Z06 would have temps consistently 50 degrees higher than me.

I really don't worry about the oil temps until they soar over 300. I've never seen anywhere close to that on my E36 M3, even without a cooler...

[Haifisch M3]

At cold startup, I'm somewhere around 60, but I have a feeling my gauge isn't so accurate, since it sometimes dies/goes to 0 until I give it a few taps. At idle, it seems to be somewhere between 5-10 psi. I think your reasoning is pretty sound.

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I would like to see that being discussed, got a link? That seems rather high to me. My Innovate Motorsport oil pressure/temp gauge defaults to a high oil temp warning at 250*F.

I have that gauge as well. The temp does not have a numbered scale on mine. It ends up slightly right of straight up. Do you know what temp that is?
My coolant on track is usually 190 or less with Koyo rad, hood louvers, ext oilcooler steward pump.

[Haifisch M3]

never mind, think I figured it out. Temp range from 120-280f, so 200f is straight up and since it has 20 divisions= 8 degrees per line

[jakermac]

If you're talking about the OEM E36 temp gauge in the cluster, that position just right of center (12 o'clock) is buffered and the temp varies from 195 to 215 while the needle stays put. I have an Autometer temp gauge as well with a sender in the cylinder head (port for throttle body coolant - well heater actually - line) and I have watched the temp move up and down from 195 to 215 and back, and the OEM needle is always right there, just to the right of 12 o'clock.

[Haifisch M3]

I was talking about the innovative dual oil pressure/temp gauge
agreed on the stock one lying to you

[Hallatauer]

Running stock cooling on my old E36 M3, my temps ran really high... oil temps pushed 270F once on a hot day, 90F at Leguna Seca. Installed an aftermarket, all aluminum radiator and an oil cooler... that dropped the temps down to 230F. Don't remember my coolant temps.. but I run strictly distilled water/water wetter... the mix has a higher coefficent of heat than an antifreeze mix so will transfer heat out of the engine more efficiently.

[markertoo]

I'd start to get interested at oil temps above 250-260F, and actually concerned at the 300F mark. Water, I'd want somewhat cooler, in the 200-210 range. I was told by an engine builder that ideally we had "hot oil, cool water" for best conditions. If the oil can take it, there's no reason to get scared yet. BUT, change the oil more often.

i use water wetter in distilled water, but I've also started to use Amsoil's coolant/antifreeze - it's propylene glycol based, not ethylene glycol based. It's only as slippery as water, and protects stuff better than water wetter can.

[CMM3]

Where you're measuring oil temp has a significant impact in how you interpret the readings. The most meaningful location is to acquire the oil temp in the sump / oil pan. Turner makes a flange for just this purpose, https://www.turnermotorsport.com/ima...emp_Flange.pdf
This is where the oil is coming from that is actually lubricating and cooling the engine. If your measuring at the filter or some other location it can actually read hotter due to friction from the pump and other factors.

I have one installed in my s54 with a very accurate Motec Sensor which enables me to data log the oil temp. I also have a remote filter & oil cooler. Under the most severe race conditions the highest my oil temp reached was 237f, while doing regular HPDE sessions it stayed right around 215 -225f.
From all the research I've done this is just about ideal.

My coolant temp runs right around 170f race 165f HPDE, I have a Mishimoto radiator and no fan is required once on track. When I come into the paddock and airflow ceases my pusher fan kicks in an keeps the temp in the same range.

[CoMZ302]

Oil temps will also be higher for a given engine that makes more power. That is, a stock M3 will run cooler than one with big cams, etc.

My 328 race car is usually 210 water and 250ish oil. I realize that my oil cooler is mounted half behind the bumper so.... I'm going to raise it and put it behind the grill openings, add a bunch of shrounding and let the radiator be cooled by the lower opening.

The factory has pretty good plastic shrouding - once you remove that stuff, you have to go a long way to improve it... which I have not but will now.

HTH.

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I'd start to get interested at oil temps above 250-260F, and actually concerned at the 300F mark. Water, I'd want somewhat cooler, in the 200-210 range. I was told by an engine builder that ideally we had "hot oil, cool water" for best conditions. If the oil can take it, there's no reason to get scared yet. BUT, change the oil more often.

i use water wetter in distilled water, but I've also started to use Amsoil's coolant/antifreeze - it's propylene glycol based, not ethylene glycol based. It's only as slippery as water, and protects stuff better than water wetter can.

Yep, time to get worried at 260F oil - I'd start short shifting if I had any racing left at that temp. At 270 I'm coasting around - don't tempt 300, or at least I wouldn't.

Water I think 190-210 is just fine and expected. At 230 I'm worrying and slowing down.

Thanks for the tip on the amsoil stuff, I'll try that next. I really love their oil products which I wasn't expecting.

[Zxc4]

Interestingly, hyperlube does not recommend using distilled water http://www.hyperlube.com/mc_images/c...ng_systems.pdf