Engine Cooling options

[Trueweltall]

Originally Posted by re-animator

i don't think i would use 0w20 on the track m8.

I agree, I even stopped running 0w-20 on the street.

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

I hit 250 on every run at Laguna last weekend with my Forester XT oil cooler.

Sounds like we both need something more heavy duty.

Hmm... it looks that the XT oil cooler doesn't do much. I was checking once the parts and especially the ones that were touching the engine seemed that were designed merely for heating the oil sooner.

[norcalpb]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

Hmm... it looks that the XT oil cooler doesn't do much. I was checking once the parts and especially the ones that were touching the engine seemed that were designed merely for heating the oil sooner.

To be fair it wouldn’t get to 250 until 13 minutes in, and id just go into 4th a lot to let it cool down (I could floor it in 4th instead of third and it would cool down to 240). I would also get stuck behind people which would cool my oil too.

My buddy’s Miata was hitting 265 it was such a hot day. A GtR and rx7 overheated and were towed lol.

[norcalpb]

Originally Posted by re-animator

i don't think i would use 0w20 on the track m8.

So running a thicker oil is ok? I always thought The FA20 needed 0w20 due to tolerances.

[bmxr]

I did a half dozen track days with a completely stock car. Peak oil temp was 259deg on an 80 degree day at Sebring. I never got any warning lights for temp, pressure, or anything else. Seemed OK, but starting to push the boundaries on oil temp a little.

Subsequently, I added the Jackson Racing NA Oil cooler and peak temp my last visit to Sebring was 226deg, on a much hotter 92 degree day. 33 degree reduction on a much hotter day is pretty solid. The install was painless and the quality of the parts was excellent. Highly recommend for cars that will spend time at the track. Sticking with 0w-20 for now...

[stevo585]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

So running a thicker oil is ok? I always thought The FA20 needed 0w20 due to tolerances.

Absolutely a myth. At some point the VVT would be sluggish or get CEL maybe. That's if say an 0w-40 in cold temps. On the track it be thin enough to be fine. Remember the WRX is essential the same bottom end and it specs 5w-30. In the JDM they spec and even sell a 40wt oil. Oil cooler with a 30wt would be ideal if NA tracking.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by bmxr

I did a half dozen track days with a completely stock car. Peak oil temp was 259deg on an 80 degree day at Sebring. I never got any warning lights for temp, pressure, or anything else. Seemed OK, but starting to push the boundaries on oil temp a little.

You won't get warning lights until it's too late.

[bmxr]

Originally Posted by Spuds

You won't get warning lights until it's too late.

You are right, I wouldn’t expect to. I made the comment based on this:

Originally Posted by Trueweltall

Once I hit 240 with 0w-20 my oil pressure at idle is almost nonexistent on the gauge, it's in the single digits and sets off the warning light.

I thought that was odd...

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

So running a thicker oil is ok? I always thought The FA20 needed 0w20 due to tolerances.

Possibly, but I went with the standard Subaru uses, which is they use 5w30 on all forced induction models, so that is what I run. If I was doing serious track days I might consider heavier oil. If I had much better cooling than the XT OEM cooler then I would consider sticking with 5w30 for serious track days. Some say if it gets too thick then there is decreased flow from more viscosity, so the oil heats up, as it is just circulating to the coolers less. I think the take away is, if there is significant drop in pressure then get a thicker oil or get better cooling.

[NoHaveMSG]

Need to be monitoring oil pressure more then temps. Most good synthetics don't break down till very high temps. It is the pressure drop that comes with the temp that is more of an issue.

250+ is normal for me during this time of year at the track. Running Setrab 613 cooler.

[Trueweltall]

Originally Posted by bmxr

I thought that was odd...

I have dedicated oil pressure, oil temp, and water temp gauges.

[jflogerzi]

Cheap way to keep track of it is using Torque and a bluetooth dongle. You can set up different warnings at different temps. For light track duty the OEM+ cooler should be give you a bit of extra safety net. For regular track use a air/air oil cooler is needed. Just note if you live in cold climates sometimes its hard to get the oil up to temp unless you either block it off or remove the cooler.

[Qwimby1]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

I hit 250 on every run at Laguna last weekend with my Forester XT oil cooler.

Sounds like we both need something more heavy duty.

I was thinking about the Forester cooler, partially because of ease of installation, but maybe I need to reconsider.

[re-animator]

Originally Posted by norcalpb

So running a thicker oil is ok? I always thought The FA20 needed 0w20 due to tolerances.

IIRC it only gets 0w20 in the states for fuel economy and JDM cars and elsewhere it gets 5w20. I started with 5w20 on my most recent oil change and it does seem to run a little smoother, especially when pushed. i checked with my toyota master mechanic uncle before i did it and he said its safe but probably hardly makes any difference 99% of the time. I would even consider 5w30 for tracking.