Skunk2 Oil Cooler Too Cold?

[KillerBMotorsport]

Originally Posted by SCFD

How cold is too cold though? I've lived in areas where the average winter temperature is 6F with temps as low as -30F during cold spells. On a K-series engine at around 6F ambient, the coolant still had a hard time reaching 170F with spirited driving. I did not have an oil temp sensor but I assume that the oil might've been around 150F to 160F at the best.

That depends on the car and application.

If you're going to be doing performance driving, you want the oil (and cooling system) to be at optimum temperature. That may mean covering or insulating some things if the ambient temps are that cold. For me, during spirited driving or auto-x, I don't give it the beans until oil temps are at least 190°. For 1/2 mile or track events when you're on FULL load for a l-o-n-g time, I would target 210° before staging/starting.

When the temps are really cold, engine heaters, battery heaters and the like are very common. We even did a custom pan for a customer that lives off the Hudson Bay, where we installed an oil pan with a heating element made for a big rig, plus his pan and filter was insulated. When that project was done, he could start the car, it would be at 150° right at startup and maintain +180 for his work commute.