Most guys don,t think much about this, and just jump into thier cars and haul butt, but the fact is that the first 5-6 minutes of operation are critical to engine wear and allow the engine temps to stabilise and the lubricants and coolant to reach thier designed operational temp. range.
engine wear is reduced significantly once the moving patrts are bathed in hot pressurised oil and the clearances stabilize, so next time you jump in the car, Id suggest you allow the engine to reach a steady operating temp range of about 180F-200F on the coolant and 200F-215F on the oil before hammering the parts.
that usually requires only about 3-4 miles of driving or 5-6 minutes at idkle speeds.
engine wear rates are FAR HIGHER, when oil temp is under 180F
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF7/747.html
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
http://www.carjunky.com/news/motor_oil/mom5.shtml
coolant temps should IDEALLY be kept in the 190F-220F range, only occasional OVER 230F coolant temps make me worry, OIL TEMP in the 215F-240F range for both the best power and the best lubrication, SYNTHETIC OIL DOES HAVE A WIDER AND HIGHER TEMP RANGE, if you use SYNTHETIC OIL, occasional peak temps up to 260F are nothing to worry about, AIR TEMP entering the engine, should be routed from outside the engine compartment directly to the carb and fuel temp should be as low as you can manage
oil (especially synthetic)has improved dramatically over the last 15-20 years and thinner oil tends to BOTH absorb and carry away heat from the bearing surfaces quicker due to the faster movement thru those clearances, and those more modern formulas of thinner oils do protect your engine far better than the older oils did. keep in mind PRESSURE is a measure of the OILS RESISTANCE to being forced under pressure thru your engines clearances, and thinner oil reduces the resistance to both flow thru those clearances and pumping losses the moving parts have sliding over the oil films surface, remember the oil molecules are very small, and there’s hundreds of layers stacked in that thousandth or so of bearing clearance.
a quick way to get an idea on your clearances is to look at your oil pressure AFTER the engine reaches the proper operating temps which should be about(between 215F and 240F...... OIL TEMP NOT COOLANT TEMP)
and use the thinnest QUALITY oil that maintains about a 20 psi at idle (700-900 rpm)
! keep in mind you want the OIL temp to reach a MINIMUM of 215F to burn off moisture, and that OIL FLOW does MUCH of the critical cooling in the ENGINE, so if your running hot, a larger baffled oil pan, with its far greater surface area and oil volume can also aid in the total cooling process, just swapping from a stock 5 qt to a aftermarket 8 qt pan is usually worth about a 10-15 degree drop in engine temps
the oil temp is more critical than the coolant temp(with-in limits of course) but don’t allow the oil temp to fail to reach and stay in the 215F-240F range once the engines up to operating temp. or it can’t do its clean/lub job correctly
coolant temps in the 180f-210f range are about ideal according to G.M. test for HP and LONG ENGINE LIFE
engine wear is reduced significantly once the moving patrts are bathed in hot pressurised oil and the clearances stabilize, so next time you jump in the car, Id suggest you allow the engine to reach a steady operating temp range of about 180F-200F on the coolant and 200F-215F on the oil before hammering the parts.
that usually requires only about 3-4 miles of driving or 5-6 minutes at idkle speeds.
engine wear rates are FAR HIGHER, when oil temp is under 180F
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF7/747.html
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
http://www.carjunky.com/news/motor_oil/mom5.shtml
coolant temps should IDEALLY be kept in the 190F-220F range, only occasional OVER 230F coolant temps make me worry, OIL TEMP in the 215F-240F range for both the best power and the best lubrication, SYNTHETIC OIL DOES HAVE A WIDER AND HIGHER TEMP RANGE, if you use SYNTHETIC OIL, occasional peak temps up to 260F are nothing to worry about, AIR TEMP entering the engine, should be routed from outside the engine compartment directly to the carb and fuel temp should be as low as you can manage
oil (especially synthetic)has improved dramatically over the last 15-20 years and thinner oil tends to BOTH absorb and carry away heat from the bearing surfaces quicker due to the faster movement thru those clearances, and those more modern formulas of thinner oils do protect your engine far better than the older oils did. keep in mind PRESSURE is a measure of the OILS RESISTANCE to being forced under pressure thru your engines clearances, and thinner oil reduces the resistance to both flow thru those clearances and pumping losses the moving parts have sliding over the oil films surface, remember the oil molecules are very small, and there’s hundreds of layers stacked in that thousandth or so of bearing clearance.
a quick way to get an idea on your clearances is to look at your oil pressure AFTER the engine reaches the proper operating temps which should be about(between 215F and 240F...... OIL TEMP NOT COOLANT TEMP)
and use the thinnest QUALITY oil that maintains about a 20 psi at idle (700-900 rpm)
! keep in mind you want the OIL temp to reach a MINIMUM of 215F to burn off moisture, and that OIL FLOW does MUCH of the critical cooling in the ENGINE, so if your running hot, a larger baffled oil pan, with its far greater surface area and oil volume can also aid in the total cooling process, just swapping from a stock 5 qt to a aftermarket 8 qt pan is usually worth about a 10-15 degree drop in engine temps
the oil temp is more critical than the coolant temp(with-in limits of course) but don’t allow the oil temp to fail to reach and stay in the 215F-240F range once the engines up to operating temp. or it can’t do its clean/lub job correctly
coolant temps in the 180f-210f range are about ideal according to G.M. test for HP and LONG ENGINE LIFE