A MUST READ for Oil Temps for Tracking

[wernergmhtp]

For what it's worth... results of semi-official GM testing below.

With help from Chevrolet (who built and own the modified 2015 Camaro SS being tested), Grassroots Motorsports was able to show how actual oil temperatures compare with those indicated on the factory 4-pack gauge. Testing was performed using the same equipment GM uses during their own testing (literally the same - GM sent it to them).

This testing was done at VIR at full bore with track times in the 2:12s, and since I was present that July weekend with my own Camaro, I can verify that ambient temps were HOT.

Note that the car in question is STOCK in terms of the oil system and DOES NOT have an aftermarket oil cooler.

Special thanks to Grassroots Motorsports for allowing me to share the attached pdf with the forum, and be sure to check out summaries of the other stories on their 2015 Camaro SS project track car here. (Full stories are available in back issues.)

[jksynergy]

Originally Posted by wernergmhtp

For what it's worth... results of semi-official GM testing below.

With help from Chevrolet (who built and own the modified 2015 Camaro SS being tested), Grassroots Motorsports was able to show how actual oil temperatures compare with those indicated on the factory 4-pack gauge. Testing was performed using the same equipment GM uses during their own testing (literally the same - GM sent it to them).

This testing was done at VIR at full bore with track times in the 2:12s, and since I was present that July weekend with my own Camaro, I can verify that ambient temps were HOT.

Note that the car in question is STOCK in terms of the oil system and DOES NOT have an aftermarket oil cooler.

Special thanks to Grassroots Motorsports for allowing me to share the attached pdf with the forum, and be sure to check out summaries of the other stories on their 2015 Camaro SS project track car here. (Full stories are available in back issues.)

Thanks for posting that. I wasn't sure if we could or not hijack it from their magazine or website. It was a good build and the insight on this matter was nice to see out in public.

[JTRATX]

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[Camaro Dude]

Originally Posted by wernergmhtp

For what it's worth... results of semi-official GM testing below.

With help from Chevrolet (who built and own the modified 2015 Camaro SS being tested), Grassroots Motorsports was able to show how actual oil temperatures compare with those indicated on the factory 4-pack gauge. Testing was performed using the same equipment GM uses during their own testing (literally the same - GM sent it to them).

This testing was done at VIR at full bore with track times in the 2:12s, and since I was present that July weekend with my own Camaro, I can verify that ambient temps were HOT.

Note that the car in question is STOCK in terms of the oil system and DOES NOT have an aftermarket oil cooler.

Special thanks to Grassroots Motorsports for allowing me to share the attached pdf with the forum, and be sure to check out summaries of the other stories on their 2015 Camaro SS project track car here. (Full stories are available in back issues.)

Wernergmhtp, thank you for sharing that link!!!

"Our Ultimate Track Camaro SS hit the track again
recently, and it’s holding up as well as ever. When
we left off last time, we were adding heavier oil and
installing a mechanical thermocouple, because we
were seeing oil temp readings of nearly 320 degrees
(or more) on the factory gauge.
Turns out that was a false alarm.
Rather than an actual thermocouple gauge to
measure oil temperature, this Chevy uses a computer
algorithm that takes into account various parameters–
ambient temps, rpm, load, throttle position and
a zillion others–to simulate what it thinks the oil temperature
must be. That’s right, instead of measuring
the oil temperature, it basically measures everything
else and uses that data to model the temperature.
Chevy says the system works
great–except under occasional
weird circumstances, when
it doesn’t. Since this Camaro
sees 90 percent of its on time
at full throttle, we’d say that
counts as weird.
So Chevy sent us a
mechanical gauge and
a thermocouple that we
installed before our
Ultimate Track Car Challenge
event at VIR. The
result: nearly ideal oil
temps. Readings ranged
from about 275 to 285
degrees in the pan,
which we can completely
live with.
In the spirit of monitoring
even more
parameters, we also
installed a cool little
device from Auto Meter
called a DashLogic.
Plugged into the OBDII
port, the DashLogic
hijacks the driver info
center in between the
tach and speedo and
lets you display custom info from the OBD system–
stuff like steering angle, throttle position and
timing. This sub-$300 device installs in about a
second and provides a meaningful service, so we
call it a big win."

[rockrau]

wernergmhtp; What issue of GRMS is that? I think I am missing that important issue! Thanks!

[wernergmhtp]

Originally Posted by rockrau

wernergmhtp; What issue of GRMS is that? I think I am missing that important issue! Thanks!

It's the December 2015 issue but there is some more discussion of the oil temperature issue, and their process for investigating it, in the November 2015 issue.

[ackeight]

So what I'm gathering from this is that a stock Camaro ss keeps a 285 degree oil temp? How can we display actual oil temp on the 4 gauge cluster instead of the calculated temp?

[White_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by ackeight

So what I'm gathering from this is that a stock Camaro ss keeps a 285 degree oil temp? How can we display actual oil temp on the 4 gauge cluster instead of the calculated temp?

There's not a way to have it display anything other than what the computer outputs to the gauge. There may be a way to bypass the computer and have the electronic signal from the sender go directly to the gauge, but I Haven't seen anything along those lines yet. Most just go simple aftermarket gauges.

[wakespeak]

Originally Posted by wernergmhtp

For what it's worth... results of semi-official GM testing below.

With help from Chevrolet (who built and own the modified 2015 Camaro SS being tested), Grassroots Motorsports was able to show how actual oil temperatures compare with those indicated on the factory 4-pack gauge. Testing was performed using the same equipment GM uses during their own testing (literally the same - GM sent it to them).

This testing was done at VIR at full bore with track times in the 2:12s, and since I was present that July weekend with my own Camaro, I can verify that ambient temps were HOT.

Note that the car in question is STOCK in terms of the oil system and DOES NOT have an aftermarket oil cooler.

Special thanks to Grassroots Motorsports for allowing me to share the attached pdf with the forum, and be sure to check out summaries of the other stories on their 2015 Camaro SS project track car here. (Full stories are available in back issues.)

Wow great objective info.

[hcsi99]

I run a stand alone oil temp sensor with a digital gauge and have seen temps at 305 on a stock LS3 running a small cooler. After adding a 2nd cooler I didn't see temps above 285. I don't know how accurate an external engine block oil drain plug temp would be in relation to the actual oil temp, and from what the article states and show that's where they took their readings from.

[wernergmhtp]

Originally Posted by hcsi99

I run a stand alone oil temp sensor with a digital gauge and have seen temps at 305 on a stock LS3 running a small cooler. After adding a 2nd cooler I didn't see temps above 285. I don't know how accurate an external engine block oil drain plug temp would be in relation to the actual oil temp, and from what the article states and show that's where they took their readings from.

hcsi99, where exactly is your oil temp sensor located?

I'm not sure there is a way to measure "actual oil temp" because clearly, not all 8 qts are at the same temperature at the same time. Of course the temperature in the main oil gallery will be different from the temperature of the oil sitting on top of the heads, which will also be different from the temp of the oil in the pan. Is it the maximum temperature that matters? The amount of time spent at max temp vs. minimum temp?

I'm certainly not saying a given method of measurement is wrong. I'm just saying that clearly, GM Powertrain engineers thought about some of these questions before sending GRM one of their own oil drain plug thermocouples that they use in their own testing.

[hcsi99]

Originally Posted by wernergmhtp

hcsi99, where exactly is your oil temp sensor located?

I'm not sure there is a way to measure "actual oil temp" because clearly, not all 8 qts are at the same temperature at the same time. Of course the temperature in the main oil gallery will be different from the temperature of the oil sitting on top of the heads, which will also be different from the temp of the oil in the pan. Is it the maximum temperature that matters? The amount of time spent at max temp vs. minimum temp?

I'm certainly not saying a given method of measurement is wrong. I'm just saying that clearly, GM Powertrain engineers thought about some of these questions before sending GRM one of their own oil drain plug thermocouples that they use in their own testing.

My oil sensor is located in the oil cooler adapter out port going to the cooler. I agree, the oil might be a different temp in different parts of the engine. I also can't help but think that GM wouldn't want to admit that a car labeled as a track pack that 2% of the people that buy may actually take to the track would have a problem with the oil getting excessively hot. I hope I'm wrong.

[MTCobra]

I took a bit of a lead from the Z06 guys and put in a cooling duct aimed at the factory oil cooler. Running it this weekend but it's supposed to be cool so it won't be much of a test.








2014 ZL1

[White_SS/RS]

Not sure how the Camaro6 is with its temps but they didn't seem to address what most see as a oil temp problem in the introduction of the C7 either. I don't think GM sees a problem with Camaro's oil temps. An oil temp problem is too easy for the OEM to come up with a solution, they added a trans cooler on the 1LE, why not throw on a oil cooler as well? It isn't a cost issue. The price of an oil cooler is irrelevant in the big picture, especially if it's critical. I'm sure GM is on the cutting edge of oil technology and even I've seen many reports that 300 is not an excessively hot running temp for quality oils nowadays. Many oils claim they are capable at temps into the 400 range. My own oil reports show no indication of thermal related issues when it's spent significant time at 270-300. It may be time to rethink this as a norm and not as an issue.