Oil Cooler

[STALKER]

I also went with the Improved Racing Kit. Very well made kit, as others have said. It was hard to get a grasp on how much the kit actually helped with temps due to the fact that the computer takes input from other perimeters in order to calculate oil temps.
I ended up wiring in a temp sensor from my Aero Force Gauge on the thermostatic oil block supplied with the kit, to get a reading.

[ariZona28]

Stalker, what is the temp comparison between the factory DIC and your Aeroforce readout? Curious as to how close they compare at the good and warm 220, 250, 270 degree range.

[STALKER]

Originally Posted by ariZona28

Stalker, what is the temp comparison between the factory DIC and your Aeroforce readout? Curious as to how close they compare at the good and warm 220, 250, 270 degree range.

After installing the kit, I was still seeing 230+ temps after “slightly” spirited driving…granted that was in the 95 degree summer heat. Keep in mind I don’t have a Z28. It’s 14 SS with a big cube motor.
After installing the temp sensor, I was seeing a consistent 15 degree drop in those numbers, doing the same driving, in comparable outside heat.
Not that it matters to you Z guys but I had a sneaking suspicion that the stock LS3 oil pump was not up to the task of pumping oil through the motor, up those long lines, through the big cooler and then back to through the motor efficiently.
Im in the process of installing a Melling high volume oil pump in my car right now. My guess is, I’ll see more of a consistent temperature drop when the oil is flowing through the motor and cooler at a more desirable rate.

[ariZona28]

Ok, I understand you had a temp change but how do the temp readings COMPARE to each other? Example: DIC temp 245, Aeroforce 230. From what you're saying the Aeroforce readings are 15 degrees cooler than the DIC calculated readings? I know the Z is a bit different and it has a cooler in front of the rad along with the one near the filter but it still uses that temp calculation method and I've been trying to figure out if there's a percentage or +/- error to be taken into account. I'd plumb in an ol' school Auto Meter gauge if I could find an EASY port but it seems that in order to accomplish that I'd have to perform some minor surgery. I just read your spec, holy shit! An LSX 440! That's got to be loads of fun!!

[STALKER]

Originally Posted by ariZona28

Ok, I understand you had a temp change but how do the temp readings COMPARE to each other? Example: DIC temp 245, Aeroforce 230. From what you're saying the Aeroforce readings are 15 degrees cooler than the DIC calculated readings? I know the Z is a bit different and it has a cooler in front of the rad along with the one near the filter but it still uses that temp calculation method and I've been trying to figure out if there's a percentage or +/- error to be taken into account. I'd plumb in an ol' school Auto Meter gauge if I could find an EASY port but it seems that in order to accomplish that I'd have to perform some minor surgery. I just read your spec, holy shit! An LSX 440! That's got to be loads of fun!!

I see what you are asking. My apologies.
Keep in mind, I don't have a ton of drive time with the Aero Force installed, but once I get my oil pump in, I'll be able to grab all the data you want, and will be able to show differences in what the computer says the oil temp is vs. what the Aero Force shows at any point, because you can log the 2 temps on the same screen.

What I've seen so far:

Upon start-up, the computer shows oil temp at 104, no matter what. It will stay there for a good minute or 2 before it starts moving up from there.
While the computer is showing 104, the Aero Force is showing a more accurate reading of temp starting from around ambient air temp at start-up. It climbs as it should, showing temps increase slightly over time, just like you would expect.

At idle, the computer will show temps climb well up to, and past 190-200, where the AF is showing 175ish. I should mention at this point, that I removed the thermostat from the Improved racing cooler adapter block. I saw no use for it. I never drive my car until the oil temps are up in the operating range.

Now, If I extend the idle and let the car sit there running, the temps, over time start creeping back toward each other and almost meet around 200.

Out on the road, is where you see the difference. Lets say I left and both the computer and the AF are showing 200ish, Once getting the car moving on the highway, the AF temps go down immediately, where the computer temps stay up..and may even climb a little.

Like I said in my previous post, after a slightly spirited drive, the AF was showing temps around 15 degrees lower than what the computer was showing.
Computer 230-235ish
AF 215-220ish

... but again, the more and more I read about the LS3 oil pump, the more concerned I got about its capability in my set-up. Apparently the pump itself isn't worth anything over 6200, which is strike 1. Secondly, if the pump can't even supply the motor over 6200 reliability, how could it be expected to keep the cooler and lines full and pressured to cycle oil properly? I may be off on this, but for what it costs me to put a pump on the car, its simple insurance.

I will definitely post up all the data I get once its done and I can get some miles on the car.

Hope this helped a little.

[ariZona28]

Appreciate the info.